Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,
Good morning on this summery morning in Elkins Park. We are transitioning to summer on cue with Memorial Day weekend already in the rearview mirror! Even as summer approaches, our campus has been busy with students attending classes, labs and clinics. As our Chestnut Hill clinic undergoes a cosmetic face lift, operations have temporarily shifted to The Eye Institute. Kudos to Dr. Maria Parisi, Mr. John Gaal, Mr. Chris Esposito and Mr. Rick Echevarria and their staffs for making this happen quickly and seamlessly!
Here are some other items of interest for you:
COMMENCEMENT WRAP-UP: Our 124th commencement ceremony was held last week at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. It was wonderful to be back at the Kimmel face-to-face. Graduates and attendees were inspired by Admiral Michelle J. Howard, the first African American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy, former Vice Chief of Naval Operations and a shipmate and personal friend of mine. We also heard encouraging words from Courtney Bernhardt, MS ‘22, who delivered our graduate commencement address. For details on the festivities, click here.
HOUSE DEMOCRATIC SOUTHEAST DELEGATION VISIT: Earlier this week we had the honor of hosting members of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Southeast Delegation at the University. This gave us the opportunity to help educate regional legislators about our programs and how we are training the next generation of healthcare providers for the Commonwealth.
CHALLENGING ROAD TO PhD: Speaking of commencement, be sure to read the story on Brianna Brim, PhD ‘22, MOT, OTR/L, CPAM, CLIPP, our director of the Occupational Therapy Institute (OTI), who overcame several personal challenges to graduate with a PhD from the University’s Biomedicine program. Congratulations, Dr. Brim! For details, click here.
RAM EXPERIENCE: PCO/Salus Doctor of Optometry students recently volunteered to serve in the Remote Area Medical (RAM) group’s mobile medical clinic at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia for two consecutive days. The event allowed several of our students to use their expertise to assist families and individuals who have been without eye care for years. Read more about it here.
FINAL THOUGHTS: As we transition into summer, take the opportunity to get out and enjoy some of the great recreational sites in our region. The Schuylkill River Trail, Fairmount Park and the trail systems right here in Montgomery County provide verdant greenspaces to jog, bike and enjoy nature. Coming off a stressful semester of classes, labs and clinical assignments, one of the best destressors is getting exercise and spending time in the great outdoors.
From all that we’re hearing in the world about the war in Ukraine, inflation, mass shootings, social unrest, in addition to all the “stuff” we have do in normal daily routines, it’s no wonder our stress levels are high. Only you know how stress affects you. To that end, I strongly encourage you to address head on what might be your stress triggers. Talking through some of these things with friends, family members or other confidants about what’s on your mind is extremely helpful. If you would like to speak with a professional, our CPPD counselors are always available to students and our health insurance providers can arrange for counseling sessions for faculty and staff. We are living in what the Chinese proverb labels “interesting times.” We will get through all of this with a little help and support from those around us.
Have a great weekend – make some time to relax, regenerate and destress. Go see the new Top Gun movie – my contacts tell me it’s fantastic and very realistic. It certainly will take your mind of things for a couple of hours!
In the meantime, also remember that COVID numbers are high in our region, so please remember to mask up when on campus and around others off campus, socially distance and wash your hands frequently. If you’re not feeling well, please stay home. We want you to remain SALUS STRONG as you continue to look out for one another.
Mike
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