Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,
Good morning from our Elkins Park campus where preparations for our upcoming commencement ceremony at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts are in full swing! We’ve begun our summer semester, so there is still quite a bit of activity on campus between our international students and residential students in classes, labs and clinic.
Here are some items of interest:
SERVICE LEARNING: For years — with a few years off due to the pandemic — students in our Physician’s Assistant program, which emphasizes experiential and service learning, have volunteered at the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA) of Philadelphia. Read more here about their experience this year.
BLVS PILOT PROGRAM: Salus University’s Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) department has partnered with the Northeast Pennsylvania Lions Service Foundation (NEPALSF) for a pilot program bringing quality services to northeast Pennsylvania. The program will provide up to five Salus BLVS students with a stipend to do a semester-long direct service internship in northeastern Pennsylvania, with the ultimate goal of attracting students to jobs in that area after graduation. Read more about it here.
CONTROLLED PATIENT CARE PROGRAM: The MSCO (Clinical Optometry with an Advanced Studies Certificate Degree Program) students are on campus this week for their Controlled Patient Care (CPC) program. During this program, students have the opportunity to examine patients with unusual and rare eye conditions while under the supervision of Salus instructors. Robert Andersson, MSc ‘10, PhD ‘18, is serving as their lead instructor. They are also working with Carlo Pelino, OD ‘94, FAAO, and Luis Trujillo, OD ‘09, Pediatric Resident ’12, in the CPC program.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This week two more mass shootings across our country resulted in eleven people killed and seven people wounded. These incidents bring the total of mass shootings in the U.S. to 198 this year. The public health emergency of gun violence across our country has only gotten worse over time. I will continue to keep this at the forefront of our thoughts, because it impacts us as healthcare providers, and because it affects nearly every segment of our society.
While gun violence remains a complex and challenging public health epidemic, we can take steps to address it. Mental health support and stricter controls on who can purchase guns, remain central to what many experts believe can begin to address the issue. As healthcare providers, we can bring our medical experience to actively engage our legislators, who control both funding for many community-based mental health programs and legislation. Standing by and admiring this problem, without being vocal and engaged, only perpetuates the issue.
As you begin your weekend, please consider what steps you will take to address this public health menace that plagues our communities. Together we can make a difference.
Enjoy the sun, stay hydrated as temperatures soar into the 90’s and wear sunscreen in addition to your face masks. Remember, the pandemic is still very much with us, even with the increased heat.
Stay safe, stay smart and remain SALUS STRONG!
Mike
No comments:
Post a Comment