Farewell Dr. Janice Scharre: Week of August 24th

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

All of our new students now have the first week of studies under their belt!  From what I can see, everyone has been working hard getting into their new routines, which is great. In a couple of weeks the parking lot will be entirely full as the majority of our other students arrive on campus for the Fall term.

Yesterday and today, Salus faculty members participated in the University Faculty Development Day – an event that spans two days and is comprised of lectures to advance the faculty’s knowledge in several areas including creating tests to providing student support for personal and professional development. This year we were lucky to have a return visit from Johanna Inman, director of Temple University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching. This year’s topic of “Creating Tests worth Taking: Evidence-Based Assessment” was extremely well-received during yesterday’s very informative session.

Thursday’s event was followed by an emotional faculty social and farewell to Dr. Janice Scharre who officially begins her retirement at the end of this month. Happily, Jan and her husband Dave both were able to be there for the event. I’m not going to go over all of the testimonials from the evening but rather say how much she is loved, respected and admired and will be missed by all of us here at Salus. I know I speak for the faculty, staff and Board of Trustees when I say that. In addition to celebrating Jan’s tenure at Salus, we also welcomed a host of new faculty members and acknowledged others who have recently been promoted. It was a very nice evening.

Today we continue with the University Faculty Development Day where experts from University Committees will discuss the judicial process for students and how to provide student support through the Center for Personal and Professional Development.

On Monday, we’ll dedicate the Marco Family Foundation classroom (W111 - next to the Learning Resource Center) at 3:30 PM. David Marco, from Marco Ophthalmic and the Marco Family Foundation, have been strong, generous and continuous supporters of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and Salus as well as the optometric profession for many years. I have known David Marco for over 30 years and I can tell you first hand, that there is no greater supporter of optometry and moving the profession forward than David. The cutting-edge technology that Marco Ophthalmic has pioneered is changing the way we can perform exams, collect data and ultimately care for our patients. David and his wife Julie will be on hand for Monday’s ceremony and I’m very much looking forward to thanking them and showing them all the great things we’ve accomplished over the last few years with their help. 

It looks like this weekend's forecast will be the nicest of the month, so I encourage you all to get outside and enjoy the great weather. There are so many great places to explore in the greater Philadelphia area that are not too far from campus. These include Valley Forge, Center City, and Fairmont Park (which is huge) just to name a few. I always enjoy running on Forbidden Trail in Chestnut Hill on Saturday mornings as it’s shaded and there are usually lots of other runners enjoying the great scenery! Whatever you decide to do, stay safe, lookout for one another and come back Monday ready to tackle whatever is thrown your way!

Mike

Springtime Snow: Week of March 23rd

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

Well, we survived Nor’easter number four with only one and a half days lost. The good news is that we never lost power and the snow is already starting to melt. What a way to bring in Spring!

Even with only a four-day week, it’s been busy around here. As a result of the storm the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) Part I Exam was delayed for a day. While I’m sure that doesn’t sound like much, for the students who were ready to take the exam, it can be distracting when it gets delayed. I'm confident the delay didn't affect our students, since they were so well prepared AND so head and shoulders above everyone else!

I had the opportunity to spend the first part of the week attending the 18th Annual Population Health Colloquium sponsored by Thomas Jefferson School of Population Health. The event was kicked off by Dr. David Schulkin, Secretary of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA). He discussed some of the recent challenges the VA has had concerning access to care in certain regions as well as some of their successes which includes a significant reduction in Hepatitis C cases among veterans, noting more than 60% of veterans known to have Hepatitis C have been cured. He also discussed veteran suicide rates which was rather sobering. While suicide rates for male veterans have decreased over the past few years, suicide rates for female veterans have increased. After adjusting for differences in age, risk for suicide was 2.5 times higher among female veterans when compared to U.S. non-veteran adult women. Dr. Schulkin said that effectively addressing this has become his number one priority, noting that if a veteran gains access to VA mental health assets the incidence of suicide declines dramatically. Something for us all to be aware of, especially if we are caring for veterans in any of our clinics or have friends or family who have served.

Another interesting discussion I attended addressed data and data transparency between electronic medical records (EMRs) and users. Tommy Thompson and Michael Leavitt, both former Secretaries of Health and Human Services and state governors discussed the importance of being able to share big data between health systems and providers. They contended that data transparency will help to drive quality up and fraudulent claims down. Noting that most EMR firms tend to be extremely protective of their data for proprietary reasons. Both of these leaders are pushing hard to facilitate a more seamless exchange of information that will benefit patients and drive down costs. This is also something we need to be watching closely because any rules affecting the collection and portability of patient data can affect how we practice and communicate with our colleagues.

Last Friday, Salus faculty participated in the rescheduled Development Day which included a very insightful lecture and discussion by Salome Heyward, Esq. on the Role of Faculty in the Accommodation Process. Both the lecture and discussion were extremely thought provoking and provided some great guidance and suggestions in how best to handle student accommodations in both the academic and clinical settings. The didactic portion of the program was followed by a reception where scholarly accomplishments of several faculty members were acknowledged. As I said during the program, we are so blessed to have such a talented and motivated faculty, which was quite evident by the pages of scholarly work that this group produced in the period of a year! Well done! 

This Sunday we will be hosting our annual optometric continuing education event, Dynamic Duos with lectures presented by optometrists sharing the podium with various healthcare professionals. More info can be found at salus.edu/events.

Dining with Diabetes, a series designed to help diabetics better manage their nutritional needs will begin again next week at The Eye Institute. This follows classes that were provided in November and December last year. This is a great way to get the community involved in The Eye Institute as well as the CityLife Clinic located on the second floor of the building.

This morning several of us attended Grand Rounds at The Eye Institute where Dr. Erin Kenny presented a lecture on The Past, Present and Future of Retinal Implants. It was fascinating to see the progress that has been made in helping patients who have been blind to see shapes and contrast using small devices implanted in their retinas. While there is still much more progress that needs to occur, these devices, with the aid of orientation and mobility and vision training, can be real life changers for those patients who are able to adapt to the technology. Much more to come on this front over the next few years, I’m sure!

In our College of Education and Rehabilitation, Bob Serianni, Patricia Mayro and other individuals from the Speech-Language Department will be representing Salus this weekend in Pittsburgh at the Pennsylvania Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention. Always great to have our staff out and about!

Next week Mr. John Gaal and I will be headed to Chicago for the annual Congress of the American College of Healthcare Executives. I’m hoping to learn more about some of the topics that were discussed at the Population Health Colloquium as it pertains to data exchange as well as any changes that might be coming down the pike in Medicare and Medicaid. With so many things potentially changing in healthcare it’s always educational for me to attend these meetings where we will hear the different views directly from some of the movers and shakers in healthcare on topics that directly affect how we practice the professions we train here at Salus.

It looks like it’s going to be a nice weekend. No Nor’easters on the horizon! Get out and enjoy the snow while it lasts and take some time to spend with your family and friends. Be safe and have fun!

Happy Holidays to All!

'Twas the day before Christmas when all throughout Salus not a student was stirring, not even in labs;

The faculty hung around, but by the end of the day, hoped to get home to catch some last minute shopping or football plays;

The staff settled in and then headed home to bed while visions of construction danced in their heads;

The library, the lab, and others quite near, are all on the docket to be improved next year,

All of our specialties are prepped for next year – waiting for the students to all re-appear,

As we close out this chapter in our history, we wish all a great holiday with peace and prosperity.


Happy Holidays to All! 

Graduation Time!

Graduation is rightly a time of celebration and pride – for our students, their families, significant others and our faculty and staff. As we prepare to launch our newest group of Salus graduates I want to extend the University’s congratulations and thanks to all of our students, faculty and staff on attaining this significant accomplishment. There will be many more to follow as you mature as providers and educators.

You’ve all embarked on extremely exciting and rewarding careers. Your ability to help people improve their lives is a gift; one that needs to be cherished, honed and continually nurtured. It’s our hope and expectation that you take full advantage of all that you’ve learned during your time at Salus and apply those skills with the utmost care and sensitivity to those patients and clients you will care for. As I’ll remind you on Friday, you’ll be surrounded by all sorts of technology to “assist” you in doing your jobs. It will be important to remember that these technologies are adjuncts to assist you in finding the best ways to care for your patients and clients. Remember, to treat your patients and not the technology!

Finally, when you chose healthcare as a profession you’ve also chosen a path that requires a commitment to life-long learning. Salus will always be your academic home and I want you to think of us that way. Never stop asking questions, challenging your assumptions and sharpening your skills. We’ll all be there to help you continue to succeed. Congratulations on a job exceptionally well done – we’re all very proud of you!

Singapore Graduation Ceremony & Alumni Weekend

I just returned from a wonderful trip to Singapore to officiate at what turned out to be our first official graduation ceremony for Salus Singaporean students (say that three times fast) earning their Master of Science degree in Clinical Optometry.

Graduation ceremonies are chock full of many traditions that are well worth duplicating half a world away for such important celebrations. We're about to do the same on a much larger scale here in Philadelphia in a few weeks. We also decided to start the tradition of Singapore alumni receptions, and we planned our first one for the evening of the graduation ceremony. The reception was attended by members from all five graduating classes. What was striking to me, as well as the others who were traveling with me, was that our Singaporean students and alumni really appreciated the fact that we took the time and effort to conduct the graduation ceremony and then co-host the alumni event later that evening. They couldn't thank us enough. I told our hosts that it is generally considered a tradition to celebrate these types of events with pomp and circumstance as well as to have opportunities for alumni to get together to renew friendships and experiences. One could feel the excitement and pride in our Singaporean contingent, so much so that they've asked us to pledge to do this every two years. From my perspective, it was pretty cool to see the faces on our graduates' and their families' faces when they walked across the stage, as well as to watch everyone socialize later that evening. It was truly a successful evolution.

So, now to this tradition thing. We also celebrate these traditions here at Salus. Graduations occur twice annually and enable us to celebrate our students' academic accomplishments. We also have an annual alumni reunion to help continue to foster the bond between all of us. It's my belief that our alumni are the glue that helps to hold Salus together. As we grow new cadres of alumni in our newer specialties, I'm hoping that a true tradition of participation and inter-professional education and interaction becomes ingrained in our institutional DNA. 

From looking at alumni participation in some of our events, I don't believe that's the case today. Everyone gets so busy with everything else they have to do, I think it's easy to lose sight of the importance of maintaining or even developing new traditions as a University family. University traditions are important, as I believe they help to bind us as a University community both while here as students and later as alumni. 

We don't have a football or basketball team to draw us to an event but we do have alumni reunions, receptions, commencements and other events that do. I'm a strong advocate for participation in these to foster professional camaraderie as well as pride in our alma mater. These are all traditions that greatly matter. As Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof said, "Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a Fiddler on the Roof!" Let's not ignore those traditions that can serve us so well - lest we risk becoming that shaky fiddler on the roof. 

Happy Alumni Weekend!

Cutting Edge Changes Coming to Salus!

I've been following the social media activity that some of our students have been generating about the condition of some of our facilities, namely the library and our optometric clinical procedures lab.  Since the first day I arrived at Salus I too have noted that both of these important resources were sorely in need of an update.  As luck would have it, this is the year we've developed a new strategic plan for the University that prioritizes and addresses these and other upcoming improvements to Salus. 

Beginning several months ago, working very closely with the Board of Trustees as well as faculty and students, we've begun to develop plans to completely renovate our optometric clinical procedures lab, review and update the entire optometric curriculum and modernize our library.   

Since all of these projects require a good deal of financial and human resources, we're spending an appropriate amount of time doing deliberate planning to ensure we're capturing best practices and obtaining the best and most effective equipment, technology and designs as possible.  In order to accomplish this, we've been sending teams of faculty members to several different optometry programs to look at clinical procedure lab designs, curricula and other aspects of their programs. We're also studying current literature and designs from non-optometric sources. Additionally, we've already learned a great deal from administering our new Optometric Scholars program that will be applied to the curriculum review.

We anticipate the cost of these renovations and updates could be upwards of $3 million.  In order to help fund these necessary initiatives I'll be reaching out to our alumni and industry base for assistance. Concurrently, we are developing a design and build timeline that hopefully will see a new clinical procedures lab by the end of summer 2016.  The new lab will have an integrated electronic health record, state-of-the-art clinical equipment and an efficient design allowing faculty and students to interact seamlessly. 

Changes in the library are commencing now with removal of antiquated, superfluous reference materials that have already been replaced with online resources. Removal of shelving is planned within the next couple of months and replacement carpeting and furniture will soon follow. We also hope to update the current computer lab with more modern equipment. 

The optometric curriculum review has already begun with a timeline for incremental implementation to commence sometime next academic year. The entire update to the curriculum will likely take about three years to complete to ensure our students don't miss out on essential material. 

I'm excited about all these changes as it will ensure that Salus remains at the cutting edge of optometric education by leveraging our extremely talented faculty, innovative technology, and the most progressive optometric curriculum taught in the country. 

I'll keep everyone posted as to our progress with these major projects. 

University Mission & Vision Statements

It's been a while since I've written one of these. Lots going on at the University these days. We're getting ready to put the final touches on our strategic plan which is extremely exciting. We've been able to reach out to a large majority of our University community to include students, faculty, alumni, Board of Trustees and staff. The input we've received from each cohort has significantly shaped the tenor of discussion that has resulted in what I believe is an aggressive, thoughtful and realistic plan for Salus. In our off-site with the Board of Trustees yesterday we all agreed that we needed to drive a greater sense of urgency into portions of our plan that will result in accelerated curriculum changes in our optometry program, improvements in infrastructure and a continued emphasis on program accreditation, self assessment and program excellence.

To that end the Board approved our new Mission and Vision statements:

MISSION:  SALUS UNIVERSITY LEADS IN INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND SERVICE TO ENHANCE HEALTH.

VISION:  IMPACT THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE.

Subsequent College plans will align under the umbrella of the University's overarching plan.  It's exciting to be part of the process and see how each college is developing their road maps that lead to providing the most modern, efficacious and exciting integrated health science programs in the country.

It's an honor to be part of this great organization moving the delivery of healthcare forward.

The Affordable Care Act and Our Professions - Players or Spectators?

Earlier this week while attending the American Academy of Optometry meeting I wrote a blog posing the question, "How does optometry want to fit into the new healthcare landscape?"  Much to my surprise, while many have had the opportunity to look at the entry, only one person responded - and that person did so in a personal email, not on the blog.  Now that the meeting is over and I’m headed home I'm wondering why the silence?  I think this is a discussion and debate that optometry and all the other health science professions need to have.  

As the effects of the Affordable Care Act take hold on the American healthcare system the number of payment and payer options for our professions will unquestionably change.  Today there are a myriad of payer and insurance companies.  According to the experts I've talked to this almost certainly will change.  In the (very near) future we will see a consolidation of insurance providers and payers much like we've seen in the American healthcare sector.  We've already seen this happen to our airline industry.  Remember when there was an Eastern, National, Pan Am, TWA, and Continental airline?  Well, now there are only a few major carriers.  We're going to see the same thing occur with health insurance carriers.  Optometry, Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Speech, Language Pathology and the other health sciences must be agile in adapting to this new environment, otherwise they risk being "boxed out" by major carriers or worse.  

In my humble opinion, one of the best ways to do this is to ensure we're all part of what will be an integrated system of healthcare providers who are aligned with Accountable Care Organizations, Patient Centric Medical Homes and Medical Neighborhoods and other entities that focus on the delivery of primary care, high quality and value.  As I mentioned in my prior blog I believe this will require all the schools and colleges to work together to develop and teach our students how to best work within this new landscape.  This includes business prowess but also must include in-depth discussions in policy and how to influence policies.  

For optometry, I also believe the profession will need to continue its evolution as a primary care profession to include the management or co-management of common metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.  As our healthcare system focuses more on the public health, outcome data, access to care and cost, professions such as those were training need to become more involved in prevention and patient education.  Smoking cessation, nutritional counseling, and lifestyle advice need to become integral parts of what we teach and ultimately integrate into our everyday practices.  

There is a great deal to think about as we enter into this new chapter in healthcare delivery.  I want us to be part of the discussion on what this looks like and not the recipient of what others develop for us.  Complacency and sitting on the sidelines is not only an unacceptable course of action but can very well become a devastating behavior that leaves many health science professions subservient to others; something many have successfully worked very hard to avoid over the past 50 years.  

It's time to be bold, creative and responsible.  Educators, providers, researchers, industry and other important collaborators need to come together and have a very candid debate on how we all fit into this new healthcare landscape.   We can choose to be spectators or players - Players determine the outcome of the game - spectators only can brood about the outcome.  I want to play;  I hope you do as well!

How Does Optometry Want to Fit Into the New Healthcare Landscape?

I just finished participating in a meeting of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry.  That group is composed of all the Deans and Presidents of the nations optometry schools with representation from our neighbors in Canada.  I had the distinct honor to lead a discussion on how optometry, as a profession, will prepare our new graduates to work in the new healthcare landscape that has been developed by the Affordable Care Act.  Along with that I also asked the group to explore how to build the foundation for the expansion of clinical privileges to include the diagnosis and treatment of such pervasive diseases as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and other prevalent metabolic disorders that often beckon the doors of optometric practice.  The discussion on expanding the scope of practice was spirited, to say the least. There was consensus that we, as educators, need to do a much better job of preparing our graduates to succeed under the new healthcare landscape to include understanding the lexicon of Accountable Care Organizations, Medical Homes and other payor models.  I think we agreed to all work together to develop a consolidated curriculum that will address this in the near future.  I'm committed to having Salus take the lead on this.  

There was much more discussion and debate around the scope of practice expansion.  The Affordable Care Act will result in a significant shortage of primary care providers in the country through the foreseeable future. Someone is going to need to fill that void to see those diabetics, hypertensives and others needing care.  While physician assistants, nurses and possibly others will certainly help to fill that void, optometrists are extremely well positioned to provide the necessary care.   Many diabetics and hypertensive patients are often diagnosed or referred for definitive diagnosis following a routine eye exam.  With additional didactic and clinical training, optometrists can obtain the necessary skills to care for those patients.  While much work still needs to be done both academically and statutorily, I believe this is the direction that optometry needs to take.  A little over 30 years ago optometry obtained diagnostic and therapeutic privileges.  For the benefit of the public health, economics and the patients optometrists care for, it's now time for the profession to take the next evolutional step towards the diagnosis and management of the common diseases aforementioned.  Appropriately, there will be much debate over this, but in the end, the profession needs to decide what direction to take as we enter into this new landscape of healthcare delivery.

Reflecting on Veteran's Day and a Call to Service

As we approach Veteran's Day next week I can't help but to reflect on the sacrifices those in uniform and their families have made to ensure Americans continue to enjoy the freedoms and quality of life that help to define our lives here.   Those veterans who came before us, as well as those currently serving, have done so out of a sense of patriotism and having the call to serve. 

As we reflect upon all the great gifts we have in our country, I think it’s also very fitting to reflect on how we too, as healthcare professionals, can contribute and give back to society, both here and abroad.  I’m not suggesting or expecting anyone to all of a sudden to join the Armed Forces or volunteer for the Peace Corps (although I also wouldn’t discourage it) but I am proposing we take some time to explore how we can better leverage all of our skills towards the betterment of the public health of Americans as well as others.  The call to serve should be a natural desire for all of us in healthcare.  While many do volunteer to “do good things”, I don’t believe it’s the norm; and I certainly don’t believe there’s enough. 

I’d like Salus to set a new standard and redefine how we reach out to others, both here and abroad, to have an even greater impact than we do now on society.   As many of you know, we currently care for children in Philadelphia, Norristown and surrounding public schools, send teams to Haiti, rural, middle America as well as other locations, but we don’t have a centralized, fully aligned approach to this.  I would like to use this refection on Veteran’s Day and a call to service to challenge the Salus community to work together to see how we can COLLECTIVELY pool our expertise as a University community to positively affect the lives of others.

I don’t believe there’s a single formula for this, which is why I’m challenging you to come up with some ideas.  One idea I’ve discussed is to reorganize SOSH and have them align with others at the university to expand their scope of services and destinations.  Let’s talk about it, develop a plan and then, in the true spirit of caring, generosity, ingenuity, and selflessness, execute something that has the Salus signature on it in honor of all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice which allowed us to exercise our freedom in being able to choose healthcare as a profession - and then give something back to society as a way of saying "thanks".