Go Navy - Beat Army!!! Week of December 9, 2022

 

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

Good morning on a beautiful, crisp morning from our Elkins Park Campus! It’s been a busy week with folks taking final exams, practicals and preparing to head out to clinical rotations. Here are some items of interest:

NEW SLP FACULTY: A very warm welcome to our new Speech-Language Pathology faculty members, Anne Marie Ruckdeschel, MA, CCC-SLP; Jennifer Bergstrom, EdD, CCC-SLP; and Deanna Yoder-Black, SLPD, CCC-SLP. Click here to read more about our newest colleagues.

INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION: The benefits of interprofessional education and practice at Salus University was never more apparent than in a recent online seminar on falls risk assessment and intervention, which combined expertise from both Audiology and Occupational Therapy (OT). Read more about it here.

MINDFULNESS THEME: Our Center for Personal and Professional Development’s (CPPD) Janeyshka Ortiz-Flores and Andrew Jaskot will be outside the cafe from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12. Stop by and collect a mindfulness-themed goodie bag.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Philadelphia is poised this weekend to host the nation’s 123rd Army-Navy Game. Navy, happily leads the series 62-53-7. The history of this series is worth discussing.

West Point Cadets and Naval Academy midshipmen played the first Army-Navy football game Nov. 29, 1890 on "The Plain" at West Point. As the Navy had been playing organized football for over a decade, they handily defeated the newly established Army team, 24-0. The game has been an annual tradition since 1930. According to records, there were 10 times when the game was not played with the longest period between 1894 – 1898 purportedly due to an argument between an Army General and Navy Admiral that almost ended with a duel between the following the 1893 game! During World War I, games were also canceled. 

On Nov. 27, 1926, the game was held in Chicago for the formal dedication of Soldier Field in honor of the American servicemen who had fought in World War I.

We often see Army and Navy Mascots at the games, which has been part of the tradition from the early days of the competition. The tradition of mules as mascots for Army dates back to 1899, when someone decided the team needed a mascot to counter the Navy goat (always trying to copy the Navy!) There’s also the “tradition” of each service academy attempting to “kidnap” the other’s mascots prior to the games. While discouraged by leadership, attempts still occur to this day.

The game was first played in Philadelphia, at Franklin Field, on 1899 and remained there through 1904, after which it was played at Princeton and then returned to Philadelphia for the next 7 years. This week’s game marks the 90th time it will have been played in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is located almost exactly between the two schools and is as close as any major city with a big enough venue.

After 1904 the game bounced around from New York’s Polo Grounds, Baltimore and Chicago until 1932 where it stayed in Philadelphia until 1942 where the next year the game was played at West Point and then Baltimore. From 1945 through 1982 the game remained in Philadelphia. In 1983, for the only time in the game’s history, it was played on the west coast at the Rose Bowl. For the remaining years, the game has predominately remained in Philadelphia with infrequent visits to Baltimore and New York. During the height of the pandemic, the game was played at West Point. It has never been played at the Naval Academy. This year marks the last year we will see the game in Philadelphia until 2027. For the next 4 years the game will be played around the Northeast, to Boston, Washington, Baltimore and New York before returning to Philadelphia.

So, if you’re not too busy tomorrow afternoon, try to catch some of this historical sports rivalry. It’s important to remember that you will be watching both Cadet and Midshipmen athletes who have voluntarily dedicated part of their lives to protecting our freedoms and the ideals of our American democracy. So GO NAVY – BEAT ARMY!!!

Have a great weekend – be safe, continue to follow CDC masking guidelines and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

A Missed Opportunity to Curtail Monkeypox: Week of August 5, 2022

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

Good morning on a cloudy, summer day in Elkins Park. Our students are preparing to take final exams, and many are getting ready to depart for their clinical rotations. It’s an exciting time!

Here are some other areas of interest:

SEP BACK IN-PERSON: The Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University concluded its annual Robert E. Horne Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) in July with a celebratory closing event. SEP provides underrepresented students of color within the Doctor of Optometry program a jumpstart into the academic year. To read more about this year’s program, click here.

SPACERS PRESIDENT’S GOALS: Our latest podcast features a conversation with Carolyn Pijanowski, '24MS VRT, '24O&M, who is also the president of SPACERS, a student organization that promotes the blindness and low vision profession. She talks to us about the organization's goals and projects for this upcoming school year. To listen, click here.

FACULTY FOCUS ON DR. A.: Our Faculty Focus features Radhika Aravamudhan, PhD, dean of our Osborne College of Audiology (PCA) at Salus University. Dr. Aravamudhan believes the most important role of an administrator at any institution is to serve and build relationships amongst the various constituents. To read more, click here.

WHITE COAT CEREMONY: This year’s White Coat ceremony will again be held on campus, in the Hafter Student Center, with three separate ceremonies scheduled to keep the crowds down on Friday, 19 August. Our guest speaker is Rear Admiral William Roberts, Medical Corps, United States Navy (retired). Bill is an emergency room physician with a broad background in military medicine, business administration, public health and higher education. He recently completed his tenure as the acting President of the Uniformed Services University (USU) in Bethesda, Maryland and currently serves on the leadership team at USU. I have known Bill for many years and am excited for him to share his insights with us all.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Once considered a relatively obscure virus endemic to Africa, Orthopoxvirus monkeypox has emerged as a significant threat to global health, infecting more than 20,000 people in 75 countries and prompting the World Health Organization to declare a worldwide health emergency. (New York Times) The virus is spread through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact, including:

• Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox.
• Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
• Contact with respiratory secretions.

Given the factors above, it is extremely important to destigmatize the infection, which is being mischaracterized as a malady centered on gay men, simply because they comprise the majority of documented cases.

Source: New York Times

As we watch cases increase across the country, it appears we have learned little from our experience with COVID and the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 80’s and 90’s. When cases of monkeypox first emerged in the U.S., the nation’s public health system had the opportunity to significantly curtail, if not totally eliminate, the threat of the disease through judicious distribution of tests and vaccine, all which are readily available in stockpiles around the country. Even as the government recently declared the monkeypox outbreak a national public health emergency, until now, it has been administratively cumbersome for providers to order tests and access vaccines. According to the CDC, there are almost 7000 cases in the U.S. Locally, 173 are reported in Pennsylvania. As of yesterday, over 200 cases are being reported daily in the U.S. (see NYT chart below)

As healthcare providers, it is important for us to recognize and treat the signs and symptoms of Monkeypox, but just as important, to learn and apply past lessons learned to better protect all. The American public health system is fragmented and not as effective as it should be. When given the opportunity to address this, none of us should refrain from sharing our thoughts and opinions on how to improve the system.

As you prepare for the weekend, please keep in mind that COVID cases remain moderately high, so it is important to remain vigilant and follow CDC masking guidelines. If you suspect you’ve been exposed to monkeypox, please check with your primary care provider to determine the best course of action. At the very least, insist on being tested.

Stay safe, keep hydrated and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Take Time To Recharge: Week of July 15th, 2022

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

Good morning from Iceland, where I am enjoying some much needed R&R with a couple of my daughters and my brother-in-law. It’s 48 degrees and sunny, which is pretty normal for a July morning here.

A very warm welcome and congratulations to all of our new residents! I look forward to seeing you! The summer semester is beginning to wind down, and finals and clinical practical exams are quickly approaching.

Here are a few developments from our Salus community:

PRACTICING WELLNESS, TAKE TWO: Check out part two of our feature titled “Practicing Wellness as A Graduate Student.” Part one covered mitigating burnout whereas part two addresses managing imposter syndrome, an internal experience leading to beliefs and perceptions of being incompetent. Read more here.

FACULTY FOCUS: This week’s Faculty Focus is on Kerry Lueders, MS ‘99, COMS, TVI, CLVT, director of the Low Vision Rehabilitation (LVR) program and the Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (LVI) within the Department of Blindness and Low Vision (BLVS) at the University. To read more about Kerry, click here.

SLP/AUD OPEN HOUSE: The University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) and department of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) recently offered an open house to prospective students. The inaugural half-day event was for those wanting to study communication sciences and disorders. Read more here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: For so many of us and our teams who pushed beyond what we thought was possible during the last few years, it can be difficult to step back and recharge. But it's important to prioritize this. Take the time to rest and rejuvenate -- it's critical for continued wellness and motivation.

I look forward to getting back to campus next week. In the meantime, take some time to recharge and get outside to enjoy the summer weather and distress. We’ll be welcoming our incoming classes for our fall semester in a few short weeks. Time is flying!

Please continue to follow CDC guidelines when out and about, look out for one another and stay SALUS STRONG!

Hiking one of the four glaciers in Iceland

Mike

Have a Safe and Fun Soiree - Week of November 15th, 2019

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

Good morning from Elkins Park!  While I always enjoy learning and spending time up at Harvard, it’s always great to be back on campus.  The Harvard Seminar for Experienced Presidents that I was attending was extremely informative and thought provoking.  I can’t wait to start applying what I’ve learned!

Last evening, I had the pleasure of hosting Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker optical, on campus.  Neil and some of staff spent some time with our Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) students and 2019-2020 residents.  It was fun talking with Neil learning how he established Warby-Parker and has grown it into a very unique and successful optical chain.

Last weekend, some of our Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) students attended the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Thank you for helping to spread awareness about this disease, especially during Alzheimer’s Awareness month, and for representing Salus! To learn more about what SLPs can do for those who suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia, visit salusuhealth.com/slp-dementia.

Tuesday is our very last Centennial Tour stop! We’re on our way to Chicago, IL to see alumni and friends at riverside restaurant, The Kitchen Bistro.  So, if you happen to be in the Windy City on Tuesday, 19 November, please stop by and see us.  We’ll be at the restaurant, which is located at 316 N. Clark Street, from 6PM – 8PM.  You can register here. 

Drowsy Driving Prevention Week is Nov. 3-10.  Driving while drowsy is impaired driving.  After 20 hours without sleep it is equivalent to driving with a blood alcohol level at the legal limit. It is estimated that more than 300,000 crashes including more than 5000 fatalities are related to drowsy driving each year. When you realize you are drowsy, pull over and rest, or get someone else to drive. https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/fatigued-driving.

Finally, I want to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable time at the Salus Soiree tonight! Remember, if you drink, or are tired, please don’t drive! Have a safe and fun weekend!

Mike

Salus Scoop: Week of September 6th

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

Good morning! We’ve been spared the wrath Hurricane Dorian in Elkins Park, but many of our colleagues down south and in the Bahamas were not as lucky. I ask that we keep all those affected by the storm in our thoughts and prayers.

It’s been another busy week on campus between students getting into their routines, conducting an orientation program for a prospective Board of Trustee member, hosting a State Representative and of course, preparing for the SALUS SCOOP.

On Wednesday, we had the pleasure of providing a Salus Board orientation program to prospective Board of Trustee member Joyce Koh. Ms. Koh brings a vast knowledge of corporate, business and finance law to our Board. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Beasley School of Law at Temple University. We look forward to seeing her at the upcoming September board meeting and officially welcoming her in January. 

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting State Representative Matt Bradford, who is the Democratic Chairman of the State House Appropriations Committee. We discussed our work in the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Norristown, which is in his district,  our plans to integrate tele-health initiatives in FQHC’s in the city and elsewhere, how we provide free screenings in Philadelphia and Montgomery County public schools and how these initiatives positively impact the Commonwealth, as well as each profession we serve.  Following a tour of our Elkins Park campus, Rep Bradford spent time at The Eye Institute learning about how we have impacted the local community through our direct patient care services, community outreach and charitable care to both Philadelphia and Montgomery County residents.  These visits are so very important as we hope to gain support for scope of practice legislation and potential financial support from the Commonwealth. Keeping fingers crossed on both accounts!

I’d like to thank Anne Lotz, past President of the Kiwanis Club, for recently presenting Dr. Brandy Scombordi with a generous donation of $1,000 for the University’s Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) charity. The money was raised as a part of the Jenkintown Sunset 5K Run that was held in early June. Thank you to the Kiwanis Club and everyone else who helps to make LOFK possible!  For more information about Looking Out For Kids, please visit salus.edu/LOFK. 

As always, our Salus faculty, staff and students are keeping busy with various events throughout the community. Next weekend, Salus will be participating in a Citywide Health Fair at the Heart of Worship Restoration on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., and the Jenkintown Festival of the Arts on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. If you’re in the area, stop by and visit the Salus table.

Speaking of upcoming events, don’t forget about Salus Scoop later today! Stop by the lawn in front of the Hafter Center from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for food trucks, entertainment, prizes and for the chance to pie a professor!

Just a reminder to all new students – if you haven’t tried to schedule an appointment at either The Eye, Ear or Speech-Language Institutes, please get this done. It’s really important for you to see how your colleagues practice as well as to experience what each type of exam is like.  It won’t be too long before you’re in the clinic and come across a patient needing services other than those you’re providing in your particular specialty, but may benefit from those offered by your colleagues and classmates in our other clinics.  Think inter-professionally and interdisciplinary – because that’s the way you’ll practice when you leave here.

Well, tomorrow is my last scheduled “long run” (17 -miles) before I begin the big taper for the Berlin Marathon on 29 September.  I will be so happy when this is done!  I don’t suggest anyone tries this craziness, but the weekend will be nice, so I do encourage you all to get out and enjoy the good weather. Be safe, have some fun and come back energized to hit the books or whatever you do on Monday!   

Mike

Labor Day Weekend: Week of August 30th

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

Good morning from a sunny and pleasant Elkins Park (I really like being a weather person). It’s been a fantastic week at Salus.  All of new and returning students are back on campus, so the parking lot is full and you can feel the positive energy as soon as you walk through the doors. 

We received more good news concerning accreditation this week, as the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) informed us that our OT program received a 7-year accreditation based on their recent site visit. Kudos to Dr. Lauren Sponseller and her OT faculty and staff for getting this done!

We talk a lot about patient-centric care at Salus and the difference we make in people’s lives. This week, I’d like to share a story in connection with the William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center at The Eye Institute (and yes, we have permission to talk about it). Heather Napolitano began losing her vision seven years ago due to a retinal disorder.  Because she was having such difficultly seeing things with standard glasses, her physician recommended that she visit Dr. Erin Kenny, chief of the Feinbloom Center. Dr. Kenny was able to fit Heather with specialty sunglasses and a hand-held telescope that made it possible for her to watch her daughter dance on stage at her recital.  Shocked that it took seven years for her to hear about Feinbloom’s services for low vision patients, Heather decided to become an real advocate for the Center.  In 2015, Heather and her husband co-founded a fundraiser called “SeeShore Fest”, held annually at the Starboard Restaurant in Dewey Beach, Del. The event previously raised money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and this year she included the Feinbloom Center as a beneficiary. SeeShore Fest 2019 was held this past weekend and raised $14,557 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and The Eye Institute. We’d like to thank Heather for being an advocate for Feinbloom and thank Dr. Kenny for going the extra mile for all of her patients. Read more at salusuhealth.com/seeshore-fest.

Time for some fun on campus - Come out and attend Salus Scoop next Friday! There will be food trucks, games and prizes. The event will be hosted in front of the Hafter Center from 1-3 p.m. 

Speaking of fun, the second stop on our Centennial Tour was this Tuesday in Cherry Hill, NJ. It was great seeing some of our NJ alumni and friends. Next stop, New Haven, Connecticut on Thursday, 5 September! Remember to visit salus.edu/centennial-tour to check out the schedule and see if we’re coming to a town near you!

I’d like to thank all of our volunteers who attended State Representative Steve McCarter’s Senior Fair at Keneseth Israel yesterday. When Dr. Eckert and I walked over to see how things were going, the parking lot was full and the room was packed!  Lots of interest in our audiology, SLP and optometry services.  It’s so important to attend community events like this and give back to our community. If you ever have questions about participating or volunteering for various community events, email communications@salus.edu. 

Finally, as we approach Labor Day weekend, I always like to remind people why we celebrate this holiday, which celebrates the greatest workers in the world – American workers.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.  By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.  So, there you have it.  This is why we have this coming Monday off.  I hope everyone enjoys their 3-day weekend and especially, Labor Day. 

Be safe, have some fun, if you drink, please do it responsibly and don’t drive and use plenty of sunscreen.  Also, please keep our friends and colleagues who are might be in the path of Hurricane Dorian in your thoughts and prayers.  Have a great weekend!

Mike

Centennial Tour Launch: Week of July 26th

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

Good morning! Temperatures have moderated a bit which has been a very welcome change!

As we end this week, I’m excited to announce the launch of the public phase of the University's fundraising campaign in celebration of its founding College, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO). Originally announced at the Centennial Gala in April, Focus on the Future: The Centennial Campaign aims to raise $5 million by the end of 2020 in order to provide scholarship and other academic support to our students, healthcare support to our region, and allow us to continue to impact and influence the future of health care delivery, education and professional practice well into our next 100 years.  In support of the public phase and in celebration, the University’s Office of Institutional Advancement has created a national series of events – entitled Centennial Tour – which officially announces Focus on Our Future: The Centennial Campaign in 16 cities over the course of 90 days. To learn more and check out the Centennial Tour stops visit our website by clicking here. 

On campus, our Audiology Summer Workshops are wrapping up this weekend with a “Hearing Conservation in Music and Industry” workshop. Check out this testimonial from an AuD student who attended the first session...

It’s that time again to visit the Learning Resource Center (LRC) for Pet Therapy! On Wednesday, 31 July, from noon to 1 p.m., therapy dogs from Comfort Caring Canines will be in the LRC, so stop by if you can!  I know you’ll relax immediately after petting these dogs!

As we approach finals weeks, be on the lookout for our bagel breakfast mornings at the LRC, that will be coming up shortly. That’s a new Salus tradition, brought to you by the Office of Institutional Advancement, that has really taken off! 

Good luck to those of you who are starting your finals next week. I know that some of you won’t be taking finals until the following weeks, but I wish you all successful studying as you prepare.  Take some time to give your brain a break this weekend and make sure you’re eating healthy and drinking lots of water to stay hydrated.  It’s going to be sunny, so don’t forget the sunscreen if you’re laying outside studying – or whatever. Have a great weekend - be safe and look out for one another.

Mike

Stay Cool: Week of July 19th

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

Greetings from a hot and humid Elkins Park! It’s been another busy week on campus, even with the heat! Good luck to all those taking their mid-terms today!

Salus recently welcomed our new Safety and Security director, Carlos Rodriguez. With more than 14 years of experience in law enforcement, Carlos has worked for 11 years in higher education as a supervisor/administrator for Campus Public Safety. Be sure to give him a warm welcome when you see him around campus! Read more at salus.edu/carlos.

Later this summer, thanks to the work of several of our faculty and staff members, we will break ground on an outdoor Sensory Garden Environment that will be used as a teaching and clinical tool sometime late next semester! The garden will add value to the teaching and learning environment for each of the seven programs within the University’s College of Education and Rehabilitation (CER), as well as provide strategic outreach for children and adults within the local community who have sensory deficits. The garden, which will be located in the front of the Hafter Center will really add a great deal to our campus. Read more at salus.edu/sensorygarden.

This month, The Speech-Language Institute (SLI) celebrates its four year anniversary! Since opening its doors, SLI has served both adults and children with a wide variety of speech, language, communication, feeding and swallowing disorders at no cost to our clients. We are so proud of SLI's dedicated staff and passionate students and I look forward to many more successful years of caring for clients at this important clinic. Read more at salusuhealth.com/celebrating-4-years.

Congratulations to the Osborne College of Audiology on the successful completion of their Cerumen Management educational session on Tuesday and the standardized patient workshop on Wednesday. Both were extremely successful! Changes to the Tuesday learning lab session allowed for the students to work in smaller groups with more faculty and to have three hours of intense hands-on training. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their ears and to our OCA faculty and students for their great job in executing these important clinical and academic exercises. 

I'd like to wish Renee Campbell a happy retirement! Renee has worked as a Patient Service Representative at The Eye Institute for over 30 years. While we're sad to see her go, we are also excited for her as she starts this new chapter in her life. Good luck Renee! Read more at salusuhealth.com/renee-campbell.

In light of the most recent political discord that has been prominent in the news and on social media I want people to know that we at Salus strongly value the diversity and inclusion of people from all nationalities, religions and beliefs that have helped to shape America into the greatest democracy the world has seen. Immigrants form the basis of our society and have enriched our country throughout our 243 years. Consequently, we are melting pot of cultures and ideals. That must be celebrated and not denigrated.

Finally, just a reminder that the weather guessers are telling us to expect record breaking heat this weekend with temperatures approaching 100+ on Saturday. To that end, please ensure you are well hydrated, especially if you’re doing outside activities. Try to stay cool and beat the heat! Look out for one another and be safe.

Mike

Mid-Terms Wrap-Up: Week of July 12th

Students, Faculty, Residents (current and new), Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends, 

Greetings from a steamy Elkins Park Campus. It’s been another busy week at Salus with summer mid-term exams wrapping up.  

Last evening we bid farewell to our current optometric residents and welcomed our new ones at the annual Caio Chow event hosted by Dr. and Mrs. Bennett, which, despite the rain, was another fantastic event. Thank you Dr. and Mrs. Bennett for maintaining such as great tradition that celebrates the accomplishments of our extremely talented optometric residents!

Some events I might have missed while away last month:  College of Education and Rehabilitation (CER) completed its first interprofessional direct service experience involving students and preceptors from all three departments! After a pilot program by Blind and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) in 2018, the Occupational Therapy and Speech, Language Pathology departments joined in this year to conduct a one-week summer camp for children with visual impairments at partnering St. Lucy's School for the Blind, in Philadelphia. This interprofessional effort required students from all CER fields of practice to come together to plan, implement, and evaluate the summer camp, learning from and supporting each other while experiencing the true benefits of interprofessional practice. The camp was attended by 19 children with visual impairments, ranging in grades from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Leading the learning experience were Emily Vasile, from BLVS, who brought everyone together and created a supported environment for students and preceptors, and Sister Lisa Lettiere (former Alumni Award recipient), principal of St. Lucy's School for the Blind, who shared the school and its wonderful students with Salus. 

Thanks to Dr. Carlo Pelino for his Grand Rounds presentation, “Longevity Through the Eyes of the Beholder”.  As always, Carlo’s lecture was thought-provoking and extremely interesting but also a bit discouraging, as I think we were all hoping he’d bring a huge bottle of water from that Fountain of Youth, which of course, he didn’t!  Guess it’s back to good diet, exercise, minimizing stress, getting enough sleep and having the luck to have inherited good genes!

An alumni reception will be held this evening at The National Optometric Association’s annual meeting from 8-10 p.m. at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, please drop in!

Many of you might have seen the recent recall of Lubricant Eye Drops that were being marketed at Walmart and Walgreens. The Eye Institute has provided information about this to current patients and we have all the pertinent information on our website which you can view here. 

Summer usually brings about changes in personnel, and this year is no different. We want to congratulate Drs. Richard Brilliant and Tony DiStefano, on their retirements. Combined their service to PCO and now Salus totals over 80 years! You can read about Dr. Brilliant’s stellar career at http://salus.edu/drbrilliant. We’ll have another article about Dr. DiStefano’s extraordinary career in the coming weeks.

Our Audiology Summer Workshops are starting next week with two sessions scheduled, July 20-23 and July 25-28: more info is available here.

Finally, I want to congratulate Mr. Alan Lindy, the CEO of Lindy Properties, who has been selected to receive the Lighthouse Award which will be presented at this year’s Looking Out For Kids gala in November. Those nominated for this prestigious award are beacons of light and sources of strength in the community in which they live, work, and serve above and beyond their occupations. Mr. Lindy certainly personifies this through his commitment to the youth of the greater Philadelphia region and his overall generosity and philanthropy to our Looking Out For Kids charity as well as many others, over his career. 

Have a great weekend! Be safe, use lots of sunscreen, drink lots of water and take care of one another. See many of you on Monday!

Mike

Finals are Done: Week of May 10th

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

We finally made it to Friday! Most of our students are done with finals (at least after this morning) and are taking some time to relax before they graduate in a couple of weeks, head off to externships or prepare to begin summer semester.
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Jingyun Wang, PhD, associate professor, who attended and presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conference last week – congratulations!

The Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) Centennial Gala on April 27, 2019 marked the official kickoff of Focus on Our Future: The Centennial Campaign. With this campaign, we are committed to raising critical private support to ensure that the impact PCO and Salus has on our students, our region, and our world is even more powerful in the next 100 years. The campaign seeks to raise $5 million in funding to enhance our endowment, increasing support for student scholarships; improve educational facilities; and bolster our community service programs. 

Learn more about the campaign and to donate. 


A few weeks ago in April, faculty and graduates of BLVS attended the Penn Del AER Conference where they represented Salus with both presentations and poster sessions. Fabiana Perla, EdD, COMS, CLVR, chair of the Department of BLVS and Francesca Crozier-Fitzgerald, BLVS presented on their exploratory study of rehabilitation services to inmates with visual impairments; and Lachelle Smith, director of the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy program and Emily Vasile, MAT, TVI, MS, CLVT, instructor, presented All Aboard: Discovering a Collaborative Pathway Toward Independent Living – How Parents, TVI, and VRTs Can Chart a Child’s Path to Success.

I had the opportunity to participate in the Temple University Fox School of Business commencement ceremony yesterday, looking at things from a totally different perspective than I’m used to. It was interesting having to sit through the ceremony, listen to the speakers and then enjoy my five seconds of fame as I walked across the stage to get my blank diploma! Apparently, Temple and most bigger schools mail your diplomas to you after the graduation ceremony. Many of you might have experienced that in undergraduate school. This practice really highlights the importance of the work that Dr. Jim Caldwell, Shannon Boss and their staff do in preparation for our commencement ceremonies at Salus. We DO give real diplomas at graduation. They’re meticulously prepared in the right order so the right students get them every time – at least that’s been the case since I’ve been here. There is much to be said for attending a smaller institution like Salus. We sincerely value and cherish each one of our students and feel honored you’ve trusted us with your education. In reflection, I’m glad I went to graduation, “walked” and enjoyed the experience as a student. This whole experience helped me to keep my perspective fresh, especially now as we get ready to launch our next class of Salus graduates in about two weeks.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your well deserved break. Have some fun, spend time with friends and family and recharge your mental batteries!

Mike

Ready for Finals: Week of May 3rd

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

Well, all the dust has settled from last weekend’s events. As I mentioned in my note to you all on Monday, it was just a fantastic weekend of celebration. We’re now putting our noses back to the grindstone with finals and other end of the year events.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Ilan Dock, from PCO class of 2021 who won the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) Quiz Bowl last weekend. He will receive a $1,000 travel grant to represent the University’s Pennsylvania College of Optometry and compete in the national Essilor ® Optometry Student Bowl – the largest student event held at the Optometry’s Meeting – in June 2020 in Washington, D.C.

This Friday evening, the Sports Vision Club will host its annual dodge ball tournament – come play dodgeball and relieve finals stress with your fellow students while learning how to protect your eyes playing sports. Prizes and bragging rights will be rewarded to the winning team. Teams will be made up of 6-8 players and it is $5 a player.

On Saturday, Salus will be participating in the Philadelphia Science Festival Carnival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We will have educational games for the public and information about the University as well as the clinics. This is a great event that we participate in every year and I highly recommend you come check out the Festival. Let’s hope the weather holds!

On a personal note, many of you know I’ve been enrolled in an MBA program at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Well, the end of that is also here as I will be graduating next Thursday! It’s been an unbelievably challenging yet rewarding experience. If you’re wondering if I’m going “to walk”, the answer is yes. It’s been over 40 years since I’ve done that, so I thought it was about time to see what things looked like from another perspective and besides, it will make me much more empathetic for those of you who are about to do the same during our ceremony later this month!

Next week, to help our students get their day kicked off appropriately, we’ll be serving bagels and cream cheese in front of the Learning Resource Center on Monday May 6th and Wednesday May 8th at 8:00 a.m. in honor of finals week!

It’s looking like it’s going to be a rainy weekend. For those who are running the annual Broad Street 10-miler, good luck and be careful. For the rest of you, get out and have some fun of your own! Be safe and look out for one another!

Mike

Centennial Celebration Weekend - Week of April 26th

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

Greetings from Elkins Park and the beginning of our Centennial Celebration weekend! I can’t believe it’s actually here!

Tonight, at 6:00 p.m., at the Science Institute, we celebrate the achievements of 35 professionals who have made significant contributions to their professions, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and Salus University. It’s going to be a very special weekend that kicks off our celebration that goes through the weekend.

Concurrently, on Friday night from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. the AOSA Quiz Bowl will be happening in the Hafter Center. All students and faculty are welcome to attend, and those who do will receive two drink tickets and food. Second year optometry students will compete and the winner will go on to represent PCO in the national ASOA Quiz Bowl competition at the Optometry’s Meeting in June 2020.On Saturday, we’ll begin the day with free optometric continuing education on the Elkins Park campus at 8:00 a.m. sponsored by Physician Recommended Nutraceuticals. Drs. James Deom and Thomas Kislan will be discussing a practice guide to build a sustainable, medically focused practice to capitalize on the changing landscape in eye care.

At 10:00 a.m. the Salus Alumni Board will hold its annual meeting in room S301 on the Elkins Park campus. I’ll be giving an update about all the great things that are happening at the University and we’ll hear about plans for the coming year. All alumni are invited and encouraged to attend.

Campus tours of both Elkins Park and TEI in East Oak Lane; and PEI and SLI Open Houses will begin at 10:00 a.m. and go until 1:00 p.m. At 12:30 p.m., there will be the Presidential Medal of Honor Plaque Unveiling at the Hafter Student Community Center.

In additional to all the other things going on Saturday morning, Salus - PCO faculty and students will perform comprehensive eye exams at the VSP® Chester, Pa. event. Community service is in our DNA – and this is yet another example of how we care for those in need.

Now, that’s a busy morning! The BIG EVENT, the Gala, celebrating 100 years of Pennsylvania College of Optometry’s legacy, starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing and the Essilor Luxottica “After Party” starts at 9:30 p.m. 

View Weekend Schedule

This will be a great weekend of events to celebrate the College’s 100 years, and a great kickoff to the next 100 for the entire University.

As a prelude to this weekend’s events, on Tuesday, I was interviewed by Rosemary Connors from NBC10, who will also be hosting the Gala. Here’s a link to the interview if anyone’s interested.

Needless to say, it’s going to be an action-packed, fun weekend. I hope everyone has the opportunity to participate in any or all of the festivities. We’ve got a great deal to be thankful for and to celebrate. The Pennsylvania College of Optometry pretty much defined how optometry is practiced today and will continue to do so well into the future. That’s something to celebrate!

Have a great weekend. I hope to see many of you at the functions both on and off campus.

Mike

Raising Awareness in DC: Week of April 12th

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Member and Friends,

Greetings from Salus where Spring is in full bloom and our new stock of goslings are floating around our pond. Between some of our students taking exams and others on spring break, the campus has appeared to be pretty quiet this week although there’s lots going on!

Earlier in the week, about twenty students and I headed down to Washington DC, along with 600 other Doctors of Optometry and students to bring the American Optometric Association’s pro-patient, pro-access message to nearly all of the 535 members of the 116th Congress. During that time, we had the opportunity to brief members of Congress on important issues and pending legislation that included:

• Fighting costly health and vision plan abuses
• Stopping the FTC's unnecessary contact lens paperwork proposal
• Making the contact lens prescription verification process simpler and safer
• Supporting essential vision, eye health care for veterans by continuing to fight for better vision and eye health care for America's veterans
• Preserving the doctor-patient relationship, legislation that argues for the appropriate use of tele-health services as a supplement to high-value, high-quality eye and vision care.

Our students carried the day in discussions with legislative staffers and a few principles. While these visits don’t guarantee support, they certainly raise awareness of key issues facing our patients and the profession, overall.

On Thursday, Dr. Stephen Pugliese, our liaison representative from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), our University accrediator, spent most of the day at Salus as one of the first steps in the self-study review process with MSCHE. The process plays a vital role in the University’s ongoing planning, assessment, and accreditation and provides the opportunity to document Salus University’s impact and effectiveness as an institution of higher education. In addition to meeting with me, several Board of Trustee members and our MSCHE internal Steering Group, there was also an open forum for student leadership, faculty and staff which was extremely well-attended.

On Thursday evening, the Sports Vision Club hosted a webinar with the Sports Vision Pros - three prominent optometrists in the sports vision field - where they discussed cases and hot topics commonly seen in sports vision.

On Saturday, Salus Physician Assistant students will take part in the PA Olympics - with other area PA programs - at the Bamboo Gardens in Vincentown, NJ. Games will include “Dodge the Flu", “Egg Speculum”, and Trivia. Good luck!

Also, on Saturday, from 10AM – noon, we will be hosting “A Conversation with Veterans” along with State Representatives Steve McCarter and Jared Solomon.  The goal of the forum is to identify some of the challenges Veterans in the local area might be having and discuss possible solutions.  If you’re interested in hearing the discussions, please join us in the Lombardi Classroom.

To celebrate #NationalFoodMonth, why not get cookin’ with our throwback to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry Out of Sight Recipe book - published in 1994. If you try one of the recipes we pulled - take a photo and tag us!

Finally, only a couple of short weeks until our CentennialGala. I’m extremely excited about honoring all of our Presidential Awardees on the 26^th, as well as the party on the 27^th! I hope you all have purchased your tickets and got your dancing shoes all shined and ready to go. We’ve got over 400 people registered for the event which is going to fill that room at the Hilton!  

Have a great weekend.  Be safe, have some fun and look out for one another!

Mike

Winter Still: Week of March 1st

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

Greetings from Elkins Park, where winter has visited us, yet again! The groundhog lied to all of us!

It’s great to be back from our trip to China where we had the opportunity to visit several great institutions and meet with many of our international alumni. I’m most excited about the possibilities of expanding our international presence with new partners and innovative programs. Working with some of our partners in China, we may be able to “push the envelope” a bit in developing some distance optometric continuing education as well as explore other educational models. What excites me about this, is that it’s consistent with some of the ideas we developed during our recent scenario planning. I’ll keep everyone posted as we move forward with some of these ideas.

Closer to home, in matters that can directly affect the practice of Audiology, the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) have agreed to join forces to develop legislation that expands access to and coverage of audiology services under Medicare. According to ASHA’s press release, "This legislation will include provisions that all three organizations have supported in the past, as well as a new provision to expand Medicare coverage to include both diagnostic and treatment services provided by an audiologist; align patient access to audiology services under Medicare with patient access to audiology services outside of Medicare; and reclassify audiologists from "suppliers" to "practitioners" under Medicare. This joint effort comes during a time when our nation's health care systems are focused on outcomes and evidence-based treatments. For Medicare beneficiaries who need hearing health care services, it is critical that audiology services be positioned in this new environment and that the full scope of practice for audiologists be appropriately recognized." We’ve had an active advocacy role in all of this and will continue to remain engaged.

Speaking of audiology, the Osborne College of Audiology on-campus students and faculty attended the American Balance Society conference in Arizona. Congratulations to Jenna Fenton, class of 2020 for her poster presentation, " Downward dog dizziness - A rare BPPV case".  It’s always great to see our students presenting at national meetings.

Congratulations to Dr. Aravamudhan for being selected as a candidate for the Vice President for Academic Affairs in Audiology in American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) board of directors for the upcoming elections. Elections will be conducted electronically April 16 to May 29, 2019, and those elected will serve a 3-year term beginning January 1, 2020. 

The Salus Got Talent show is today from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Hafter Student Community Center. The talent show is hosted by the National Optometric Student Association (NOSA) and is open to all students and faculty. 

Congratulations to all of our PCO faculty who actively participated in the Southern Educational Congress of Optometry (SECO) meeting, this year held in New Orleans.  We were well represented with Drs. Andy Gurwood and Rachel Brackley, presenting numerous lectures and many of our residents and other faculty members in attendance. SECO always provides a great forum for our folks to shine - which they do!

Also at SECO, Celeste Gomez, class of 2019, was awarded the Review of Optometry Rick Bay Excellence in Eyecare Education Scholarship. Celeste was selected based on qualities that embody Rick Bay, which include a commitment to optometry, integrity, compassion, partnership and dedication to the greater good.  Congratulations Celeste!

 

Preparations for the Centennial Celebration continue.  Tickets are now available online and most of you should already have received an invitation.  Please take the time to read all about our Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients here. These people all have been pivotal in both PCO and Salus’ success over the years.

Don’t forget today’s Salus Time where Mr. Paul Sloate will be speaking on the topic of financial goal setting. This is something everyone can benefit from and I strongly encourage all of you to attend. The session will be held in the Lombardi Classroom from 2 - 3PM.

Finally, as the weekend approaches and the Phillies celebrate the signing of Bryce Harper for a mere $330 million (over 13 years), take some time to relax and enjoy the city. 

Have fun, be safe and take care of one another.

Mike