Leveraging the Wisdom of the Stoics: Week of December 1, 2023

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

Good morning on this first day of December! Campus and clinics are humming with productive energy as students prepare for practicals and final exams. On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to view several of the Healthcare, Professionalism and Diversity course presentations in the Hafter Center. The topics addressed the fullest range of social determinants impacting health across diverse and underserved populations in the United States and abroad. Congratulations to our student teams and faculty mentors on the impressive display of team problem solving!

Here are some other happenings:

TOLAND SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: Congratulations to Megan Patterson ‘25OD, who has been named the 2023 Joseph C. Toland Memorial Scholarship winner. The scholarship is awarded to a worthy third-year Doctor of Optometry student (or students) in good academic standing who demonstrates a distinctive ability to provide competent and compassionate care to their patients. Read more here.

THAILAND FIELDWORK FOR OT: Four Salus University Occupational Therapy students were the first from the program to have an international Level 1 fieldwork experience recently in Thailand. Not only did the students experience traditional learning objectives, but importantly, their learning emphasized development of cultural humility and understanding client needs in a setting beyond the United States. Click here to read more about the trip.

O&P 5K ANY WAY: The first-ever 5K Any Way Fundraiser hosted by the Salus Orthotics and Prosthetics Association (SOPA) attracted 80 participants on the morning of Nov. 11, 2023, at Alverthorpe Park in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Read more here.

STUDENTS AT LEISURE: Re’naijah Purvis ‘24PBHS calls herself a “crystal nerd.” She doesn’t just make crystal bracelets as a side activity to her studies, she draws energy from them. They were so popular within her inner circle that friends encouraged her to make and sell them to others. Check out the latest story here in our Students at Leisure series.

CLINICAL TRAINING PODCAST: In our latest podcast, we hear from Master of Science in Clinical Optometry students from Oulu University in Finland about why they chose Salus for their clinical training. Click here to listen.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we navigate the coming weeks of final exams and the impending merger with Drexel, we find ourselves at a crossroads of challenge and transition. In these pivotal times, I am reminded of the enduring wisdom of Stoics – Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, whose words resonate deeply with our current experiences.

To our students, as you embark on a final push this semester, remember Marcus Aurelius’ guidance, “It’s okay to be discouraged. It’s not okay to quit.” Your journey in learning, filled with its unique challenges and opportunities, is a testament to your unwavering commitment to excellence. Each day and each exam bring you closer to your professional aspirations. The reward of knowledge is available to all who persistently and actively pursue it. No one ever said this would be easy.

To our faculty and staff, Seneca offers cogent advice: "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult." The challenge in achieving our goals often lies not in the external obstacles we face, but in our own reluctance or fear to confront them.

Our merger with Drexel is a blending of our strengths and Drexel’s. It represents an opportunity for growth, collaboration and innovation. Our collective resilience will guide this transformation, paving a way for a future where our collaborative efforts will flourish to the benefit of our students and the greater university communities.

Together, we face paths that require endurance, whether in our academic pursuits or institutional changes. Marcus Aurelius reminds us that our ability to endure originates from the strength within us. Our challenges are temporary; our resolve is enduring.

As we move forward, let’s do so with a spirit of persistence, courage, professionalism, endurance and unwavering dedication towards a future that is not only bright but also full of potential and promise. Together, we will not just endure; we will thrive.

We are all here to support each other; to learn, grow and succeed together. Let’s embrace these challenges as opportunities to showcase our collective strengths!

As you prepare for the weekend, try to reflect on the words of the Stoics as they apply to many of the challenges and opportunities we encounter every day. Try to get out and enjoy some of the warmer weather and come back next week SALUS STRONG, ready to tackle those exams and matters associated with our upcoming merger.

 -Mike

Celebrating Our Graduates: Week of October 20, 2023

 

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

It’s been another busy week at Salus. In addition to classes, labs and clinicals, we had the great pleasure of celebrating the Fall class of 2023 with the traditional Long White Coat Ceremony on Monday evening followed by Tuesday’s 127th commencement ceremony at the Kimmel Cultural Center in Philadelphia. It was a day of transition for our graduates from being full-time students to healthcare professionals, healers, teachers, rehabilitation specialists, researchers and lifelong learners. Congratulations to all our graduates! There’s nothing more fun than seeing our graduates taking pictures in the middle of Broad Street wearing the academic regalia and holding their diplomas with City Hall in the background! To read more about the ceremony and the Physician Assistant Studies program’s Long White Coat ceremony, click here.

Here are some other items I hope you will find interesting:

LOOKING OUT FOR KIDS: We’re getting closer to our annual Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) charity fundraiser. Tickets are still available for the event at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, at The Switch House at The Battery in Philadelphia. You can purchase your tickets here. Click here to learn more about the LOFK story, how it all began and how it has grown over the years.

THEIA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: For her efforts in helping young optometrists advance their careers, Minal Patel, OD ’10, has been named a 2023 Theia Award of Excellence winner for mentoring by Women in Optometry, a group that provides women with a platform to share their experiences and exposure to a national audience including other ODs. Congratulations Dr. Patel. Click here to read more.

CERAMICS OR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY? There were times when Gianna Maria Bates ‘25OT wanted to apply to graduate school for clay and ceramics. A graduate from Arcadia University in 2023 with a double major in psychology and ceramics, she was looking for a profession where she could combine her love of art with something in the medical field. So, how did she settle on pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy at Salus University? Find out by clicking here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As I reflect on this week’s commencement and long white coat ceremonies, I appreciate the advice that our commencement speaker, retired rear admiral and gastroenterologist Colin Chinn gave to our graduates, which is applicable to all of us. His guidance, along with a few of my own observations shared at our white coat ceremony, have been helpful in navigating our careers:

Establish a work-life balance for yourself. It’s not all about the work. Prioritize your life in such a way that you can put family and significant others first.

Set your sights high, establish lofty goals for yourself - without such goals, your full effectiveness is often not fully realized.

You’ll be surrounded by all sorts of technology but your focus must remain on patient, student or client. The technology is only there to help you collect data.

Never be satisfied with average performance. Just doing enough to get by doesn’t work, especially as a health care professional and educator.

Don’t be stymied by setbacks or small failures. Everyone meets challenges and obstacles. Those who achieve success over the long haul, press on regardless of intermediate failures. Expect the unexpected and move on.

Have confidence in your own abilities and play to your strengths.

Be honest. There is nothing in this world more important than the truth. It leads to credibility and trust, the bedrock of who we are as healthcare professionals and educators.

Probably the most important - Have fun!

With all that’s going on in the world, please take time to recharge and refocus on what’s important to you. Keep all those currently in harm’s way in your thoughts and prayers, and come back next week SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Honoring an Exceptional Individual: Week of October 6, 2023

 

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

Greetings on a beautiful fall day from Atlanta where I had the opportunity to honor a really talented individual yesterday - more on that later. It’s been a busy week on campus with our construction project in the South building really looking great and our students and faculty busy with classes, labs and clinics. Here are some other items that I hope interest you:

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: Rear Admiral Colin Chinn will be the keynote speaker for Salus University’s 127th commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, at the Kimmel Cultural Center in Philadelphia. I am honored and thrilled that Dr. Chinn has agreed to deliver the keynote and I’m certain that the message he has for our graduates and those in attendance will be exceptionally relevant. Click here to read more about Dr. Chinn.

MENTORING AWARD: For her efforts in helping young optometrists advance their careers, Minal Patel, OD ’10, has been named a 2023 Theia Award of Excellence winner for mentoring by Women in Optometry, a group that provides women a platform to share their experiences and gain exposure to a national audience that includes other ODs. Read more about Dr. Patel here.

STUDENTS AT LEISURE: There were times when Gianna Maria Bates ’25 OT wanted to apply to graduate school for clay and ceramics. She had graduated from Arcadia University in 2023 with a double major in psychology and ceramics, and was looking for a profession where she could combine her love of art with something in the medical field. So, how did she settle on pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy at Salus University? Read more about Gianna’s journey here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: When talking about Salus with leaders in and beyond the region, I frequently share how we change people’s lives through our Looking Out For Kids charity, the work we do at the Eye, Ear and Speech and Language Institutes and in the direct services our students and faculty through community outreach efforts. What I often overlook is the hard work and selfless sacrifices behind the scenes by our Salus support staff and others across our industries.

Just a few short weeks ago we honored Drs. Glenn Corbin and Henry Green, both PCO alumni, for their tremendous professional accomplishments which changed the lives of thousands through their clinical interventions, excellence in teaching and ingenious inventions in the area of low vision.

Yesterday, I had the honor of presenting the Salus Presidential Medal of Honor to a man who has dedicated his life to supporting optometry and the optical industry.

Mr. Walt Fleming played a pivotal role in the exponential growth and expansion of 1,400 optometric locations across the country, improving access to much needed optometric care where otherwise, it may have been lacking.

With a remarkable level of commitment, Walt has diligently supported over 2,300 optometrists, assisting in their professional development and ensuring their success. His exceptional leadership has been instrumental in the establishment of an advisory panel that evaluates and qualifies novel technologies and innovations that is helping to not only move our profession forward as we embrace high quality tele-optometry, but also ensure access to high-quality optometric care to patients living in remote locations.

Just as notable: Walt has achieved all this as a leading optometric professional without being a doctor of optometry. Integrated patient care is a team sport, comprised of doctors, technicians and people like Walt Fleming, who work collaboratively to ensure patients receive the highest quality care possible, no matter where they live or work.

As you prepare for this fall weekend, keep in mind that the weather is changing and it’s going to be about 35 degrees cooler than it has been all week. Perfect football weather. Stay safe, use a facemask if you’re around large crowds and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Get Your Booster Now: Week of January 28th, 2022

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

Good morning on yet another frigid morning in our region! This is our second full week back on campus for many, and things have been going very well. Our COVID positivity rate has been 0.8%, with some face-to-face classes and labs and clinics going full speed. This past weekend our Board of Trustees, along with representatives from faculty, students, staff and administration spent several hours in our second round of Scenario Planning to update our current strategic plan. I look forward to sharing with you during our February town hall some of the exciting ideas we discussed.

Other happenings that may be of interest to you:

UD DAY: Our faculty explored teaching and learning trends in higher education and shared anecdotes and best practices in meeting the current educational needs of our students at our recent University Faculty Development Day. To read more, click here.

DEI STRONG: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) remains very active and Salus Strong with the addition of Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams, special assistant to the president. Read a Q&A with Dr. J. here. Our updated DEI website contains a great deal of interesting and informative information about Salus that you will want to check out here.

DEI SPEAKS!: Dr. J will be hosting a “DEI Speaks!” event on February 18th at 12 PM featuring Dr. David Marquez, who will be discussing, “Importance of Culture in the Health of Latino/a/xs. You can read more about the DEI Speaks! Series here.

CLIMBING TO NEW HEIGHTS: Our latest Students At Leisure (SAL) story features Shayna Sawyer ‘24 AUD, who has taken up rock climbing for both her physical and mental health. Read more about Shayna here.

CAPSTONE FINDINGS: Physician Assistant Studies alum Eric Nguyen, MMS ‘21, used his capstone project to weigh the risks of electronic vs. traditional cigarettes. Read more here. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: A debt of thanks to our Deans and Directors and our COVID Advisory Group for helping to ensure our safe return to campus. Developed with their advisement, our pandemic safety strategy along with proven mitigation measures — boosters, upgraded facemasks, social distancing and handwashing, are working effectively to keep us safe. As conditions change, we will continue to tap the CDC, our resident experts and local health department guidance to help us meet whatever comes next. We are excited to host a booster event on our Elkins Park campus later today! I hope all in need of the jab have made appointments. Only 40% of the fully vaccinated U.S. population has gotten a booster to date [1], even though data strongly validates the importance of getting one to be protected from severe disease. [2]

This weekend the weather guessers are talking about some snow in our area with the potential for significant accumulations along the coast and possibly around here. Please monitor the weather if you plan to head out to ensure you’re not caught by surprise.

Be safe and look out for one another. Together we remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

References:

[1] Anderson, M. (2022). COVID-19 vaccine booster drive is faltering in the U.S. Associated Press News: 2.26.22, https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-492fb86ff65c0f9a2d87b129e5da90a4

[2] Thompson MG, Natarajan K, Irving SA, et al. Effectiveness of a Third Dose of mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Predominance — VISION Network, 10 States, August 2021–January 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:139–145. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7104e3external icon.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7104e3.htm?s_cid=mm7104e3_x

Remaining Vigilant About the Pandemic: Week of November 12th, 2021

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

Good morning from a cool, soggy Elkins Park campus. It’s been another busy week with many of us catching up from a week away while attending the American Academy of Optometry’s annual meeting last week. I know that many of our students are preparing for finals and clinical practical exams which we recognize adds a little more stress to an already packed academic schedule. Please don’t hesitate to contact our counselors in CPPD who are ready to help support anyone who thinks it would be helpful. Below are some additional things I hope you’ll find interesting:

COMBINING FUN AND SCIENCE: According to Bre Myers, AuD ‘06, PhD ‘17, CH-AP, a lot of amusement park rides excite the vestibular system in very specific ways. That gave Dr. Myers an idea: Take her students to an amusement park and have them report on how they felt after riding the rides. Find out more about that went by clicking here.

INSIDE AUDIOLOGY AND SLP: In part one of our most recent podcast, we talk with Dr. Lindsay Bondurant, director of the Pennsylvania Ear Institute and associate professor for Salus University's Osborne College of Audiology, and with Robert Serianni, chair, program director and associate professor for the Speech-Language Pathology program. They detail the audiology and speech-language pathology professions, how to know which one to choose, and how they work together in the healthcare field. Listen to the podcast here.

HOCKEY CHAMPION: Our very own David Meltzer, OD ‘02, FAAO, an assistant professor and clinical instructor at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University and a U.S. Army veteran, can add ice hockey champion to his resume. The team on which he plays, the Flyer Warriors, won the 2021 USA Hockey Warrior Classic recently in New Jersey. The tournament is the signature annual event of USA Hockey's Warrior program, which provides hockey access to nationwide teams of military veterans with VA-certified disabilities of at least 10 percent. Congratulations Dr. Meltzer! 

STUDENTS AT LEISURE: Our latest Students At Leisure (SAL) story features Angela Delfino ‘23OT. When Angela looks to break away from studies for physical exercise and mental stimulation, she goes all out. Whether it’s rock-climbing, yarn crafting or aerial circus. Read more about Angela here.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: This week’s Staff Spotlight features Monica Scirrotto, our director of Admissions here at Salus University. Recently, much of her free time has been devoted to her seven-month-old daughter. Read more about Monica here.

AUDIOLOGY GRAND ROUNDS: The next Audiology Grand Rounds will be today, Nov. 12, at 12:15 p.m. Jocelyn Jacob and Kathleen Wezensky will present on “Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Management in a Type II Diabetic.” Click here to join the meeting.

THE COLLEGE TOUR CAST: During filming of The College Tour, Mohit Batra, OD ‘21, was a fourth-year student whose main goal upon his entrance to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) was to leave the school better than when he started. As student body president, he was able to do just that. Read more about Dr. Batra and his segment of The College Tour here.

TURKEY GIVE-AWAY: As has been our tradition for many years, as a way of saying, “Thank You” to our faculty and staff for all of your hard work, we will again be providing a free turkey, ham or tofurkey to all faculty and staff who would like one. Please sign up here by 4PM today to order one.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As I go about my travels, I sometimes think I live in two different worlds – one at Salus where we have been diligent about getting vaccinated and wearing our face masks on campus and in our clinics – and one where many people are still refusing vaccination and more commonly, not wearing facemasks when out and about. This was once again accentuated in the news this week when a popular NFL star tried to rationalize why he wasn’t getting vaccinated.

The truth of the matter is that we are still very much in the throes of the pandemic (as evidenced by the recent increase in cases in many parts of the country) and to let our guard down now would be inconsistent with the way in which we’ve addressed our mitigation strategies to date. While numbers are currently trending in the right direction in our area in terms of numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, vaccination rates have slowed down considerably.

I am extremely happy and proud that our internal vaccination rate is about 98%, which speaks to everyone’s commitment to doing the right thing for themselves, their families and those we care for clinically. Our random testing program has yielded no more than a 1% positivity rate, which is well below what would be expected, which is great.

I am hopeful that sometime after the holidays the numbers will continue to trend in the right direction here and the CDC will be able to adjust the guidelines we currently follow. Until then, we’ll continue to stay our current course. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everyone’s cooperation! Like you, I cannot wait to get rid of these masks! But, until it’s safe, masked we will continue to be. For those of you who are eligible for a 3rd dose/booster vaccine, I strongly encourage you to get one as soon as you can. They are readily available through the county or most local pharmacies.

I hope everyone has a restful weekend. It won’t be long before the holidays are upon us. As you begin your planning, please keep in mind that what you do off campus will directly affect all of us on campus.

Please, remain vigilant, stay healthy, continue to look out for one another to stay SALUS STRONG!

Mike

The Importance of Teamwork: Week of October 29th, 2021

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

Good morning from a windy and cloudy Elkins Park campus where the leaves are falling everywhere and the weather definitely feels like Fall!

MSCHE: As I noted yesterday, we successfully completed our Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) site visit yesterday with no required follow-up issues and accolades on several of our academic and non-academic processes. This was truly a team effort which allowed us to display the best of Salus during this process! We are Salus Strong because of all of you! More about this later….

THE BATTLE AGAINST CANCER: Check out this story on how PCO/Salus alum Kailee Watson, OD ‘12, and her connections to the University played a major role in a young patient’s battle against cancer. Dr. Watson describes how the experience helped reinforce her decision to come to PCO/Salus. Read the story here.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Our next Staff Spotlight is on Lindsey Cardillo, HRIS administrator in our Human Resources department. Lindsey says what she loves most about her job is interacting with the different employees and departments at Salus. Read more about Lindsey here.

STUDENTS AT LEISURE: Our next Students At Leisure (SAL) story features Ariella Erin Poon ‘24OD and the special way she commemorated the White Coat ceremony, which was virtual for her class because of the pandemic. Instead of dwelling on something that was beyond anyone’s control, Ariella made the most of it. Read how here.

ULTIMATE TREAT EVENT: Don’t forget about “The Ultimate Treat Event,” sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs, from noon to 1:30 p.m. today. Stop by the lobby table outside the cafeteria to pick up some Halloween treats, play trivia and have a chance to win some prizes.

AUDIOLOGY GRAND ROUNDS: The next Audiology Grand Rounds will be today at 12:15 p.m. Jessica Heritage and Jenna Jalowiec will speak on “Hybrid Cochlear Implant Use for Hearing Loss Caused by Ototoxicity.” Click here to join the presentation.

RESIDENT CLASS OF 2022: This week’s resident story features Chandni Patel, OD ‘21, ’22 Resident, whose personal experience with how her vision change in high school influenced her to become an optometrist. Read more about Dr. Patel here.

WALK4HEARING EVENT: The Salus University chapter of the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) recently participated in the Walk4Hearing, where it raised a total of $1,635 (tripling its original goal of $500). The proceeds will go to the Hearing Loss Association of America, an organization focused on advocating and providing educational programs for individuals with hearing loss.

THE COLLEGE TOUR CAST: Continuing to spotlight the cast of The College Tour, meet Tavii El, MSOT ‘21, a Doctor of Occupational Therapy student at Salus, who became so enmeshed in student life while on campus that it only made sense for her to talk about Student Life during The College Tour segment. Read more here.

FLU SHOTS: It’s flu season and if you have not already gotten your flu shots, please take the time to get one this weekend. We want to keep everyone healthy!

FINAL THOUGHTS: Teamwork is integral to everything we do in healthcare. Organizationally, the importance of working together as a team is no less important. It’s been my experience that working together as a team provides opportunities for people to improve relations and professionally bond with one another over specific projects they undertake, besides accomplishing tasks more efficiently and effectively. Working through our Self-study and culminating with the site visit earlier this week, certainly provided us with these opportunities.

One other important result of working as a team is that members develop a greater sense of personal and professional accountability, as they don’t want to let their other team members down. We certainly exhibited all of these attributes as we worked through the MSCHE self-study process, in an exceptional way! We learned a great deal about ourselves that can be leveraged well into our future.

Each recommendation for improvement that was identified in our Self-Study presents opportunities for us to continually improve, which, ultimately is why we do all of this.

In the end, the fact that we had a successful MSCHE site visit comes as no surprise to me. Throughout my Navy and now academic career, I've had the good fortune to have served on several great teams, and the team we have at Salus is as good, if not better, than any of them. Whether it was how we transitioned to virtual teaching and learning at the beginning of the pandemic, created virtual commencement and white coat ceremonies, developed new relationships with local, state and national politicians or successfully worked through the MSCHE re-accreditation process, we have demonstrated we can operate as an effective team - I cannot thank you all enough for that! You are rock stars and together, make us the great institution we are today.

Have a restful and safe weekend - you all deserve it! Sunday is Halloween, so if you happen to go out trick or treating, please remember to wear your face masks when out and about (especially when indoors with lots of people around), wash your hands frequently and socially distance when you can. Stay safe, continue to look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

The Importance of Taking Care of Yourself: Week of September 17th, 2021

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

Good morning! It’s been another busy week on campus and in our clinics! The weather has even cooperated as it’s getting cooler again! In addition to our normal campus activities, here are some other things that I hope will be of interest to you:

PAYING IT FORWARD: Kathy Foltner, AuD ‘02, knows firsthand the value of scholarships. Now, Dr. Foltner is eager to ease the financial burden for future Salus University audiologists through an endowed scholarship for students in the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA). Read more about Dr. Foltner’s generous gift here.

FACULTY FOCUS: Korey Patrizi, OD, Resident ‘21, joined the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University faculty in July 2021. Read more about Dr. Patrizi’s desire to find and fit in with her “people” and the feeling of comfort she experienced during the interview process at PCO/Salus here. 

MSCHE SELF-STUDY: Thanks to the hard work of many of our faculty, staff and Board members, our MSCHE self-study has been submitted. The final copy will be posted on Blackboard if any members of our University community would like to see all the processes, procedures and policies that are involved in running our university in accordance with accreditation standards.

RANDOM COVID TESTING: If you have been selected to be tested this week, you will have received an email asking you to pick up your home testing kit from security at either Elkins Park or TEI, depending upon where you are assigned. Please ensure you remember to do that!

STUDENTS AT LEISURE: Her first love is optometry, but Olivia Burger ‘22OD has discovered that while healthcare providers are passionate about the fields of healthcare in which they practice, they can also have passion for other activities. In Olivia’s case, it’s concert photography. Click here to find out how she got interested in photography and what famous artists she’s photographed, all while pursuing her dream to become an optometrist.

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH: This week marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month — Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 — where we celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from the Americas (North, Central and South), the Caribbean and Spain. There are lots of ways to acknowledge Hispanic Heritage Month, whether it’s engaging with books, films, documentaries or live programming related to Hispanics and Latinos and their history in the United States. At Salus, we are choosing to highlight a few of our Hispanic/Latino alumni. The offices of DEI, Communications and Institutional Advancement are collaborating to feature some of our alums during this month. Keep an eye on the University's social media outlets for the Hispanic Alumni Highlight campaign in the coming weeks. 

MEET THE COLLEGE TOUR CAST: While filming The College Tour segment focused on Career Flexibility, Jaqueline Wiafe ‘24AUD was a first-year Doctor of Audiology student. During her time on camera, she educated the audience about the various career settings and the flexibility achieving a degree from Salus University affords its graduates. To read more about Jaqueline’s experience, click here.

SLP PODCAST SERIES: The latest in our podcast series is titled “SLP Q&A: From Externship to Clinical Fellowship, Part 1,” featuring Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, chair and program director of the department of Speech-Language Pathology at Salus University, as he speaks with externship supervisor Joanna Smith and one of our recent graduates, Rebecca Ritsick, MMS ‘21. Click here for the podcast.

GRAND ROUNDS: The next Optometric Grand Rounds will be from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24. Dr. Kelly Malloy will speak on “Getting to the Heart of the Matter.” For more information about that, click here. Audiology Grand Rounds will be held today at noon. Taylor Fisher and Sarah Gallagher (AUD 23) will be presenting Hyperacusis and Other Symptoms after a Traumatic Brain Injury. Click here to listen in.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I know all of you are getting into your normal routines by now. I want to take a few moments to once again remind you about the importance of taking care of yourselves - not just physically, but also mentally. Getting out for some exercise, eating healthy foods and just taking “brain breaks” every once in a while can be helpful tools to relieve stress and just allow you become more effective learners. It’s not lost on any of us that we’re still in the midst of the pandemic, which just adds another layer of stress to everyone in the University community. If you feel like you would like to talk with someone about ways to relieve some of that stress I highly encourage you to seek out our fantastic behavior health counselors in the Center for Personal and Professional Development. You can begin the appointment process here. It’s not a sign of weakness but rather a sign of great self-awareness to reach out. Similarly, for faculty and staff, Human Resources can help you contact similar expertise if you desire. 

As we approach the weekend, please be cognizant of the fact that what you do off campus can affect all of us on campus. Please wear your face mask when around others not in your normal social network; certainly, when you go to the grocery store and other places where the large numbers of people can congregate and try to restrict your dining out to outdoor venues. Have a great weekend - be safe, be smart, look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

A Sincere Thank You to Students, Faculty and Staff: Week of August 20th, 2021

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

Good morning from a very busy Elkins Park campus where we celebrate the conclusion of an extremely informative and event-filled orientation week with four White Coat ceremonies starting at 9 a.m. today! Yesterday we had the honor and pleasure of “cloaking” second year optometry and audiology students with their white coats to get us started. I’d again like to welcome all of our new students to Salus – It was great to see all of you during our opening session and then again during your program-specific sessions. I look forward to getting to know as many of you as possible through your tenure at Salus. In addition to orientation week events, here are some other things that may be of interest to you:

BEST EYE DOCTORS: PCO has a significant number of graduates on the recently released "Newsweek America's Best Eye Doctors 2021 List of Optometrists.” Included in the criteria for selection were doctors who had earned the most respect from their peers in three categories: the quality of care they provide, the continuity of care and the quality of the technology they use in their practices. Click here to read the list and see which PCO/Salus doctors were included. Congratulations to those selected and thank you for helping the University have a Salus Strong showing on the national stage.

SLP TRACK ADDED TO POST-BACC: Kimberly Edmonds, MS, CCC-SLP, a clinical educator who supervises first-year students in their clinical practicum in Salus University’s department of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), has been named coordinator of the Post-baccalaureate program in Health Sciences, SLP concentration. Read more about Kimberly and the SLP track in Post-bacc here.

BLVS SUMMER RESIDENCY PROGRAM: BLVS students were in full learning mode in their specialties — Education of Children with Visual Impairments (TVI), Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT), Orientation and Mobility (O&M), or Low Vision Rehabilitation (LVR) — during the Summer Residency Program on campus. Read more about what this summer’s students have been learning here.

SPOTLIGHTING TWO STAFF MEMBERS: This week’s Staff Spotlights focus on two Salus staffers: Tami April-Davis, who works in the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD); and Allie Levitt, who works in the Registrar’s office. To learn more about Tami and her role, click here. To learn more about Allie and her role, click here. 

STUDENTS AT LEISURE: Our next Students At Leisure (SAL) story features Umar Mahmood ‘22OD, the self-proclaimed “Optometrist With the Nice Kicks.” For Umar, high-end sneakers have become more than a fashion statement. They've become a pretty lucrative side business. Read more about Umar and his side interest here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I want to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated faculty and staff for initially pivoting us from face to face teaching and learning to a virtual format, pretty much overnight, to preparing for this semester’s opening where we can once again enjoy teaching and learning in person. I’d also like to sincerely thank all of our new students for choosing Salus and entrusting us with your professional education for the next two to four years. You’ve worked hard for the unique opportunity to positively affect the lives of others and I strongly encourage you to maintain your focus as you progress through your respective programs. Your future patients and clients will deserve nothing less. The pandemic has clearly exposed the fact that many of our underserved communities faired far worse than others. As we look to solve the issues of health equity, costs and quality, you will be the ones to help develop the solutions that effectively address these issues. That work starts here at Salus.

As we continue to navigate through this fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic I want thank all of you who have gotten vaccinated to date. As a university community, as of yesterday, I am happy to report we are over 92% vaccinated! Vaccination is our only way out of this so the more folks that take the jab, the better off we all are!

As you all know, the Delta variant of the virus is more contagious and potentially more virulent. This is why it’s so important that we all strictly adhere to the Salus Safety Strategy to help keep us all healthy and safe. While I know everyone is supposed to be wearing a facemask, it’s also important to ensure you and your classmates are wearing it correctly - covering your nose and mouth. Otherwise, it’s pretty much useless. In addition to wearing your face mask, please continue to maintain the habit of washing your hands frequently and try to socially distance when you can, understanding that in some lab and clinical settings, that may be difficult.

We’re all in this together. Even with all of the preventive measures we’re taking, there likely will be post-vaccination infections, given the characteristics of the Delta variant. If you are not feeling well, please stay home. If you suspect you might have COVID, either because of the symptoms your manifesting or you’ve been exposed to someone who has, please follow the steps recommended by the CDC (including not returning to a Salus Facility until the CDC criteria to discontinue home isolation are met) in consultation with your health care provider and state and local health departments. Faculty and staff staying home due to symptoms shall notify their supervisor. Students staying home due to symptoms shall notify their program and Student Affairs at saffairs@salus.edu.

As a team, we will get through this just fine. There will be setbacks along the way, but if we strictly follow all the preventive measures we’re taking, they will be minimal and mild. I’m excited about starting this semester and hope you all are as well. Just remember where we were a year ago - My sincere hope is that we don’t have to go back to where we were but can look forward to better days ahead.

I hope you can take some time to enjoy the upcoming weekend. Please continue to keep those in harm’s way in Haiti and Afghanistan in your thoughts.

For those of you new to the area, I encourage you to do some exploring as Philadelphia and our Montgomery County areas have some great places to enjoy nature, learn more about our history or just plain hang out. Please remember, if you do decide to go to a restaurant or bar, you are much safer outside than inside and what you do off campus affects all of us on campus. No matter where you go, if you do go indoors, please wear your face mask! So be smart, be safe and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

As a Country We Dropped the Ball Concerning Vaccinations: Week of July 30th, 2021

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

Greetings from our Elkins Park campus where things have been humming along nicely throughout this Summer semester. Just when we thought the pandemic was in our rearview mirror, we are now having to watch things much more closely as the Delta variant of the virus spreads throughout the country. We are aware of the new CDC guidance regarding indoor mask wearing for fully vaccinated people in certain regions of the country and are closely monitoring local and regional data to ensure we comply. As of this today, there is no local requirement for vaccinated people to wear a mask indoors because our numbers are relatively low, but this can change over time and we will make adjustments as necessary. If only everyone would get vaccinated! There are several things going on around campus that I wanted you to be aware of:

MIDDLE STATES ACCREDITATION: This week, we highlight Standard VI - Planning, Resources & Institutional Improvement. Our working group is led by Radhika Aravamudhan, PhD, PhD, CCC-A., FAAA, Dean & Associate Professor, Osborne College of Audiology, who is joined by Don Kates, CPA, Vice President of Finance, Jill Leslie, Director, Instructional Technology and Support Services, Rebecca Delia, MS, Salus University Board of Trustees, Margie Singer, Administrative Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program, and Wendy Woodward, Director, Sponsored Programs & Academic Finance. Together they are documenting how we plan, use and continuously assess our resources to support our educational offerings and the continued improvement of the university, as a whole.

MEET THE AMBASSADORS: Salus University has 17 students representing various academic programs who serve as student ambassadors at University events both on campus and in the community. In the third and final part of the series, meet six more student ambassadors representing what our Salus community is all about. Click here to read about them. 

STUDENTS AT LEISURE: We’ve kicked off a new online series called “Students at Leisure” (SAL) that features some of the fun, interesting and unique outside activities that our students engage in when they’re taking a break from their studies. The first SAL story focuses on Katie Stanton ‘24OD, who practices “leviwanding,” an object manipulation discipline where the practitioner controls a seemingly floating stick. It has its origins in the magic world dating back to the mid-1800s and is known as the “Dancing Cane” trick. To read more about Katie and leviwanding, go here.

RESIDENT PROFILE: Since we just welcomed our newest Resident class to TEI, we’re profiling them over the next several weeks on our website so everyone can get to know them better. Kicking things off will be Rochelle Fleisher, OD, ‘22Resident, who was inspired by her mother, a nurse practitioner, to pursue a career in healthcare. Read more about Dr. Fleisher here.

PODCAST UPDATE, TAKE I: Join Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, the Chair and Program Director of the department of Speech-Language Pathology at Salus University, as he moderates a podcast that focuses on the services provided at the Speech-Language Institute. He is joined by an SLI client, a student working with that client and the supervisor overseeing the care of the client. Click here for details.

PODCAST UPDATE, TAKE II: Check out this extremely interesting podcast featuring David Meltzer, OD ‘02, assistant professor at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University. Dr. Meltzer talks about his time in the United States Army and working as an optometrist in Germany, Iraq, and Italy before returning to the United States and his alma mater to teach the next generation of optometrists. We’ll also have a Faculty Focus story on our website about Dr. Meltzer next month, so look for that as well.

DONATIONS FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN: Hearts in Motion will be collecting school supplies to donate to schools in Gualan, Zacapa, Guatemala, during its mission trip at the end of August. The group is looking for unopened/new school supplies to give to the schools. Examples of what they are looking for: pencils/pens, sharpeners, crayons/markers, scissors, backpacks, paper, folders/binders, small toys, etc. There will be a box in the lobby at the Elkins Park campus for donations to be placed.

PA FORMAL: The Physician Assistant Program Class of 2022 will celebrate the end of the didactic year before they move on to their clinical sites all around the country with a PA Formal Saturday, July 31. Look for a story and photos on our website about the event.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I’ve spent the last few weeks talking about the importance of getting vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The fact that the delta variant has been spreading so rapidly across our country (now with the greatest number of cases again) illustrates how, as a country, we have totally dropped the ball when we had the opportunity to finally put the pandemic behind us. Vaccine hesitancy has always been around, but because this entire pandemic has been defined both politically and scientifically, politics have played an unacceptably high role in determining who gets a vaccine and who does not. As healthcare providers we have only one acceptable avenue to determine efficacy of vaccines, treatments, etc. and that is SCIENCE. As we have learned throughout the pandemic, the science can change, depending upon how the virus mutates and changes. Clearly, science is telling us that the delta variant of the virus is more transmissible and potentially more dangerous than previous variants. What is scarier to me is that the more hosts this virus has the opportunity to infect, the greater the chance we have of confronting an even more virulent variant of COVID-19 that may even be vaccine resistant. Every person who is unvaccinated presents a greater opportunity for the virus to mutate and adapt. Most recently the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the City of New York, a myriad of large health systems have mandated or required vaccines for front line healthcare workers and the Federal government just announced that all federal employees must attest to being vaccinated against Covid-19 or face strict protocols including regular testing, masking and other mitigation measures. Additionally, many corporate entities such as Netflix, Morgan Stanley, Saks Fifth Avenue, Facebook and Google are requiring all of their employees returning to work to be vaccinated. Like us, they did this to protect their patients, coworkers and each other. 

Please, if you are not yet vaccinated, reconsider your decision – if not for yourself, do it for those of us who must work or live with you. If you are vaccinated, share your stories and help to educate those who have not yet gotten the vaccine to feel more comfortable about doing this. We’ve come to the point where, unless there’s a legitimate medical or religious reason not to be vaccinated, there is no excuse not to be. The benefits, individually and collectively, of getting vaccinated far exceed any perceived risks.

Please think about this over the weekend. The weather is going to be extremely nice, so I encourage you to get out and enjoy the fresh air. For those of you not yet vaccinated, please wear your face mask when around others. For those of us who are fully vaccinated, please check local positivity numbers if you go outside our region for your situational awareness. If in doubt, wear a face mask indoors, just to be safe. Enjoy the weekend and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike