Advancing Integration Effort: Week of November 17, 2023

 

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

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus on a beautiful Fall day. It’s been a busy week as students prepare for finals, we hosted our Drexel colleagues on campus and opened our new cafeteria. Here are some other items of interest for you:

BIG NIGHT FOR LOFK: The Salus University stars came out for the 16th annual Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) charity fundraiser Saturday night, not only to support the LOFK program but to honor one of our own, Susan “Dr. O.” Oleszewski, OD ‘76, Resident ‘78, MA, FAAO, as the 2023 Lighthouse Award winner. Thanks to all who attended, made donations and participated in our online auction. To read more about the evening, click here. And if you are interested in LOFK giving opportunities, click here.

THANKSGIVING MEAL: Salus University is making it a little easier for those not traveling home for the Thanksgiving holiday. The University will offer a complimentary holiday meal prepared by Metz Culinary. The meal choices are a turkey dinner plate (chicken will be substituted if turkey is not available) or a vegetarian option. Dessert will be included as well. For those interested, click here to fill out the form. Please place your order by noon Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. The date for the meal pick-up will be Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2023. Respondents will receive an email reminder with the pick-up time availability.

CHER CAREER FAIR: Salus University's Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) students got a peek into their futures at the first-ever College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER) career fair held Nov. 6, 2023, at the Hafter Student Community Center gymnasium on the Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, campus. The event included 24 businesses from the Philadelphia region and some that represented companies from across the nation. It was a great opportunity for our OT and SLP students to network. Click here to read more about the event.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Robert Fitzgerald, MS ‘99, has always advocated for disadvantaged populations. The training he received at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University was instrumental in helping him build a successful career in that area. And he’s maintained a strong connection with Salus by serving on the Blindness and Low Vision Services (BLVS) department’s advisory board and serving as a preceptor for the program. Read more about Robert here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Earlier this week, President John Fry and several of our Drexel colleagues met to discuss and advance Integration Council efforts. We were delighted to show them our newest spaces on campus and The Eye Institute, where Salus deans, directors and president’s council members had an opportunity to gather with their Drexel counterparts.

Relationship building is so important as we move closer to July, when many of our functions will begin to integrate in earnest. One of the most important predictors of success in any merger or partnership is the development of trust and familiarity. It is normal to feel unsettled because of the upcoming changes. Creating space and time to interact socially requires a commitment on both parts, particularly as the holidays approach and schedules get busier. The time invested now in building trust and camaraderie will pay dividends later as the work of integration gets more complex.

As we create opportunities to build connections among our Salus and Drexel colleagues in the coming months, please let me know how we can help and support your efforts to strengthen relationships with your counterparts beyond the work of the integration council. I know how excited our Drexel colleagues are to have us join them. Together we will make exceptional contributions to the higher education landscape. 

Special thanks to Rick Echevarria, Amie Leighton, Chris Esposito, Rich Stankovis, and our facilities, technology, security and Metz food services staff for getting our newly renovated cafeteria and first floor areas ready for the soft opening earlier this week. The firepit is a great addition to our patio and it’s great to see folks enjoying it! Also, thanks to Jacquie Patterson, Alexis Abate, Juliana Mosley-Williams and our institutional advancement and communications staff for the fantastic Looking Out For Kids event. Dr. O’s inspiring comments as she received the Lighthouse Award touched everyone in the room.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and Thanksgiving holiday. It’s a time to recharge ahead of the sprint to the semester’s finish line in December. It’s going to be a nice weekend, so try to get outside and enjoy the last of the leaves! Be safe, continue to look out for one another and if you haven’t yet gotten your flu and/or covid vaccinations, please put that on your dockets. Let’s finish out this semester SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Celebrating the Navy's 248th Birthday and Remember Those in Harms Way: Week of October 18, 2023

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

Good morning from Center City Philadelphia where I am helping to celebrate the Navy’s 248th birthday along with the Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, former Secretary of the Navy John Dalton and a host of other Navy and Marine Corps personnel who are in the city for Navy-Marine Corp Week. In addition to all this, it’s been a busy week on campus as classes, clinics and labs are running at full speed. Here are some other items of interest:

FALL COMMENCEMENT: Salus University’s 127th commencement ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, at the Kimmel Cultural Center in Philadelphia. We look forward to welcoming Rear Admiral Colin Chinn, our keynote speaker. Click here to read more about Admiral Chinn.

LOOKING OUT FOR KIDS TICKETS: Tickets are available for the 2023 Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) event at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, at The Switch House at The Battery in Philadelphia, when we will honor Susan Oleszewski, OD ‘76, Resident ‘78, FAAO with our Lighthouse Award. NBC10’s Johnny Archer will once again emcee the event. Click here to order your tickets.

INTERPROFESSIONAL LEARNING: Foundations of Interprofessional Communication, the first Interprofessional Learning Activity in the Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, entry level (IPCPe) microcredential badge program is scheduled for Nov. 16. It will provide interested students an opportunity to learn and practice foundational, interprofessional communication skills for academic and clinical success in their respective programs. Communications expert and executive coach Marilyn S. Nyman, M.Ed., CCC/SP will cover professional presence and elements of personal style, after which students will practice what they've learned. Registration cut-off date is Nov. 1. Click here for more information and to register.

NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY: This week National Coming Out Day (NCOD) recognized the milestones of being seen and heard, and continued strides for equity and respect, specific to LGBTQ+ communities. The day allowed us to raise awareness for individuals within the LGBTQ+ community and the hierarchy of sexual orientation and identity. For a video on the history of NCOD, click here.

SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING: Our annual campus-wide security awareness training will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, in the Hafter Student Community Center gymnasium. This year’s topic is “Surviving an Active Threat on Campus.” Another training will be scheduled for another date at The Eye Institute. I highly recommend attending this training in person. A Zoom meeting link included in the calendar event invitation for those who can’t attend in person.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Earlier this week, I shared my thoughts concerning the horrific events occurring in Israel and Gaza. Since that time, we’ve learned of more abhorrent acts of terrorism and violence, and the suffering and loss of life inflicted on innocent residents in Israel and Gaza. The scope of the resulting humanitarian crisis will be massive.

We condemn these heinous acts of terrorism and the profound grief, pain, and uncertainty this has brought to the region and the world. We support the Jewish community in Israel, around the world, and in our own University community.

I want to acknowledge the emotional toll this is taking on members of our community who have suffered as violence against Jews, Muslims and Arabs has increased in recent years. I am deeply grateful to have heard from students, faculty and alumni for whom these developments are deeply personal, fraught and distressing. Many of your stories are heartbreaking. They speak volumes about your resilience, integrity and character. 

We also recognize the pain and suffering of many innocent residents of Gaza and mourn the suffering and loss of life that has befallen many who were blameless for these senseless acts of terrorism.

These events have created a significant stressor. It can be understandably difficult to keep focused. Please know we are with you keeping you in our hearts and prayers.

Additionally, students can contact our Center for Personal and Professional Development for counseling and support. Faculty and staff can access counseling through our employee assistance plans. Contact our Human Resources team if you need help with this.

It may also be helpful to revisit activities we’ve discussed previously that foster well-being:

Stay focused on your studies – Focusing on school work can provide a break from all that’s going on in the world. It’s also a way to continue to move toward attain your goals while everything else is so uncertain.

Develop a routine you can stick to - Get up, make your bed (now you’ve accomplished at least one thing!), exercise, eat breakfast, etc.

Get enough sleep – The better rested you are, the more capable your body and mind will be in handling things that come your way including stress. Prioritize sleep over other things. You’ll be more productive, resilient and attentive.

Get outside and enjoy the fresh air – There are so many places around us that you can go and safely walk around in nature that will help to calm your mind and present opportunities for some exercise at many levels.  

Make sure you have what you need for the next day - Check the schedule, lay out your clothes, make your lunch, etc.

Use social media purposefully and not nonchalantly – Limit your screen time and refrain from posting for “likes” or for the sake of making the “best content”. Use social media to connect with classmates or the people you miss seeing every day. With everything currently going on in the world there is a temptation to constantly stay connected – try to stay away from news sources throughout the day.

As we continue to follow this unfolding tragedy, mourn the loss of life, and focus on the safe return of the hostages, remember we are stronger together, and that we continue to care for, respect, support and value each other.

As you prepare for the weekend, try to build some time in to get outside and enjoy the Fall weather. That will help you focus more clearly on your studies and come back refreshed, ready to take on the next week and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Embracing Change and Finding Your Cheese: Week of May 19, 2023

 

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

Good morning on a beautiful Spring morning from our Elkins Park campus. We look forward to welcoming our Board of Trustees on Monday for our quarterly board meeting and celebrating our newest graduates on Thursday during Spring commencement at the Kimmel Cultural Campus. Other things we’re celebrating:

HONORING THE NYMAN BROTHERS: Colleagues, friends and family gathered last weekend to honor the contributions of Neal and Jeffrey Nyman and the creation of the Nyman Brothers Legacy Scholarship at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University. Our own Susan “Dr. O” Oleszewski, OD ‘76, Resident ‘78, FAAO, provided an inside and humorous look at the legacy of the Nymans at PCO/Salus which was filled with “a little bit of truth, a little bit of fun and a lot of love.” To read the story and see the video of Dr. O’s presentation, click here.

LIGHTHOUSE AWARD WINNER: Speaking of Dr. Oleszewski, the foundress of our Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) charity initiative is being named the 2023 Lighthouse Award winner by our Alumni Association in recognition of her four decades of service to PCO/Salus. The Lighthouse Award is given to leaders who are beacons of light and sources of strength in the community in which they live, work, and serve above and beyond their occupations. She will be presented with the award at the annual event on Nov. 11, 2023. Congratulations Dr. O on a well-deserved honor! Read more here.

RENOVATION UPDATE: During the planning stages of our first-floor South renovation of our Elkins Park campus, project manager Amie Leighton, RA, LEED AP, realized the plans needed to be welcoming and accessible to the whole community. So, she reached out to Dr. Fabiana Perla, our Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) department chair, for some recommendations. Read more here about how BLVS’s expert suggestions improved the final design plans.

OFF THEY GO: The University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) hosted its externship celebration May 2 for current third-year students, who are moving to clinical sites across the country for the entirety of their fourth year. The reception is an annual tradition — complete with a champagne toast and chocolate covered strawberries — to properly send off the third-year Doctor of Audiology students to their externships. Click here to read more.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As our discussions with Drexel unfold, I recently reread Dr. Spencer Johnson’s “Who Moved My Cheese,” a modern parable for managing change. The book describes 4 personas: Hem, a character fearful of change and reticent to embrace change; Haw, who is initially fearful but ultimately embraces change and realizes the great benefits of doing so; Scurry, a mouse that just simply runs off looking for opportunities without much thought; and Sniff, another mouse that is able to sniff out opportunities and capitalize on them as they are found.

I asked myself, “which of these characters am I?” The truth is all four personas exist in each of us simultaneously. Uncertainty and change can feel scary and difficult. It’s so much easier to fall into the regular patterns and habits we develop that form a sense of safety and security.

As we look into the future of healthcare higher education, change is accelerating. By anticipating and monitoring small changes, we can adapt more quickly and enjoy the excitement that can with change. Choosing this approach leads to greater happiness in the long run. What a relevant and important lesson to embrace while we contemplate our future.

To our students who are preparing to graduate next week, I encourage you to embrace the changes that inevitably are coming your way; get outside of your comfort zones and seize the opportunities that will present themselves, as you’ll know where they might lead. As we consider what a relationship with Drexel might look like, I encourage the rest of us to embrace the transformational possibilities that exist for our students, faculty and staff. Our cheese will move because change is inevitable. Let’s anticipate change together and capitalize on all the great possibilities that will come with finding new cheese.

Have a great weekend! I’ll be running the Upper Dublin Triathlon on Sunday so you know where I’ll be! Look out for one another, think about how changes in your lives can make you happier and come back next week SALUS STRONG!

-Mike