Addressing Climate Change: Week of September 30, 2022

 

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

Greetings from our Elkins Park campus on a cloudy Fall morning! It’s been another busy week on campus where our students have been learning new clinical skills, going to lectures and caring for our patients in our clinics. In addition to our campus activities, here are some things that may also be of interest to you:

VISUALLY IMPAIRED SUBWAY TRAVEL: Our Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) Department engaged in a subway travel lesson this summer as a part of its Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Techniques course. Click here for details as student Suha Almusa O&M ‘22 explains more about navigating subway travel as an individual with visual impairment.

CLASS OF 2023 RESIDENT: Alisha Musau, OD, Resident ‘23 was a biology major at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Although she knew she wanted to be in healthcare, she wasn’t quite sure which path she wanted to pursue. A routine eye exam and conversation with her optometrist set her on a career path to optometry, and now she’s one of our newest residents. Read more about Dr. Musau here. 

ARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH SJU: We’re excited to announce our first articulation agreement with Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) making it easier for qualified SJU students to achieve a masters of science in our College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER) Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program. For details of the agreement, click here.

DEPRESSION SCREENINGS: National Depression Screening Day is Thursday, Oct. 6. Our Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) is offering free, brief depression screenings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in its offices (W300 B,C,E) that day. Walk-ins are welcome.

GIVING WEEK: Join us for the Annual Salus Giving Week, October 2-8, 2022, by supporting funding for student scholarships, capital improvements, and community outreach. Your donation enables us to continue providing high-quality education to all of our students and underserved communities in the Philadelphia area. For more information, click here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we prepare to experience the remnants of Hurricane Ian this weekend, with forecasts of tropical rainstorms locally, please keep those in Florida, where the storm has already left a path of death and destruction in the southwestern part of the state in your thoughts and prayers. As Ian heads toward the Carolinas and into our region, it brings into clear focus the effects of climate change on our environment. We can expect stronger, more frequent storms like this one, and we need to be prepared. Climate change presents a clear and present challenge to those of us who are responsible for the maintenance of public health in our society. As healthcare providers, many of us will need to be prepared to diagnose and treat more water and vector-borne diseases such as West Nile fever and antibiotic resistant infections. Now is the time to ensure that the next generation of health care professionals are prepared to effectively care for patients and clients under their charge. The CDC provides guidance on both what we can do and what is needed. I encourage you to become knowledgeable and active in broader efforts to strengthen and invest in our public health infrastructure.

Please keep all affected by the hurricane in your thoughts and prayers over the weekend. Please be careful, especially if you are out and about tomorrow, as we are forecasted to get significant rainfall. This could be a great weekend to curl up with your study notes or a good book! No matter what you do, please keep in mind that what you do off campus affects all of us on campus, so continue to follow CDC masking guidelines and stay on the alert for symptoms of Monkeypox if you believe you’ve been exposed.

Stay safe, look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Celebrating Our Summer Enrichment Program: Week of June 11th, 2021

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

Greetings from a very busy Elkins Park campus where our hot and muggy weather is finally gone, although it’s a bit soggy this morning! We have our summer cohort of Blindness and Low Vision Studies students on campus for their face-to-face learning experience in addition to students from all our other programs. It’s fun watching our BLVS students navigate around with their blinders and canes. In addition to this, here are some other activities that will be of interest to you:

THE COLLEGE TOUR: We had a great time last night at the launch party for the Salus segment of The College Tour, a TV series produced by Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning producers featuring individual episodes on colleges and universities across the country. Special thanks to Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams for serving as our Mistress of Ceremonies and to Alexis Abate and her communications team for putting the event together. I’d also like to thank the stars of the show, those students and faculty who made the production come to life, for sharing their stories with all of us. The evening included a viewing of the show, which streams on Amazon Prime and Roku, a meet-and-greet with the “stars”, refreshments and a DJ. To read more about The College Tour experience, go to salus.edu/TheCollegeTour.

OTI DIRECTOR: Brianna Brim, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy, has been named director of the Occupational Therapy Institute (OTI), located at The Eye Institute. James Konopack, PhD, dean of the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER) made the announcement this week. Brianna brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, legislative and advocacy leadership, interprofessional education, and a strong record of scholarship and student mentorship to OTI. Congratulations Brianna! I know the OTI will be in great hands!

SPECIAL RECOGNITION: I’d like to extend our congratulations to Joel Silbert, OD ‘73, FAAO, former director of the Contact Lens Program and former chief of the Cornea and Specialty Contact Lens Service at TEI, who was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Optometric Contact Lens Educators (AOCLE); and to Brooke Kruemmling, PhD, COMS, Associate Provost, who was presented with the Salus coin on June 2 in recognition of her leadership on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. 

FACULTY FOCUS: This week’s Faculty Focus features Christine McCormick, MS, MMS, PA-C, an assistant professor in the University’s Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program. Find out how she went from wanting to be a professional dancer to becoming a PA and which Disney character “influenced” her wedding dress. To read more, go here.

SLP PODCAST SERIES: The next installment of our podcast series about the Speech-Language Pathology program at Salus University features department chair and program director Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, as he speaks with a clinical educator and three students about about their field experience in the preschool setting. To listen to the podcast, click here.

ARTICULATION AGREEMENT: Salus University and Manhattan College recently signed an articulation agreement creating a pathway for Manhattan College students to earn their master’s degrees in occupational therapy. Under the agreement, students who gain admission into Salus via the 4+2 program will be able to complete their Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree program in two years. Read more about it here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: On Monday we will be welcoming 15 students into our revitalized Robert E. Horne Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) thanks to a very generous grant from America’s Best/National Vision Inc. The initial SEP was developed by Dean Robert Horne in 1977. It was funded by a government grant to support, “disadvantaged students”. Since then, the mission of the program has shifted to help assure that Salus continues to attract talented students of color who want to pursue health professions. As a testimony to the success of the SEP program, Pennsylvania College of Optometry remains one of the most diverse optometric programs in the country with the largest black student enrollment. Of note, while PCO may be number one, we still have a great deal of work to do to ensure that all of our programs, to include optometry, are representative of those communities we live and work in.

Finally, I want to once again, address the importance of getting vaccinated. As we survey our current student body as well as incoming students, while we’re doing fairly well, we are not at levels I would expect a university specializing in the health sciences to be. If any of you who have not yet gotten vaccinated and need to get more information about these very safe and effective vaccines, here are some links you can reference: The Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), WebMD, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, to name just a few. Additionally, the Black Doctors Consortium has been extremely successful in decreasing vaccine hesitancy amongst the African American community in Philadelphia. You can learn more about their efforts here. Keeping the Salus community healthy and safe is our primary concern. Because we also work closely with patients and clients, we have an additional responsibility to keep them safe, as well as protect ourselves and our loved ones. Thus, it is our expectation that unless people have a medical or religious reason not to get vaccinated, they do the right thing and get the jab. Please, if you’re not vaccinated do it now. As you prepare for this weekend, try to get out and enjoy the nice weather. If you are unvaccinated, wear your mask when indoors or outside around others. Please watch out for one another and stay SALUS STRONG!

Key to Ending This Pandemic: Week of February 5th, 2021

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

Good morning from a very picturesque Elkins Park campus. Even with the snow storm shutting us down for two days earlier this week, we maintained our virtual classroom work and are now our students, faculty and staff have been busy playing a little catch-up in labs and clinics.

Here’s what else has been happening around campus:

NEW ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS: We’ve recently signed articulation agreements that will benefit college students who want to pursue several in-demand healthcare professions. These partnerships give qualified undergraduate students special consideration for admission, including reserved seats (if they meet admission requirements), under new agreements with Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, and Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Read more at salus.edu/TwoArticulations.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features James Komorinik, OD ‘’17. Find out how Salus University prepared him to become a professional and the details surrounding his early career success by going to salus.edu/JamesKomornik.

NEWS FROM NORRISTOWN SITE: Check out the latest update on our Norristown Federally Qualified Health Center site, the Norristown Regional Health Center, where Luis Trujillo, OD ‘09, Pediatric Resident ‘12, trains PCO/Salus students to learn to help their patients without saying a word. To read more, just click here.

BUILDING RESILIENCE: Join Ryan Hollister, MS (BCSC), associate director, Bennett Career Services Center at Salus and Molly Marcus, PsyD (CPPD), a counselor from the University’s Center for Personal and Professional Development, for a webinar discussing resilience, mindfulness and strategies for remaining positive and persevering through difficult times at noon Wednesday, Feb. 17. The virtual event will also focus on how resilience applies to the job search process. All students are invited and encouraged to attend this event. You can register here.

OPTOMETRIC GRAND ROUNDS: The next Grand Rounds at The Eye Institute (TEI) will be from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12. The topic will be an update on “Management of Diabetic Retinopathy” presented by Dr. Joshua Greene. For more information about Grand Rounds, click here.

WORKOUT BLOCK TIMES: Workout block times at the Hafter Center have been pushed back 15 minutes, now beginning at 6:45 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m. They are still one-hour long with 15 minutes in between workout blocks in order to clean and disinfect the equipment. You must make a reservation before you arrive at the Fitness Center. You can do this by selecting the “Book Class” tab in either the PTFitWorks app or on the salus.ptminder website. You can reserve up to five days in advance.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I wanted share some thoughts concerning the importance of people getting one of the COVID-19 vaccines. Wednesday evening, a couple of us had the opportunity to hear Dr. Drew Weissman, one of two University of Pennsylvania researchers responsible for the development of the mRNA technology used to develop the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, speak about the attributes of the new vaccines. Dr. Weissman noted that while this mRNA vaccines sound new to most people, the technology has actually been around for over ten years. He also stressed how safe, inexpensive and effective these new vaccines are. He noted that mRNA is a non-infectious agent and it does not affect one’s DNA, so there is no potential risk of infection nor can it cause cancer. Another advantage of this technology is the ability to make adjustments to vaccines, such as combat new strains of the virus relatively quickly.

Even with the threat of serious illness or even death from COVID-19, there are large segments of our population that refuse to take the vaccine for numerous reasons. Many think the process went too quickly, others, understandably, don’t trust the government and some have always been against vaccines, the anti-vaxxers. From a public health perspective, vaccines are one of the safest and most effective ways we have to combat infectious disease. They have had an incredible impact on reducing the overall burden of disease across the globe. Yet, there are those who just refuse to take them. These new vaccines have been shown to be 100% effective against serious disease and hospitalizations. They can save your life.

Experts tell us that if we’re ever going to get control of our lives again and reach a level of herd immunity, between 70 – 80% of the population needs to be vaccinated. As of yesterday, only 8.5% (28M people) of the U.S. population has received one dose and less than 2.1% (6.9M people) has received their second dose of one of the COVID 19 vaccines. I realize there is currently a limited supply of vaccine, but I’m also hopeful, especially as the Johnson and Johnson vaccine comes on line, that will change over the next several weeks. As availability permits, it will be imperative for as many as possible to get vaccinated as soon as practical. Once current supply and deployment challenges do get resolved, as healthcare professionals, we will need to set the example and get vaccinated as soon as we can. (We will continue to provide updated information regarding Montgomery and Philadelphia appointments as we receive it.) We also have a responsibility to ensure that whenever we have the opportunity to educate others about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, we do so. Unless enough people take these miraculous vaccines, the virus will continue to spread.

So, as you prepare for some time off this weekend, please think about who in your circles might be reticent to take the COVID vaccine and see what you can do to positively influence them to change their minds. Our public health depends on it. Once you are vaccinated, it will be important to continue to social distance, wear your double face mask and wash your hands frequently. Tomorrow, Tanis and I will receive our second dose of the Moderna vaccine. Even after that, we don’t plan to change our current practices of socially distancing and wearing our double facemasks when around others until more folks have been vaccinated and the experts tell us it’s safe to do so.

As we navigate these choppy waters, please continue to be safe, stay healthy and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

A Busy Week on Campus: Week of November 1st

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

Earlier this week, Dr. Aravamudhan met with OCA alumni from the distance education program at the Canadian Academy of Audiology conference. Alumni were excited to discuss how the AuD Bridge program has helped them to increase their confidence in the services they provide and the breadth of their practice. 

Today is going to be a very busy day on campus!  This morning, it’s my pleasure to be hosting representatives from Cedar Crest College in celebration of our new articulation agreement. To learn more about the agreement, visit salus.edu/ccc.

We’ll also be hosting State Representatives Steve McCarter and Jordan Harris on campus.  My intent with all of these visits is to educate our legislators about our programs and the importance of all of our providers being able to practice at the level they’re taught.  We are also attempting to have the legislature reinstate funding for us that would help to offset tuition and some of the indigent care we provide at our various clinics.  None of this is a “given”.  It takes a great deal of time and effort to gain the support of our legislators.  That’s true as we talk about scope of practice or line items on the budget.  Hence, the importance of all of us interacting with our elected officials to ensure they know the importance of their support.

Carlos Rodriguez, Director of Safety and Security, will be hosting an Emergency Preparedness Training session today at 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in S305B. If you’re available, please attend this important training so you can learn how to be better prepared in the event there is an emergency on campus. 

There will also be an AccessMatters Presentation today from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in S305A that will provide education on important topics related to personal sexual and reproductive health and will also provide ways to remain patient and client-centered and avoid the “white coat syndrome” when discussing these issues with patients. 

Tomorrow night is a special night as we celebrate our 13th Annual Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) charity fundraiser. This year, we are proud to honor Alan Lindy as the 2019 Lighthouse Award Recipient for his long standing relationship with and commitment to recognizing the value and importance of quality vision care to ensure academic success for school-age children. If you're interested in attending, it's not too late, tickets are still available for purchase! Or if you would like to make a donation, please visit salus.edu/lofk.

On Sunday, Salus University and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) will be hosting a reception and panel discussion at the annual meeting and expo for the American Public Health Association (APHA). Spearheaded by Dr. Tony Di Stefano, the reception will be in collaboration with Vision Care Section (VCS) as they celebrate their 40th anniversary. Hosted at the largest and most influential gathering of public health professionals, the reception is a great opportunity to explore a variety of IPE opportunities in public health.

On Tuesday, we will be hosting another Centennial Tour stop in Pittsburgh, Pa. Held at the Federal Galley on Children’s Way, I look forward to seeing some of our alumni and friends out there. After Pittsburgh, we only have two more stops on our tour! See where we’re headed next at salus.edu/centennial-tour.

Next Thursday, Nov. 7, we will be celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI). PEI has grown so much over the last 15 years and I’d like to thank the entire Salus community for playing a part in its success throughout the years. It truly is a team effort and we’re excited to see where the next 15+ years take us. Come and celebrate this momentous occasion on the fourth floor lobby of the north building from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. To register for the event, click here.   

It's November and the weather is changing, so please try to get outside and enjoy what’s left of the fall leaves.  Enjoy the weekend and have some fun.  Looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday!

Mike