Dear Salus Students, Faculty, Residents and Staff,
Happy New Year! Hope you are rested and ready for the new semester! As we enter 2025, it is a great time to celebrate the achievements of our students, faculty, alumni, and staff:
THE YEAR IN REVIEW: Throughout 2024, Salus at Drexel University’s students, faculty, alumni and staff attained numerous goals and experienced many accomplishments. Check out this month-to-month look at the year’s most interesting stories. Click here for details.
O&P AWARD: Benjamin Jolley ‘26O&P recently won first prize at the New Jersey American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (NJAAOP) conference in the student poster division for his study on “Enhancing Clinical Interprofessional Competence of Salus Healthcare Students through an Immersion-Level Interprofessional Education Experience,” which he co-authored with Virginia Muthard, CPO/L, FAAOP, assistant professor in the Orthotics & Prosthetics (O&P) department, Salus at Drexel University. Read more here.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The career of Kurt Moody, OD ‘83, FAAO, spanning four decades, includes 12 U.S. and international patents in contact lens design. As he looks ahead, he’s preparing for the next chapter, which includes retirement and the launch of his own consulting company. Click here to read more.
The Power and Importance of Advocacy in Advancing Our Professions
Advocacy is critical in advancing the scope of practice across healthcare professions, ensuring practitioners can operate at the highest levels of their training. A recent development in optometry demonstrates the significant impact of such efforts: Congress passed the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This legislation ensures optometrists within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are compensated at the same scale as their physician colleagues, recognizing their contributions to comprehensive eyecare for veterans.
This achievement highlights the importance of collective advocacy and collaboration in expanding the professional scope of practice and ensuring equity within healthcare systems. The American Optometric Association – of which our Salus optometry students are members (through AOSA), and the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services (AFOS), have led the way on this effort. At Salus, professionals across all programs are trained to the highest levels and often serve in systems like the VA, where such advancements benefit both practitioners and patients. As many of you know, this is a cause for which I have personally advocated over many years at the national level. Advocacy continues to be a key driver in shaping the future of healthcare professions and enhancing their impact on the communities they serve.
In closing, it’s going to be a cold, wintery weekend, so if you plan on venturing out, please be mindful of road conditions and the weather.
Mike
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