Nothing is Impossible! Week of April 5 , 2024

 

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

Greetings from our Elkins Park campus where many of us have considered building an ark given all the rain we’ve had! At least the sun is out this morning! It’s been a busy week getting back in the swing following Spring Break. Here are some things I hope you will find of interest:

NANCY GRIFFIN RETIRES: After 46 years, Nancy Griffin tried to quietly leave her job in the Office of Admissions at Salus University without much fanfare. But word got out she was retiring and the plethora of congratulations from her co-workers was anything but quiet. Congratulations, Nancy! Read more here.

YOUNG ALUMNI: Check out this question-and-answer session with one of our alumni, Jonathan Zobek, MEd ‘22, and learn why he wanted to pursue a career in teaching students with visual impairments. Click here to read more.

NOTICE OF MERGER: Salus and Drexel are committed to conducting the upcoming merger with minimal interruption to our students. Our two institutions are also committed to continuing the full complement of programs offered by Salus. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions by students. Read more here.

SOLAR ECLIPSE: In our region we will experience 85% of the solar eclipse beginning at 2:08 this coming Monday. The next time we’ll see something like this in the U.S. won’t be for another 20 years; in 2044. If you are planning on watching the eclipse in real time, it’s imperative that you have the proper eye protection. People can end up with solar retinopathy simply by looking directly at the sun for long periods of time during the eclipse, which also can result in permanent vision loss. Please, ensure you have ANSI approved eye protection or use an indirect viewing method if you plan on watching the eclipse.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Last week at the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership of the American College of Healthcare Executives, I had the opportunity to sit in on a session with speaker Mick Ebeling. Originally a Hollywood producer, he established Not Impossible Labs whose mission is, “to change the world through technology and story by addressing societal “absurdities” or problems to improve the lives of everyone.” By leveraging brainpower in one room, they aim to create, “the conditions for radical collaboration that lead to progress: custom, never-been-built solutions that respect people’s humanity, enable their independence and enrich their experience in the world.” Their mission reminds me of what we do through our community outreach and the cutting-edge research both here at Salus and at Drexel.

One project, directly applicable to the work we do here at Salus, is Project Daniel, an endeavor that brought the first prosthetics lab powered by 3D printers to Sudan, Africa. Project Daniel has transformed the lives of hundreds of amputees who otherwise would not have access to low-cost, functional prosthetics by teaching local residents how to build prosthetic limbs using 3D printers.

As we move forward with our merger with Drexel, I see unlimited potential for developing cutting edge solutions to some of the issues faced by individuals with visual, auditory, or physical challenges by thinking the way Mick Ebeling thinks, that nothing is impossible. Collaborative, solution-oriented teams will get it done. It may not be easy, but novel solutions will be discovered by leveraging creativity, expertise and technology. That’s exciting!

As you prepare for the weekend, think about problems that people say are impossible to solve or ones that you think are unsolvable and project the mindset that Mick Ebeling believes - nothing is impossible. See how that changes your perspective on things. Be safe, continue to look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG because Nothing is Impossible! Have a great weekend.

- Mike

Salus Weekly Update: Week of July 21, 2023

 

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

Good morning as we begin this soggy July day in Elkins Park. It’s been another busy week on campus with construction of the first floor of the south building progressing, as the outdoor patio area is starting to take shape (see photos below). This week we also congratulate our students from Taiwan as they complete audiology rotations on campus and prepare to head home. Here are some other items I hope you will find interesting:

SEP OFF AND RUNNING: Nine students interested in pursuing a career in optometry are participating in the University’s Robert E. Horne Summer Enrichment Program (SEP), which kicked off July 10, 2023. Click here to read more about their initial thoughts on the program.

NEW ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT: When Zachary Saunders, MSOT ‘17, was a student at Salus, he received the Unsung Hero and Spirit of Salus Award as well as the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association scholarship. After graduation, he joined the Alumni Association board to stay connected with Salus. And now, he’s stepped up to be the alumni board president, the first OT graduate to take the position. Read more about Zac here.

STAYING COMPETITIVE: Salus University’s Office of Admissions recently held a webinar on “Crafting A Competitive Application: Ways to Become a Qualified Applicant,” which will help prospective students through this process. For details, click here.

DICE BECOMES GISP: The department formerly known as DICE will now be called GISP, the Division of Global, Interprofessional and Specialized Programming within the Office of Academic Affairs. This renaming is also a repositioning of the program to provide institutional housing for and oversight of Interprofessional Education and Practice, new credentialing and micro-credentialing opportunities, institutional partnerships, and the expansion of our international programs. We are grateful to Dr. Vitek, Dr. Hanson and the DICE (now GISP) team for their leadership and foresight.

FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s been a few weeks since the Salus-Drexel signing ceremony celebrating our forthcoming merger, pending approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and specialized accreditors. I’m excited as we begin the necessary steps in the integration process. I wanted to take this opportunity to keep you apprised of our integration efforts to date.

Drexel President John Fry and I met last evening to discuss how the Integration Council will be set up to ensure we have administrative oversight of all of the academic, operational and regulatory processes that will be needed going forward. We will continue to keep everyone informed as we formalize the details.

As you can imagine, combining robust academic programs, bustling clinics, and high performing administrative units is a complex undertaking that is going to take time, patience and compromise. Our academic leaders have been in communication with MSCHE, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the United States Department of Education and specialized accreditors to ensure that our combined institution will be in compliance with all accreditation standards and government regulations – the key condition of the merger.

In the coming months, we look forward to building relationships among faculty and staff across all our respective disciplines and departments. I also look forward to continuing university-wide discussions with students, faculty, staff and alumni as our integration efforts get up to full speed. I will continue small group meetings to reach you directly and to answer any questions you may have.

As you prepare for the weekend, please remember to stay hydrated, use plenty of sunscreen when outdoors and continue to look out for one another to remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike