Understanding How Each of Us Are "Wired": Week of March 15, 2024

 

Dear Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

Good morning on another spring-like day in our region! It’s been a busy week on campus, hosting consultants who are helping us prepare for an upcoming Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association accreditation visit next month. Special thanks to Bob Serianni and his staff for their wonderful preparation for this visit. We were also delighted to welcome Don Mueller, CEO of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children; and our third year PCO students completed final preparations for Part 1 of their national boards.

In addition to all of this, here are some other things I hope you find of interest:

BOT RETIREMENT: Keith Ignotz has been a member of the Salus Board of Trustees for 32 years. In that time, he has seen PCO develop new programs and establish Salus University, an institution with multiple colleges and programs, continued growth and financial stability. Now Keith, along with Jo Surpin and Derrick Artis, OD ‘89, MBA, have retired from the board. Read more about Keith’s tenure here, and look for a future story about the contributions of Jo and Derrick.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Alyson McFadden, MSOT ‘22, was a competitive swimmer as an undergraduate student at California University of Pennsylvania who experienced a significant shoulder injury. The mother of a teammate was an occupational therapist who worked with McFadden and helped her to the point where she was able to continue to swim for the duration of her college career. That was the impetus that inspired McFadden to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy (OT) at Salus University. Click here to read more.

FASHION FRIDAY, AUDIOLOGY: A dog, hearing aid, drag queen, love sign, and CrossFit. Although topics seemingly unrelated, these items make up Rebecca Blaha’s, AuD, interest and personality. These items are incorporated into her attire as pins on her Salus University lanyard, which she wears daily while providing patient care at the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI). Click here to read more about the latest installment of Fashion Friday, Audiology faculty edition.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This week, Salus University Vice President of Human Resources Maura Keenan and Human Resources Coordinator Kathleen McMullen kicked off another round of small group sessions to help faculty and staff review Drexel’s benefit options ahead of selection later this semester. Additional sessions are forthcoming, and you can also reach out directly to Maura and Kathleen to meet one-on-one if you have specific questions.

Feedback from our first two sessions suggests that many are finding the review process very helpful. And it is prompting additional questions, which is understandable. For many, this is the first time our transition to Drexel is “hitting home,” as we consider firsthand what choices to make among Drexel’s benefits. Each of us is “wired” a bit differently, and we each address change differently as well.

I’ve been discussing our transition with a friend who recommended I read a book by Thomas Erikson on the DiSC behavioral model. The book describes four types of human behaviors—dominance, influence, steadiness and compliance, broken down by colors – red, yellow, green and blue. It details how they interact with each other, as well as their communication and coping traits. The author points out that, “communication happens on the listener’s terms.” People hear what they want to or expect to hear, no matter who or what is being said, because the message is ”filtered through whatever their frame of reference might be.”

As we discuss our upcoming merger with Drexel, I see various DiSC profiles among the range of perspectives we are encountering. Some of us are wired for change – and embrace it – while others, primarily tend to prefer the status quo. One is not better than the other, but it does present some challenges when communicating change.

While, instinctively, we might all be aware of this, it’s a nice reminder that we are all a little different and will respond to change differently. That’s okay as long as we respectfully recognize those differences, and work to try and understand each other’s points of view. That said, change is coming and it’s exciting. To those in our group who may be having a difficult time with the change, we will do everything we can to make the transition to Drexel as seamless and comfortable as possible, understanding that some might have to adapt more than others.

Next week, several of our senior staff, deans and program directors will participate in a DiSC leadership training to learn how different behavior profiles navigate change, as we work to support our collective transition to Drexel. If you have taken a DiSC assessment, what have you learned about how you approach change? I would love to hear from you.

As you prepare for this weekend, please try to get out and enjoy the nice weather. Next week, although it may be a bit cooler than this week was, we’ll celebrate Spring, and prepare for our Spring Break, right around the corner. If you are so inclined, try to learn a bit more about DiSC analysis – I found it very enlightening.

On a much lighter note, check out the picture of the unusual looking vehicle we encountered when walking around the Drexel campus earlier this week. I thought it looked like a lime-green shoe!

Have a great weekend – best of luck to our PCO students taking boards. Be safe, continue to look out for one another and come back SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Salus Weekly Update: March 8, 2024

 

Dear Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

Greetings from our Elkins Park campus on this crisp Friday morning! We end this week with the news of yet another shooting injuring youth in Philadelphia. Several of us were at a meeting with Mayor Cherelle Parker, last evening, who had just come from the shooting scene. She was visibly shaken by the event and shared her concerns about the wellbeing and safety of everyone involved in the shootings, as well as her determination to stop these horrible events. Please keep those who were wounded and injured as a result of this mass shooting in your thoughts and prayers. On a more uplifting note, our geese are back and are staking out their territory. Check out the photo below. Here are some other items I hope you will find interesting:

WHY SALUS OT: The Salus University approach to Occupational Therapy (OT) education is to provide a distinctive and innovative program for the academic and clinical preparation of a master’s degree, advanced specialty certificate, and doctoral degree. We recently surveyed current OT students and asked why they chose Salus to further their education and prepare themselves for their careers. Click here to read what they had to say.

SAG DEADLINE EXTENDED: The nomination deadline for the Salus Awards Gala (SAG) has been extended to April 1. Please take the time to make your nominations and recognize those who have made your experience at Salus memorable! If you have already made your nominations, please encourage your classmates and faculty members to do the same. Nominate Faculty here! Nominate Classmates and Student Organizations here. There are also QR codes around campus that will lead you to the nomination forms.

COMPUTER HISTORY: In the early 1980s, Drexel became the first university in the country to require all students to have a personal computer, a mandate made possible through a first-of-its kind partnership with Apple Inc. It was a first within higher education that earned Drexel a national reputation as a bold and technologically advanced institution. Click here to read more.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This week we held one of many Salus community meetings to keep everyone apprised of recent developments relating to our upcoming merger with Drexel University. To say that I’m excited about this partnership of two great institutions is an understatement. In my opinion, the opportunities that will be afforded our students, faculty, staff and alumni are unlimited. While I see all of the positives in this, I also recognize and understand the uncertainty and fear that our faculty and staff may be feeling as this major change affects you and your families.

As promised and to support your consideration of Drexel’s healthcare plans, Human Resources has arranged multiple sessions beginning Tuesday to review your current healthcare benefits and the wide array of options at Drexel. We will host as many sessions as needed to ensure you have an opportunity to compare plans ahead of benefit selection in May.

As we have said in multiple meetings, not everything will be the same. We strongly encourage you to explore what’s available on Drexel’s Benefits webpage. In addition, we have shared on our ADP portal two integration updates addressing dozens of questions received from faculty and staff. We also continue to work with Drexel’s HR team to provide as much information to you as possible as soon as it is available. You can keep abreast of updates on the integration website. This site will be updated regularly.

Very few people like change, but in today’s higher education ecosystem and post-pandemic environment, academic institutions that do not actively embrace change are doomed to mediocrity, and at worse, failure.

As I have shared with you previously, there is abundant wisdom in the teachings of the great Roman Stoics, especially as they discuss embracing change. In their teachings, they note that “change is unavoidable.” Marcus Aurelius wrote that “Change is nature’s delight”. He further states, “Frightened of change? But what can exist without it? Can any vital process take place without something being changed?”

As we look to the future, the changes we are embarking on are essential to enhance and expand the Salus student experience and to ensure the sustainability of all our world-class programs through perpetuity. I’m not suggesting it’s going to be easy – it’s not – but I can guarantee, if embraced in a positive way, it will be exciting and fruitful. We are working to make the transition as seamless as possible for everyone involved.

For our faculty and staff, as you prepare for the weekend, try and review your current benefits on the ADP website so you can have a productive discussion when you participate in the HR sessions scheduled in the upcoming days and weeks.

For our students, please know that the Office of the Provost, along with our deans, program directors and faculty are actively exploring with Drexel colleagues all available opportunities to enhance the educational experiences of current and future students. This is a major driver of the “why” for our merger. For students preparing for boards, I wish you productive studying and the very best of luck (which you won’t need, since you know your stuff)!

Don’t forget: this Sunday our clocks “spring forward” with the change with daylight savings time at 2 am. If possible, adjust your activities to compensate for the lost hour of sleep. As always, please continue to look out for one another, try to get outside, enjoy some fresh air, and come back Monday SALUS STRONG!

- Mike

Practicing Good Sleep Hygiene: Week of March 1, 2024

 

Dear Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

Greetings on this first day of March! It’s been another busy week on campus as well as down in Atlanta where many of our optometry faculty, residents and some students have been participating in the Southern Educational Council of Optometry meeting. I wanted to extend my thanks to Megan Weyler and the Drexel Human Resources team for taking the time on Monday to provide an overview of Drexel Human Resources to Salus faculty and staff. We know that many questions are still unanswered, but this was a great first step in helping everyone to understand some of the tools that will be available us as we continue to navigate through the merger. Much more granular, individualized information will be available to all of us in early Spring, after our teams have had the opportunity to complete a line-by-line comparison of all of our benefits. In the interim, I encourage all faculty and staff to visit the Drexel HR website to learn more about what’s offered to us. Here are some things I hope you will find of interest: 

SALUS FASHION, TAKE ONE: As Salus University’s general counsel and compliance officer, Brian Zuckerman, JD, thinks his workday attire can feel a bit repetitive. For him, socks are an opportunity to show a little bit of individualism. Socks that make a statement are something I know a little about as well. Click here to check out the first of three stories about fashion at Salus.

AUDIOLOGY AWARD: Aaron Roman, AuD, CCC-A, FAAA, an assistant professor in the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA), has been named an Early-Career Audiologist Award winner by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA). Dr. Roman is in his second year at the University, where he teaches courses in the residential Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program and serves as a clinical audiologist providing comprehensive care at the on-campus clinical facility, the Pennsylvania Ear Institute. He also serves as a clinical preceptor for AuD students and works with pediatric and adult populations. To read more, click here.

WHY SALUS: Hear directly from Salus University’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) students on why they chose our SLP program. Click here for details.

A CLOSER LOOK AT DREXEL: As we continue the integration process with Drexel University, we wanted to take a deep dive into Drexel’s academics and student life. Click here to learn more.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Over the past few weeks, I’ve touched upon several subjects that are associated with the stressors we see in our lives to include loneliness, bullying, and gun violence. Today, after having to get up at 3 AM to catch an early morning flight I thought I’d address another stressor, one that many of us deal with routinely. That is sleep deprivation. While attending the continuing education meeting of the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services (AFOS) in Atlanta this past week I had the opportunity to attend a very insightful lecture on this very topic, which prompted me to do some additional research. I’d like to share some of my take-aways from the lecture and what I found in the literature that I’m certain is applicable to everyone reading this update.

According to the Sleep Foundation, as we sleep, we cycle through four stages of sleep. The first stage can last between one and seven minutes. You are probably not dreaming but just starting to relax. During the second stage of sleep, we are more relaxed. Our breathing, heart rates slow and brain activity slows. This stage lasts between ten to twenty-five minutes. During the third phase of sleep, also called “slow or delta wave” sleep we are in much deeper state, more relaxed, and much harder to wake. Sleep experts believe this is the restorative phase of our sleep cycles where the brain has a chance to rest and even assists with memory and creativity. It may also bolster the immune system and other key bodily processes. This phase can last from twenty to forty minutes. The fourth phase of sleep is REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, where our brain becomes more active. While we can dream in any of the sleep phases, the dreams we have during the REM stage tend to be more vivid. Most people will not enter REM sleep until they have been sleeping for up to ninety minutes. REM sleep is believed to be essential for cognitive functions such as memory, creativity and learning. We cycle through these phases several times during the night (or when we sleep) – see diagram below. 

Just like doing exercise to ensure we maintain a healthy cardiovascular system and shower every day to ensure we have good general hygiene, paying attention to our sleep hygiene is also an important habit to get into. It’s important to develop a consistent sleep schedule. To obtain this you should have routine exposure to nature daylight, avoid screen time and alcohol a couple of hours prior to bedtime as well eliminating noise and ambient light from your sleep environment. This will also help to properly adjust your circadian rhythm, the twenty-four internal clock in our brain that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to changes in our exposure to natural light in our environment. While this may seem like common sense, many of us have a difficult time practicing good sleep hygiene on a regular basis.

As we try to address stressors in our lives, getting enough good sleep on a regular basis can play a key role in how we are able to navigate through the many things confronting us daily. As you prepare for the weekend, and many of you, national boards, try to work on improving your sleep hygiene as I believe it will pay dividends in overall performance academically and personally.

Be safe, get some rest, look out for one another, and remain SALUS STRONG!

- Mike