Upcoming Fall Commencement: Week of October 6th

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

I’m certain many of you have had the terrible events in Las Vegas on your minds most of the week - I know I have. Gun violence has grown in epidemic proportions in our society and presents a huge public health challenge. I want to ensure we keep the families and friends of the 58 victims and all of those who were injured during the course of this senseless violence in our thoughts and prayers.    

On a much brighter note, I want to remind everyone about Monday’s commencement at the Kimmel Center. This is the first time we’ll be holding fall commencement in this venue. Of note, 13 of our international students will be receiving their degrees during the ceremony for the very first time. We are also honored to welcome Dr. Rachel Levine, the Physician General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Acting Secretary of Health, as our guest speaker and honorary degree recipient. Dr. Levine has led the fight to tackle opioid abuse in the Commonwealth and is the highest ranking transgender person in Pennsylvania government. Dr. Levine is a highly regarded pediatrician who graduated from Harvard College and the Tulane University College of Medicine. I am certain that her comments will be extremely timely and interesting.  

In the University’s College of Education and Rehabilitation, representatives from our Occupational Therapy Program will be representing Salus at the annual Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association meeting in State College. Lauren Sponseller, Fern Silverman, Andrea Tyszka, Brianna Brim and Caitlyn Foy are presenting sessions at the meeting and the following students, along with their mentors, are presenting posters:

• Janelle Hottel, with Dr. Fern Silverman
• Jenna Napier, with Andrea Tyszka
• Emily Shiflet, with Dr. Lauren Sponseller
• Ciarra Bell, with Dr. Barbara Schwartz-Bechet
• Courtney Hahn and Alicia Tallia, with Dr. Fern Silverman
• Jennifer Swiski, with Dr. Barbara Schwartz-Bechet
• Hope Ann Wahlmark, with Brianna Brim
• Regina Wilson, with Dawn Ciccarone

I’d like to congratulate Brooke Jamgochian who has been selected as the next Student Member of the Board of Trustees (SMOTBOT). In her capacity as the SMOTBOT, Brooke will represent the student body on the University’s Board of Trustees for the next two years. We all look forward to working with her!

It’s been an extremely busy week at The Eye Institute, Pennsylvania Ear Institute and Speech-Language Institute as we rolled out the new NextGen electronic health record. I’m happy to report, that minus just a couple of minor hiccups, the transition has been going smoothly. As with any transition to a new technology, people will have to get used to the new system and learn its idiosyncrasies. A great deal of credit for this weeks’ successful rollout goes to our clinical faculty and contractor trainers. I’d like to especially recognize Dr. Andrew Meagher who has really taken the lead with our clinical faculty and has served as a super-user and trainer extraordinaire. I’d also like to thank Mr. John Gaal and his staff for their patience and persistence in getting us to this point. In the long run, NextGen will allow us to work more efficiently and effectively, which benefits both our patients and staff.

Later today, we kick off National Physician Assistant (PA) Week and will also be recognizing the 2017 Physician Assistant Alumna of the Year, Christine McAndrew ‘09. Christine currently works alongside the chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. Members of the PA program hosted a reception at the Hafter Center from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. on Friday.   

Finally, next week, many of our optometric colleagues will be off to Chicago to attend the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry.  Dr. Scharre and I will be joining them so we can participate in many of the meetings as well as in our Alumni reception which will be held on Thursday, October 12th at the Palmer House from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. I’m hoping we get to see many alumni, staff and students during our time there.  

Mike