China Edition: Week of February 22nd

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

Greetings from Guangzhou, China where Dr. Melissa Vitek and I are in the middle of what has been an informative, productive and uplifting trip to many of the institutions we have been partnering with over the past few years. I’m going to try and make this a little more abridged than my usual updates since I have to improvise a bit to get this out given the restrictions on the use of Google over here.  

For those of you who don’t know, China does not recognize optometry as the doctoral level profession we do in the States. Here it is practiced on multiple levels from a technical certificate to a PhD. We have been working with several programs in different cities to educate many of their faculty, with many of them earning our Master in Science Degree in Clinical Optometry (MSc) or going on to complete our International Advanced Placement Optometry Degree (APOD) program which awards these students our Doctor of Optometry degree after they complete the MSc degree and three additional years at Salus.  It’s a long haul but it gives these very motivated and talented professionals a great baseline to return to their institutions to implement what they’ve learned and pass it along to others. We’ve seen evidence of this on our trip where our graduates have been promoted to dean and director positions where they can begin to influence how optometry is taught and ultimately practiced here. Clearly, it’s a very long road, but you have to start someplace and we are playing a key role in moving the optometric profession forward here. Our discussions this week have also touched upon some of the ideas we’ve discussed during our Scenario Planning initiative to include the possibility of developing some online continuing education programs using secure connections as well as some hybrid certificate programs. Much work will need to be done, but I’m thinking if we can do this for China, we should be able to do it at home as well!  

Today we leave for Shanghai where we’ll meet with our counterparts at the China Optometry and Optical Association as well as host a Graduate Reception for over forty of our China alumni. Then it’s off to Nanchong for another university visit and meetings and then home in the beginning of next week.

Closer to the home front in Philadelphia, work continues on for the Centennial Celebration. You all should have received invitations so I hope you’re making your plans to attend! If not, you can do it right here.

We’ve launched a new podcast series that’s available on our website if you click here. The first podcast discusses seeing eye dogs and the process that goes into training them and the second one discusses what tinnitus is all about. I recommend you check these out. 

I know the week has been somewhat shortened by the snow storm so many of you will be doing some catch-up this weekend. Stay safe and look out for one another!

Mike

Off to China: Week of February 15th

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

Greetings from our beautiful Elkins Park campus. Lots to cover today, so I’ll just jump right in:

Invitations for the Centennial Gala, celebrating PCO’s 100^th Anniversary, will be going out next week. Please be on the lookout for them. You can purchase your tickets online by clicking here or by responding to the RSVP in the invitation by mail. It’s going to be a great party so get your tickets early!

On Friday, February 8, 2019 the Fifth Annual Salus Awards Gala was held at Normandy Farms. The Gala is held to celebrate all of the exceptional faculty, student leaders, and members of the Salus community. Please join us in congratulating all of our award recipients by visiting our website.

On Monday, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry welcomed Vernon Dela Cruz from VSP and Dr. Jennifer Tsai (known as @drjenandjuice on Instagram, with over 40,000 followers) talked with Optometry students about the importance of embracing social media and personal branding as well as some of the challenges confronting the optometry today. They also discussed practice modalities and choosing work locations, how to build a brand, and the importance of establishing a work-life balance.

Tonight, the Peer Mentor Group will be sponsoring Wings & Sings from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Hafter Student Community Center.  This should be a fun bonding event for mentors and mentees that will include karaoke, games, and prizes. 

On Wednesday evening, Dr. Melissa Vitek, Dr. Barry Eckert, John Gaal and I attended Public Health Grand rounds, an event that’s sponsored by the Philadelphia College of Physicians, of which I am a Fellow. These events are open to the public and address many of the public health issues we see and hear about in all of our clinics daily. The topic addressed access to primary care in Philadelphia. The very talented panel discussed many barriers to access in Philadelphia to include transportation, distance from facilities, insurance coverage (or lack of coverage), the difference in Medicaid and Medicare coverages and some of the social determinant of health, just to name a few.  I couldn’t help to wonder how we could make more of an impact on this issue than we already are through our own outreach programs and the work we currently do at The Eye Institute (TEI), our TEI satellites, the Pennsylvania Ear Institute and Speech-Language Institute in addition to our partnership with Oak Street Health in Oak Lane.  Our clinics in Oak Lane, and Falls Center are located in some of the city’s most medically undeserved areas. Marketing and spreading the word about the work we do is one piece of the puzzle, but also word of mouth and getting out into the community is another important aspect of bringing patients our way. One way to do this is through volunteering within the communities we serve. Once residents get to know who we are, then we will establish a level of trust that will help to facilitate greater access our very comprehensive care networks. We’ve got so much to offer across a broad spectrum of health professions. We’re moving forward with work on a Community Advisory Group for TEI but we need to be doing much more. Food for thought for each of our student organizations as well as the rest of us.  

I’ll be holding a University Town Hall meeting today at 2:00 PM in S301 and S201 to discuss the initial findings of our Scenario Planning and what the next steps will be as we move these ideas forward. I’m looking forward to having a great dialog as we continue to look into what the future might hold for Salus and how we will embrace that. The meeting will be recorded and made available to folks who can’t get to the “live” event.

Your centennial read for the week highlights some of the exciting new equipment that helps our Audiology students stay ahead of the game: salus.edu/sensory-PEI

Finally, I’m off to China, along with Dr. Vitek, this weekend to meet with several of our partner institutions and alumni.  We’ll be visiting Tianjin Vocational Institute in Tianjin, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, The China Optometric and Optical Association in Shanghai and the North Sichuan Medical College in Nanchong followed by a trip to Beijing prior to heading home. Additionally, we will be hosting an Alumni Reception in Shanghai for many of our international alumni who live in that neck of the woods. It’s going to be a fast and furious trip (5 cities in 8 days!) but well worth the effort given the level of interest we have for our unique international programs in optometry and audiology. I’ll try to get a weekly update out from over there if I can gain access to Gmail, which often is not possible.

Have a great weekend. Be safe and look out for one another!

Gala Preparations: Week of February 8th

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

Happy Friday! It’s been another busy week at Salus with many of you getting ready for mid-terms and other fun exams. 

The American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) is selling “eye candy grams” outside the café all week. Sign up to send an “eye candy gram” to your Salus Valentine.   Proceeds support AOSA activities that benefit many students.

The Salus Awards Gala will be held later this evening at Normandy Farms in Blue Bell, Pa. I know that Tanis and I are looking forward to attending the event that honors many of our faculty and staff members. 

Our first-year Physician Assistant students attended a pre-clinical experience at Inglis House – a long-term care home for adults with physical disabilities - in Philadelphia on Wednesday.  Students felt that talking to people with disabilities and understanding how they receive healthcare was a great experience to help understand how these patients deal with their medical challenges.

On Monday, many of us gathered together to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year with our international students. For those who might not yet know, this is the year of the pig.  Thanks to Dr. Melissa Vitek, Natalie Standig and Janet Wilbur for putting this all together. It was great to see family and friends enjoying this fun event.

Thanks to Drs. Alice Lim and Kelly Seidler for their presentations on “The Ptosis Problem; Assessment and Management of the Droopy Lids” and "Keep an eye out for Proptosis: A case-based approach" at this morning’s Grand Rounds at The Eye Institute. The animations embedded in their presentations really added to the quality of the lectures. Great to see participation from our students, residents, faculty and alumni.

On Monday, I’ll be attending the annual “Conversation with the Governor” at the Academy of Natural Sciences.This is a great opportunity to hear what Governor Wolf is thinking about higher education, state funding for special projects and get a general sense for how his administration will address some of the key topics of the day which I hope includes additional funding for higher education and improved access to healthcare for underprivileged people.  I’ll let you know what he has to say.

Just a reminder that we’ll be holding our first Town Hall Meeting on February 15th, in rooms S301 and S201, to share the findings of our recent Scenario Planning process with faculty and staff. We’ll also be seeking your input on the University’s strategic priorities as we look to optimally position ourselves to meet the needs of our students and alumni well into the 21^st century. 

I can’t write a weekly update without talking about our Salus/PCO Centennial Celebration preparations. On Wednesday, a team headed over to the Hilton at Penn’s Landing to check out the different options for the meals. I had the opportunity to participate in some of that and I’m here to tell you that the food is going to be fabulous! I think the venue will really lend itself to the celebration between the views of the Delaware, the Battleship New Jersey and Penn’s Landing and the actual facility itself. While I know you all received a “save the date” notice a while ago, the official invitations will be going out later this month. Please be on the lookout for them. 

Speaking of the Centennial Celebration, within the next couple of weeks we’re going to be announcing the recipients of the PCO/Salus Presidential Medal of Honor.  The Presidential Medal, established first in 1995 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of PCO, has been broadened to include all professions represented at the University and to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Salus. Recipients have made significant contributions to PCO, Salus and their respective professions. I think you’ll agree, when you see the list of recipients, that these folks certainly have done that. So, stay tuned and keep checking our website to learn who these professional icons are.

Finally, no football this weekend.  Take some time to recharge and spend some time with family and friends. 

Have a great weekend and be sure to look out for one another.

Mike

Cold Weather Won't Stop Our Salus Team from Doing Great Things: Week of February 1st

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

Good morning from a frigid Elkins Park. The temperatures the past couple of days reminds me of living in North Chicago when I would go out for Saturday morning group runs when the temperatures were -10 on some days! Makes my teeth chatter just to think about those days! Cold weather, snow, sleet or rain can’t stop our Salus team from doing great things. This week was no exception.



On Sunday and Monday, our Board of Trustees joined the team that has been working on Scenario Planning for the past six months. As you might recall, we thought it was extremely important to begin to take a long view as it relates to health science education and how Salus should position ourselves to optimally meet the health education needs of the 21st century. Scenario Planning allows us to explore alternate futures that might affect the very complex health education landscape we operate in. Our team, which included student, faculty, administration and Board representation, developed four different scenarios to work from. Each scenario provided an alternate future that may come to pass. While none of the scenarios will be completely accurate, they incorporate many real-world occurrences and provide a framework for us to discuss strategic imperatives that will help to inform our University’s strategic plan and direction over the next several years. We are scheduling town hall meetings to share our findings and seek input from you. (Faculty/staff town hall will be on February 15th, with time and place information to follow; the student town hall is TBD). We are also developing a survey that will be sent out to the entire student body to ensure we’re concentrating on the right strategic priorities from the student perspective. This is an exciting opportunity for us to really define how Salus needs to evolve as an institution so we can continue to provide world-class educational opportunities across and maybe even beyond the broad spectrum of the health sciences. I hope you all embrace this process!

Yesterday, Salus and Rosemont College held a signing event for new articulation agreements for nine of our programs. These include:

Master of Education, Blindness and Visual Impairment (TVI)
Master of Science, Low Vision Rehabilitation (LVR)
Occupational Therapy (MSOT)
Master of Science, Orientation and Mobility (O&M)
Master of Science, Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT)
Master of Medical Science Physician Assistant Studies (PA)
Doctor of Audiology (AUD)
Doctor of Optometry (OD) Traditional program (3 + 4)
Doctor of Optometry (OD) Traditional program (4 + 4)

Entering into these types of partnerships and agreements will become even more essential as the health education landscape continues to change around us. Taking a proactive position such as this will help to ensure both Salus and Rosemont students have access to the very best programs possible.

Today is Dr. Barry Eckert’s first day on the job as our new Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Please join me in officially welcoming him to the Salus team! As our provost, Dr. Eckert will be responsible for maintaining the University’s academic vision and providing global leadership for all activities related to the academic enterprise of the University.

Centennial story: Here’s some proof that interprofessional education has been in the PCO and then Salus DNA for a long time.

If you get a chance, I encourage you to head over to the Hafter Student Center to check out the “Community Expressions Invitational Show” at our D’Arrigo Family Gallery. Gallery curator Elynne Rosenfeld invited 10 people, some who have shown previously and others who are first-timers to display their works of art. There’s a really nice variety, to include mixed media, oils, acrylics, drawing, photography and wall sculpture. I understand Elynne even invited herself to the display! Check out her four miniatures – they’re easy to pick out.

Finally, while the weather might moderate a bit this weekend, it’s still going to be cold. If you’re doing outdoor stuff, please keep that in mind. If you’re headed to a Super Bowl party, enjoy yourselves but please, if you drink, don’t drive. I’m not rooting for any one team this time around so I hope whoever your team is, they win! How’s that for being noncommittal? Have a great weekend!

Mike

Braved the Rain: Week of January 25th

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

Well, it’s another Friday following a really strange week of January weather! At least the rain has stopped for now (and we’re not shoveling snow)! All that said, it’s also been another busy week at Salus. 

I spent the better part of last weekend meeting and talking with alumni, to include participating in our semi-annual Salus Alumni Board meeting. During that meeting I was able to bring alumni board members up to speed on many of the great things that have been going on at the University. One event I highlighted was the upcoming centennial celebration, commemorating the 100^thanniversary of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.  I reflected upon the storied history of PCO as well as some of the very successful things that have transpired over the last couple of years at the University and, in particular, at PCO.  These included a significant improvement in Part 1 of the National Board of Examiners exam to surpass the national average for the first time in 15 years and the fact that we’ve begun a deliberate, strategic downsizing of our entering optometry class from what used to be over 155 students to 140 students, projected for next year’s class. I explained we’ve done this to enable us to continue to pick only the best and brightest students from a decreasing applicant pool.  At the board meeting, we also had the pleasure of reviewing each program’s Alumnus of the Year nominees. The recipients will be announced sometime next month. It’s always rewarding, as well as enlightening, for me to talk with our alums from each program as I always learn something that can be applied to what we’re doing. 

As part of the Centennial Celebration we will be honoring 24 members of the optometric community who have made significant contributions to PCO and the optometric profession with our Presidential Medal of Honor. This award was originally established in recognition of those alumni and others who made significant contributions to PCO and optometry during our first 75 years. At that time, 76 medals were awarded. To commemorate PCO’s 100^th anniversary, we’re adding an additional 24 recipients to round the number off to 100.  We’ve also decided to begin a new tradition to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Salus, so we will be awarding 10 Salus Presidential Medals of Honor to 10 people who have made significant contributions to University and their respective professions over the course of the last 10 years. These awards will be presented on April 26th here on campus. As we look toward the future, we plan on presenting a Presidential Medal each year, thereafter, if there is a qualified recipient.  

Our Office of Communications has been working closely with PCO and Institutional Advancement to ensure we are getting as much information about our history out on social media and our website as possible. Check out the latest that discusses The Eye Institute’s evolution over time.

The 3^rd year class of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry will be holding their annual Eye Ball event on Thursday, January 31 at 7 p.m. at the Blue Bell Country Club. Tickets are $75.00 per person and formal attire is required. 

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to represent Salus at the kick-off event for Invest: Philadelphia in Center City.  I was part of a panel discussion addressing higher education in the city and was joined by Mr. Craig Carnaroli, the Executive VP at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Guy Generals, President of the Community College of Philadelphia.  It was an honor to be part of this and now there over 200 people who were at the meeting who know a great deal more about Salus than they did before they got there!

On January 31, we will be holding a signing ceremony at Rosemont College to celebrate the establishment of five new articulation agreements between Rosemont and Salus.  These include Optometry (3+4 and 4+4), Audiology, Occupational Therapy, and Physician Assistant programs.

This Sunday and Monday we’ll be hosting our extremely dedicated Board of Trustees to complete the scenario planning process that we began last summer as well as also hold our quarterly board meeting.  It will be a busy, but I’m certain, very productive few days.

Finally, as you can see there is lots of activity surrounding the upcoming celebration of PCO’s 100^th anniversary as well as other things going on at the University.  It’s an exciting time!

Have a great weekend – be safe and look out for one another.  Please ensure you’ve placed April 27th on your calendars to celebrate our Centennial! 

Mike

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: Week of January 18th

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

Greetings from Elkins Park, where I’ve decided to put my weekly update out a day early knowing that we’re fast approaching a three-day weekend and possible bad weather. 

I want to give a shout out to our Blindness, Low Vision Studies (BLVS) program in our College of Education and Rehabilitation. They just completed a very successful pilot of an online micro-credential course entitled, “Neurological Visual Impairment in Children”.  The course is designed for professionals in blindness and low vision and was the first of its kind for the college. The course was so well-received that the second course offering will begin as soon as February 4.

Melissa Weiler Gerber

Tomorrow, from 1 – 3 PM in S305, Salus Time will be featuring Melissa Weiler Gerber, President and CEO of AccessMatters.  This organization, formerly Family Planning Council, “innovates, empowers, and works to equalize access to sexual and reproductive health care for teens and adults in need.” Their efforts and expertise allow them to engage and empower even the hardest-to-reach populations in our city and help to close the gap between those who have access to sexual and reproductive health and those who do not. Their relationships with a myriad of health care providers and strategic partners allows AccessMatters to identify opportunities and solutions where others do not.  I realize this is on a Friday preceding a three-day weekend, but I would strongly encourage students and faculty to attend this very timely and important presentation.  Let’s see if we can fill the room!  Check out their website for more information.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, an important time to educate the community and our patients about a disease that is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States.

As it is 2019, planning is going full-speed for our Centennial Celebration. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Salus/PCO. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry allows us to recognize the many accomplishments of our institution and our alumni, as well as the significant influence PCO has had on optometry and the greater public health since the very inception of the optometric profession. Invitations for the gala event, to be held on April 27, 2019 at the Hilton at Penn’s Landing, should be going out soon. Please help me to energize alumni across all of our specialties to participate in this landmark event! In the meantime, I highly encourage you to view our centennial website that has a plethora of stories, videos, and images from our storied history.

On Monday, we join the nation in remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  What advice and words of wisdom would Dr. King give us in these times?  What would he motivate us to do on this holiday — and every day?  Surely, he would expect us to use this time to respect others and work to improve those lives that we are committed to care for.  At Salus, we continue to value being more inclusive of all students, staff, faculty and all of our patients and clients, helping to ensure we bring equity and inclusion to all aspects of everything we do. We strive to assure that the work of Martin Luther King Jr. lives on every day in our own endeavors.  Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a university holiday.  However, the day also is a designated day of service — “a day on, not a day off.” I hope you will take this opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the day and find ways to engage with your community on Monday to honor Dr. King’s legacy.

So, as the weekend approaches, please keep watch on the weather, especially Saturday night as temperatures are projected to drop. Enjoy your time off and please take some time to reflect on the meaning of Monday’s remembrance.

Back on Campus: Week of January 11th

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

Greetings from a very chilly Elkins Park! It’s been a busy week since all of our classes, labs and clinics are back up to full speed after the holiday break. Frankly, it’s really nice to have everyone back on campus – you can feel the energy wherever you go!

Congratulations to our Student Optometric Service to Humanity (SOSH) group, who after a couple of false starts, were able to provide much needed and appreciated optometric services to the residents of Compton, California. This trip was in lieu of the one the group had originally planned for Haiti but had to cancel due to security concerns.  Sixteen students and two faculty from PCO participated in this humanitarian mission.

On Friday, January 18^th, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM, we will be welcoming a distinguished speaker to campus. Melissa Weiler Gerber, president and CEO of AccessMatters will present, "Sexual and Reproductive Health in 2019: It Was the Best of Times; It Was the Worst of Times." Her talk will highlight some of the most promising advancements in sexual and reproductive health, and focus on the political challenges to their realization. This presentation is also open to the community, so please spread the word. Read more about her and the presentation. 

On Thursday, January 24th from 8:30 – 11:00 AM, I’ll be participating in Invest Philadelphia’s 2019 launch event at the Lowes Philadelphia Hotel on Market Street. I will be part of a panel that’s entitled, “World-Class Minds: Education in Philadelphia”.  I’ll be joined on the panel with Dr. Guy Generals from the Community College of Philadelphia and Craig Carnaroli from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to our panel, Dr. Larry Kaiser, Dr. Jay Feldstein, Jack Lynch, Raymond Williams and Susanne Svizeny will be discussing, “Healing the Community: Healthcare in Philadelphia”. It should be an interesting morning – and a great opportunity to get the Salus name out there!

Yesterday the Real World Diabetes course commenced at The Eye Institute in collaboration with Temple Health. These classes will be focused on diabetes education, and held every Thursday until February 28th. Over the course of five weeks, participants will learn healthy meal planning, ways to stay physically active, and the importance of regular doctor visits and vital numbers to know about their diabetes. 

The Student Occupational Therapy Association is collecting toiletry items as well as cold weather gear for the resident workers at the Race Track at Parx Casino. There is a box for the collections in the lobby and will remain there until January 31st.

Thanks to Drs. Kylie Auman and Hang Nguyen, two of our residents at The Eye Institute, for their presentations at this morning’s Grand Rounds. Dr. Auman’s presentation of "Oculocutaneous Albinism: Genetics, Clinical Features and Management" and Dr. Nguyen’s on "Syphilitic Uveitis" were both extremely interesting and informative. 

The renovation of S300 is coming along nicely with the installation of new carpeting, furniture and technology just about completed. Bringing our learning environment up to a designated high standard has been a strategic priority for the University. I’m happy to report that we’re just about done. We plan on tackling the next group of classrooms this fiscal year. Up next, is the renovation of our lower level which will provide up-to-date student locker space, offices and a more secure data center for the University. This work should commence within the next month.

As the temperature outside confirms, it’s definitely winter! To help celebrate the season, our Salus Student Ambassadors have organized the Dean’s Winterfest that will be held in the Hafter Center from 12:30 – 2:30 PM today.  So, if you want to check your knowledge of holiday trivia, participate in an ugly sweater contest, decorate cookies or just have some hot chocolate and snacks, head over to the Hafter Center for some fun, a chance to win some prizes and relaxation!

Finally, the weather folks are predicting some snow this weekend so if you’re going out and about to watch the Eagles beat New Orleans or just hanging out, please be mindful of the weather. If you plan on enjoying the game on Sunday with family or friends, please moderate your alcohol intake and certainly don’t drink and drive. Be safe, look out for one another and have fun!

Mike