The Importance of Advocacy: Week of April 19, 2024

 

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

I hope everyone had a productive week as we get ready for the final stretch of our Spring Semester. Many are preparing for clinical exams as well as finals. Commencement is right around the corner!

 Here are some things I hope you find of interest:

MATCH DAY: It was Match Day – when Doctor of Optometry graduate students find out where they’ve been matched for their yearlong residencies – and Daniel Hoffman ‘24OD had settled into his lunch break with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. This was the day he would find out where he was matched for his residency program. Read more here about the anticipation and nervousness that Match Day brings.

AUDIOLOGY EXTERNS SENDOFF: The University’s Doctor of Audiology Class of 2025 is unique for a couple of reasons. First, members came into the program during the pandemic; and second, the Class of 2025 will graduate next year in the 25th year of the program’s inception which was initially launched in 2000. For now, though, they’re all headed to externships. Read more about their sendoff celebration here.

DEI EDUCATES!: Many of you will remember that the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and its committee hosted two virtual Safe Zone Trainings through the DEI Educates! program in 2023. We have invited facilitators, Stan Kimer and Deanna Jones, to join us again, given their educational and engaging session last year. We are offering two virtual training sessions on April 30 and May 8. You only need to attend one session in its entirety. Please click here to register for your desired training session. The Zoom link will be shared with registrants the week of the training.

‘THE ART OF HEALING’: Jana Walker, LSW, a counselor in the University’s Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), has been interested in psychotherapy and spirituality for more than 20 years. And now, she has brought those two things together in a new book called “The Art of Healing.” Click here to read more.

MORE CLINICAL OPPORTUNITIES: The Drexel University College of Medicine has recently secured more opportunities for the clinical education of our medical students. The University’s longstanding academic medical campus affiliation with Bayhealth Medical Center in Delaware has been expanded. It will serve as a new regional medical campus for the College of Medicine beginning at the start of this 2024-2025 academic year. Read more here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend the American Optometric Association’s annual Federal Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC. The goal of the summit is to bring optometric leaders and students up to speed on key legislative issues facing the profession. Groups of optometrists and optometry students are assigned to their district legislators to lobby on behalf of the profession.

This year, we focused on four key areas:

1. Putting Patients and Doctors back in control of their healthcare decisions by passing the Dental and Optometric Care (DOC) Access Act which would combat abusive practices in the federally regulated vision and dental plan coverage markets.
2. Asking Congress to take action to stop Medicare pay cuts to optometry and other professions.
3. Ensuring that the over 1000 optometrists working at the Department of Veterans Affairs are permitted to practice at their highest level of training and licensure to assure veterans have access to full-scope eyecare wherever they are seen and ensuring VA optometrists are paid at the same level as physicians, dentists and podiatrists.
4. Reining in abusive contact lens seller practices by regulating contact lens verification robocalls from companies which too often lead to patients receiving a different device than what was originally prescribed.

I was asked to join several groups that visited the offices of Congresswomen Dean and Congressman Fitzpatrick. Both representatives were extremely supportive and sensitive to the issues we raised.

These interactions are so important, since all our professions are regulated through legislation, most often at the state level. It is extremely important for all of our students, in each of our professions, to learn about the legislative process and get involved as early as possible. This process governs the scope, safety and remuneration of our professions. I remember juggling my schedule when I was a student to do just that. Those were the days where we were fighting for the right to use therapeutic drugs, something we all take for granted today. The four issues we addressed this week touch on the same types of issues we had to confront over forty years ago. While the names of the issues may change, groups will always be out there attempting to erode or restrict what you’ve been taught to do for your patients. Hence, it is essential that you become actively engaged in advocacy for your profession.

As you prepare for the weekend, please remember to look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG! Below are a few photos from the DC meeting:

-Mike

Addressing Stress In Our Lives: Week of February 24, 2023

 

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

Good morning on a beautiful winter morning from our Elkins Park campus. It’s been another very productive and busy week on campus. On Wednesday we were honored to host Rosemont College President Jim Cawley along with their academic leaders to work on pathways for Rosemont students to gain admission to Salus. It was exciting to hear the abundance of great ideas and to see relationships being built. In addition to all these activities, here are some other items of interest:

WELCOMING AN INTERIM PROVOST: Dr. Gerard (Gerry) O’Sullivan will be joining Salus University as Interim Provost effective March 1, 2023. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in higher education. We are thrilled to have him join our team!

NEW BOT MEMBERS: We are delighted to welcome Eskedar Getahun, Daniel Liberman and William McCune to our Salus University Board of Trustees effective January 2023. Collectively they bring tremendous experience and expertise. We are so excited to have their leadership. Read more about them here.

SAFE ZONE TRAINING: The first of two Safe Zone Training sessions, hosted by the University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the DEI committee, will be held today from noon to 2 p.m. The second session will be on April 18. All are encouraged to attend. Click here to register and for more information.

CAPSTONE CHALLENGE: For her Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Capstone Project, Chrislyn Cabonilas, MMS ’22, chose the topic “Can hormone replacement therapy decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease in women?” Click here to find out what she discovered.

LEARNING STYLE SCREENING: Please stop by the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) at W300B, C, E for a learning style screening event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Feb 27. Screenings are brief and free. Walk-ins welcome. Students are encouraged to stop by to chat with the counselors and receive more information about counseling services and learning styles. Two goodie bags will be raffled off to those who stop in and fill out a screening form.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Today our city mourns the loss of Temple Police Officer Christopher Fitzgerald, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Once again, our community has been rocked by senseless gun violence. Our hearts and prayers are with Officer Fitzgerald’s family, colleagues and the Temple University community.

Last week I wrote about the epidemic of loneliness, despair and pessimism about the future of our country, that was cited by the Surgeon General, and the importance of human connection. I believe the tragic death of Officer Fitzpatrick and many other violent acts -- that we hear about almost daily, find their roots in the Surgeon General’s concerns.

Everyone in our Salus community is acutely aware of stress, whether it be from our busy schedules, family issues or everything else swirling around us in the world. To that end, I want to remind you of some strategies and tools that help:

Stay focused on your studies - Keep up with your learning and try not to fall behind. Not only is focusing on school a great break from focusing on what’s going on in the world, it’s also a way to progress in your life while everything else seems like it’s on pause.

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 some new classmates or the people you miss seeing every day. If you have children, limit their use of social media and monitor it frequently.

Develop a routine you can maintain - Sounds basic, but it makes a world of difference. Get up, make your bed (now you’ve accomplished at least one thing!), do some exercise, have breakfast, etc.

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

Get outside – There are so many places around us that you can go and safely walk around in nature to clear your mind and get some exercise.

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

These strategies support focus, health and optimism, which is the most difficult task. We have skilled counselors in our Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) who are there for you. All you need to do is make an appointment here.

As we prepare for the weekend, this up-and-down weather will be leaving us much colder on Saturday and then warmer on Sunday. Try to get out and enjoy the fresh air! Be safe, continue to remain vigilant concerning the prevention of COVID and other illnesses which are still going around so you can remain SALUS STRONG! Have a great weekend!

-Mike

Starting Our Strategic Planning Refresh: Week of February 18th, 2022

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

Good morning on a cool, windy morning in Elkins Park. It’s been another busy week on campus with many of our students preparing for practicals and other tests and changing clinical rotations. All of the moves from last week are now complete with renovations beginning in earnest in the West building, paving the way for the construction of our new Orthotics and Prosthetics and Activities of Daily Living labs. It will be great to have all of our academic programs situated centrally. Our COVID positivity numbers remain extremely low with zero cases reported over the past couple of weeks. Thank you for all you’ve done to help keep us healthy and safe!

Here are some other items of interest:

TOP JOBS: We are extremely proud that several of the professions in which Salus University trains are once again among the top 100 jobs in the nation for 2022 as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. Check out the rankings here. 

DEI SPEAKS!: Our next DEI Speaks! event will be from noon to 1 p.m. today featuring David X. Marquez, PhD, Professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition and Director of the Exercise Psychology Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Marquez's talk, “Importance of Culture in Addressing the Health of Latino/a/XS,” will provide perspective and relevance, given the current national conversation on how social determinants of health impact Brown and Black communities. The Office of DEI and White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL), student organization, are co-sponsoring the event.

EATING DISORDER AWARENESS: Did you know that eating disorders affect at least 9 percent of the population? Within this general population, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), gay men, people with larger bodies, and transgender individuals are less likely to be identified as and treated for eating disorders. Please tune in to CPPD's social media accounts (IG: CPPD Salus; FB: Center for Personal and Professional Development at Salus University) for more information pertaining to disordered eating during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Feb. 21-27. CPPD's Dr. Tami April-Davis will be handing out psychoeducational information (and treats) outside the cafe from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23. CPPD is also using Black History Month as an opportunity to highlight black mental health accounts on IG. Check out CPPD's weekday IG stories for these highlights. 

STUDENT NETWORKING SERIES: Registration began this week for the second session of the Student Networking Series scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, where we will explore the Pennsylvania Occupation Therapy Association (POTA) scholarship application process. The session will be led by Dr. Lauren Sponseller, PhD, OTD, MSOTR/L, MEd, chair of the Occupational Therapy department at Salus University, and facilitated by our student liaison, Ashley Boyd. Dr. Sponseller has served as a member of the POTA Student Scholarship Committee and as a reviewer of Student Scholarship Applications in 2021. The session is free for POTA members and $10 for non-members. Use this link to register. 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features Kristin Kaplewicz, MSOT ‘20. Check out how Kristin incorporates her therapy dog, Syrah, into her work as an occupational therapist. Read more here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Thanks to all of those who attended our Salus Community Update meeting yesterday to discuss the next steps in updating our Strategic Plan. I’m looking forward to getting our focus groups together to hear your thoughts and help move our university forward. I also wanted to take the opportunity to once again thank all those who completed the Town Hall survey in advance of yesterday’s session. As I noted yesterday, I read every response you send, and I take each one to heart. Here are some of the themes that emerged from the survey that I wanted to share with those who may not have been able to attend yesterday’s meeting:

Staff turnover and employee retention. We have experienced very real staff turnover in TLS and at TEI, and we are taking this seriously. We are conducting a series of meetings across TLS staff and we'll be scheduling focus groups at TEI to learn more from you about what you're seeing, what's working and what's not. We’ve already made changes to our weekly hours for TEI staff and will be monitoring that closely. Please be in touch with me or my Chief of Staff or Human Resources if you'd like to share any concerns or suggestions. We know we can always do more to improve and welcome your constructive suggestions.

The recent move of administrative and academic offices to 8380. This move was required to make space for our new Orthotic and Prosthetics program as well as expand our Activities of Daily Living lab. In doing so, we thought it best to consolidate our teaching and learning spaces together to make it easier for students and faculty. Thanks, in part to a generous grant from the Commonwealth, we were able to accomplish this. Anyone with a Salus ID can easily access the administrative offices in the North building.

DEI. Establishing the office of DEI is an active recognition of the impact we and our emerging educators and healthcare practitioners have on the health and well-being of the thousands we serve. I encourage you to reach out to my special assistant, Dr J., if you have questions, suggestions or concerns.

Data on how students are doing. This is something we're all extremely interested in learning and tracking. Our Academic Assessment Committee is preparing a student survey to gather data on student performance, engagement and impacts of the pandemic. They'll share the results as soon as available.

For those issues we did not address, I encourage you to please reach out to me directly or to my Chief of Staff or Human Resources. We sincerely welcome your thoughts, comments and suggestions.

As you prepare for the weekend, while the COVID numbers are decreasing in our region, please continue to remain vigilant in your preventive measures by wearing a face mask when around others, socially distance when you can and wash your hands frequently. Also, please remember what you do off campus directly affects all of us on campus.

Have a great weekend. Please be safe, look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Keeping Pace With COVID: Week of January 14th, 2022

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

Greetings from a cold, cloudy Elkins Park campus. I would like to thank all of you for contributing to our enhanced mitigation strategies across our clinics and campus to improve everyone’s safety. Together we are successfully implementing: our vaccination booster requirement, upgraded mask requirement, MERV13 filtration systems, surveillance testing, de-densified spaces, and alternative teaching modalities. Check out the full list of updates on our COVID Protocol Summary Update page. You may wonder: “is all this working?” As of this week, our positivity rate is 2.3%. We can expect our rate to follow the region’s case trends. We will stay the course – listening to your feedback, monitoring changes in CDC guidance, and adjusting our Salus Safety Strategy accordingly. Additional efforts are underway:

• Booster Events. Sun Ray Drugs Chelten Avenue is holding booster events on Friday, January 21, 2022 at The Eye Institute from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Friday, January 28, 2022 at The Hafter Center, Elkins Park Campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Family members are welcome. Bring your vaccine card with both dates/doses; photo ID and insurance information, if applicable. Special thanks to Dr. Tracy Offerdahl for helping us to organize these.
• Register your booster. Our booster requirement is effective February 13th. Students can expect an email to upload their booster data. Faculty and staff can register their booster data here.
• 
  Outdoor Dining. Just off the Café at our Elkins Park campus, we have created an additional space to eat and relax. Check out the great heaters!
• Questions. Our Pandemic Safety Officer Brian Zuckerman is your single point of contact if you have questions regarding what to do if: you are exposed, develop symptoms, test positive or wonder when it is safe to return to campus and clinics. Email him at bzuckerman@salus.edu. We will also be issuing additional guidance early next week.

In other news:

DEI GETS A FACELIFT: Check out our new mission statement, logo and revised web page for the Office of DEI here.

NEW SLI DIRECTOR: The Speech Language Institute (SLI) of Salus University welcomes Kara Maharay, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, as director of Clinical Education. Read more about Kara here.

TOLAND SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: Taylor Frank is the 2021 Toland Memorial Scholarship winner. Read more about Taylor here.

FACULTY FOCUS: Click here to read about Anne Marie Ruckdeschel, MA, CCC-SLP, a clinical educator in the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: This week’s Staff Spotlight is on Cheryl Keslar, who works in our Finance department. Read more about Cheryl here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I am in awe of your abilities to roll with the many changes we’ve experienced throughout the pandemic. I am also aware this takes a great deal of mental and physical energy, and like me, you may also feel tired, frustrated and disheartened. We should be done with this pandemic!!! The pandemic will end, but in the meantime, we will continue to be vigilant and adaptable. The Marines have a term for this – Semper Gumby – Always flexible!

Guidance from official entities such as the CDC may appear confusing and difficult to follow. They are following the science, which also is constantly changing. With every adaptation, we are becoming smarter and more resilient. My best advice (which I try to follow myself) is to stay busy, try to eat healthy foods, get enough sleep and regular exercise. While this won’t curtail the pandemic, these habits help us all better cope with the stresses that come along with it.

Please continue to wear your masks when out and about, socially distance, wash your hands frequently and look out for one other. We are SALUS STRONG because of what you do every day to help keep us all healthy and safe! Thank you for that!

Mike

Help Thwart Misinformation Concerning Vaccines: Week of July 16th, 2021

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

Good morning from a warm and sticky Elkins Park Campus where we were just notified by the National Optometric Association that PCO/Salus was recognized as their University of the Year for our work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This recognition belongs to each and every one of us, but especially those who helped us to navigate some challenging waters along the way. There will be a formal recognition ceremony sometime in the Fall where we can recognize some of these individuals. In addition to learning that great news, here are some other things I wanted to make you aware of:

OT DIPLOMA DAY: We celebrated our most recent Occupational Therapy graduates with our first-ever OT Diploma Day this week. More than half the class returned to the on-campus ceremony to receive their diplomas. These young professionals are more than ready to meet the challenges they will encounter when they land their first jobs since every curveball that was thrown at them these past two years was overcome with grace and professionalism. I’m so proud of them. Look for a story on the event next week on our website.

BOARD CHAIR TRANSITION: As I mentioned last week, Rebecca Delia became our new board chair, taking over for longtime chair Jo Surpin, effective July 1, 2021. Here’s a story about Ms. Surpin reflecting on the board’s accomplishments during her tenure and Ms. Delia talking about her role moving forward. For details, click here.

POST-BACC PROGRAM ADDITION: Since its inception, students applying to the University’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program require specific prerequisite courses. In the past, those students would need to go somewhere else to fulfill this requirement. But starting this fall, that’s going to change. Prospective students will be able to obtain that coursework through the SLP track in the University’s Post-baccalaureate program. To read how that will set our program apart from others, click here.

FACULTY FOCUS: This week’s Faculty Focus is on Bre Myers, AuD ‘06, PhD ‘17, CH-AP. Read about Dr. Myers’ distinguished career at Salus, why she named her bulldog Scarlet and about her experience in the rough and tumble world of roller derby. Go to salus.edu/BreMyersFocus.

SLP MOVIE NIGHT: The Department of Speech-Language Pathology is hosting a movie night featuring the documentary “Magnolia’s Hope,” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, in Room S300 on the Elkins Park campus. The film is about a girl with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder that leads to severe impairments affecting nearly every aspect of her life. Following the film, the movie’s creator will join the group for a question-and-answer session.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Yesterday the Surgeon General of the United States issued an advisory warning the American Public about the threat of health misinformation. In the advisory, Dr. Vivek Murthy stated, “Health misinformation is an urgent threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, and undermine public health efforts, including our ongoing work to end the COVID-19 pandemic”. As we attempt to get more of our population vaccinated, this issue becomes more critical as data suggests over 65% of unvaccinated adults have heard at least one of these COVID vaccine myths and either believed it to be true or were not sure how valid it was (KFF website, May, 2021). Unfortunately, an analysis of social media posts found that false news stories were 70% more likely to be shared than true stories (Science, 2018). As healthcare professionals, it’s our responsibility to ensure that we are giving our patients and clients fact-based information concerning these vaccines. It’s also our responsibility to get vaccinated and set the example for others. Given the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the virus, even with all this misinformation being purposefully distributed, I’m totally amazed that there are people who still refuse to get the jab. It makes no sense, especially since COVID-19 is now a preventable disease with the vaccine.

To that end, I want to remind everyone that our deadline for being fully vaccinated, unless you have an approved exemption, for all students, faculty and staff, is August 13th. If you are not fully vaccinated at that time, you will be asked to show proof of a negative test that was performed that week at your own expense. You will then have to provide proof of negative tests weekly, at your own expense, in order to come on to campus. You will also be required to wear a face mask at all times when on campus and in the clinics, even with a negative test result. Faculty and staff, please ensure that you have reported your vaccination status in our vaccination database. It is essential that we keep our vaccination data current. Students, you will be contacted by Castlebranch to provide your vaccination information in the near future.

Maintaining a safe Salus campus is paramount to getting us back to normal academic and clinical operations this Fall. Having us all vaccinated gets us there! We’ve done so well until now, let’s keep it going!

As we approach the weekend, please remember to keep doing all the important things we’ve been doing to get us through the pandemic to include frequent hand washing and not coming to work, school or clinic if you are not feeling well. Also, if you’re not vaccinated, please wear a face mask when around others and for those of us who are vaccinated, you should feel comfortable wearing a face mask whenever you feel it’s needed.

Stay safe, stay hydrated and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Gun Violence is a Public Health Emergency: Week of March 26th, 2021

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

Good morning from our nation’s capital where I am here to attend the bi-annual meeting of the Department of Veteran Affair’s Special Medical Advisory Group meeting, of which I am a member. One nice advantage of being down in DC for the meeting is I get to jog along the National Mall and around many of the monuments, which was a nice treat this morning. The cherry blossoms are even starting to bloom! While I’m down here, there is much happening around campus:

DEI FORUM ADDRESSING PERSPECTIVES ON RACISM & HATE FOR ASIAN AMERICANS: I want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Mosley-Williams for organizing a very informative and timely panel discussion that focused on the most recent violence against the Asian American population in our country. Very special thanks to forum panelists Salus Board member Joyce Koh, JD; Salus partner, Ken Wong; and Chestnut Hill College professor and psychologist, Bindu Methikalam, PhD for your very personal insights and thoughts. For those who did not have a chance to see this, please click here and insert the following password: mFUZkbp5 to access the recording of the session.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: An historic number of women at Salus University have taken on top leadership positions. They sit on the President’s Council and the Board of Trustees. They all have come ready to help lead Salus and its clinical facilities. In honor of Women’s History Month, meet a few of the University’s women in leadership. Click here to read more. 

LIGHTHOUSE AWARD WINNER: This year’s recipient of the Looking Out for Kids 2021 “Lighthouse Award” is TD Bank. We are thrilled to honor the bank with this award. Our relationship is more than just one of a business association, as the bank has genuinely become partners with us on many fronts. To read more about the bank’s commitment to Salus and its communities, go here. The University’s 14th annual LOFK fundraiser, held virtually this year, will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1. To purchase virtual tickets or VIP reception boxes online, visit our website here.

LENA START GRANT: Salus University’s Department of Speech-Language Pathology has been awarded a one-time grant from the LENA Foundation to Launch LENA Start, a parent program that uses regular feedback from LENA's "talk pedometer" technology to help increase interactive communication in order to close the early-talk gap, improve school readiness, and build stronger families. Read more here.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features Emily Swavely, MS ’17, who now works as a speech therapist at an elementary school in the Owen J. Roberts School District in the Pottstown, Pennsylvania, area. To read more, go here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As I read the paper, listened to the news and walked around Washington last evening, I could not get the thoughts of the most recent gun violence out of my mind. While, unfortunately, this is nothing new in our country, it is something that must be addressed. While there are myriad causes for this epidemic that include mental health conditions, poverty, and many of the social determinants of health, there are some things that can and should be done to make it more difficult for those who shouldn’t have firearms to get one. In our country, just this year alone, there were 107 mass shootings (defined as 4 or more victims), 122 people killed, 325 injured, for a total of 447 total victims, including the shooters in some instances.

According to a recent New York Times article, guns account for over 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S. This includes homicides, suicides and accidents. While gun violence, such as mass shootings and other homicides tend to get all the press attention, the fact remains that over 50% of these deaths are from suicide. No matter how you look at it, deaths attributed to guns represent a public health emergency.

If you compare the U.S. to other developed countries (see chart), you will find, not surprisingly, that the number of guns that are civilian-owned directly relate to the number of gun deaths. What stands out is just how many more guns are owned in the U.S. compared to other developed countries. If we are to begin to curb this very disturbing trend, we need a multi-pronged approach that includes funding for mental health initiatives, enhanced suicide prevention initiatives, enacting effective gun control laws such as universal background checks, barring people with a history of mental illness and domestic violence from purchasing guns and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines for starters. I raise this issue not to make a political statement, but rather to raise your awareness as healthcare professionals. Gun violence is a public health emergency. We all have a responsibility to recognize it as such and to do what we can to influence public policy to help turn this around.

As you think about all this, I hope you can get out and enjoy some of the good weather we’re having. Please stay safe, continue to wear your double face mask when around others, socially distance and wash your hands frequently.

You are SALUS STRONG because of your commitment to helping others improve their lives.

Mike

Addressing Health Inequities: Week of February 12th, 2021

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

Good morning from a rather chilly and snow-covered Elkins Park campus. We continue to have busy weeks with our students and faculty engaged in mask-to-mask, in-person classes, clinical labs (with some practical exams this week) and virtual classwork, in addition to direct care, clinical training here at Elkins Park as well as East Oak Lane and Chestnut Hill.

MORE THAN JUST OPTOMETRY: It wasn’t all academics all the time for Arieneh Tahmasian, OD ’17 and James Komornik, OD ’17 when they were students at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University. Check out our website Sunday for a special Valentine’s Day love story about how Drs. Tahmasian and Komornik met at Salus, fell in love, got married and are now pursuing successful careers as optometrists.

UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND MICRO-AGGRESSION PRESENTATION: I’m looking forward to a Zoom presentation from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, called “Unconscious Bias & Microaggression in the Healthcare Setting” by Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams, PhD, our Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Dr. Mosley-Williams will talk about those topics as they relate to both clinicians and patients in the healthcare environment.

TOP JOBS: We found out recently that four of the professions that Salus trains its students to enter rank among the “100 Best Jobs of 2021” according to U.S. News and World Report — Physician Assistant (PA) at No. 1, Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at No. 7, Occupational Therapist (OT) at No. 19 and Optometrist at No. 48. Read more about how and why those professions were among the best at salus.edu/TopJobs. 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” features Sara Reuss, MS ‘17, CLVT, an Orientation and Mobility specialist at the Nebraska Center for the Education of Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, a school in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Read more about how Sara’s career is progressing at salus.edu/SaraReuss.

FINAL THOUGHTS: We have all been going through many of ups and downs over the past 11 months since the pandemic entered our world. It’s been an unsettling time between frequent discouraging and conflicting news about the pandemic, a vaccine finally being available but inconsistent in distribution, the racial and social unrest that shook the country during the summer, the presidential campaign, insurrection on the Capitol, and now a second impeachment trial for our former president. I think most folks will look back, and with the exception of possibly the Civil War and World Wars I & II, and describe these last 11 months as some of the most turbulent in our history.

These hard times affect us nationally and locally, especially regarding COVID-19 and the Black community. The highest COVID-19 rates of infections, hospitalizations and deaths have been in the Black population of Philadelphia, followed closely by Latinos (Philadelphia Dept of Public Health, 2020). Now as vaccines begin to be distributed across the region, of those vaccinated at Philadelphia health facilities, 43% were white, 12% were Black, 10% were Asian American and 10% reported their race as “other” (Philadelphia Dept of Pubic Health, 2021). That’s pretty disheartening when you know that 44% of Philadelphia’s population is Black, 34% white, 15% Hispanic and 8% Asian American. As I noted last week, some of the challenges with getting people to take the vaccine are related to the high degree of mistrust in the government and vaccine approval process.

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, it’s incumbent upon us to familiarize ourselves with these data, as difficult as that might be, and determine how we can all work together to help improve these health inequities that stem from hundreds of years of racial discrimination and injustices, systemic poverty, as well as a societal blind spot that must be unmasked. As healthcare professionals, while we cannot directly address many of the contributing systemic social determinants of health, we certainly can work to address those health inequities that have resulted in limited access to quality healthcare that has resulted in increased morbidities and mortalities over the years.

At Salus we have a responsibility to the communities we serve. Helping everyone to receive high quality and compassionate care within our clinical facilities as well as in others is a core tenet of our Credo. I ask that we all spend some time this weekend thinking about our Salus community can help to positively impact those systemic issues others have lived with for generations. We have so much to give through our educational and clinical outreach.

Stay safe, continue to social distance, wear your face mask (two are better than one) and wash your hands frequently. We are SALUS STRONG and this is our time to help make other lives better!

Mike

Academic and Clinical Activities: Week of January 29th, 2021

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

Good morning from a rather frigid Elkins Park campus! I hope everyone is staying warm and safe. Even with the cold weather upon us, our campus has been a hotbed of activity between clinical labs, some face-to-face lectures, virtual teaching and learning and busy clinics. In addition to the academic and clinical activities occurring on campus, we’ve also been busy with other events.

ADVOCACY FOR COVID RELIEF & FINANCIAL AID EQUITY: As most of you know, Salus has been the beneficiary of the two prior COVID relief bills passed by Congress. Those additional funds have helped to offset student expenses as well as purchase PPE, Return to Learn and other COVID testing and help to offset our clinical income losses. New COVID relief legislation proposed by the current administration, CARES ACT III – The American Recovery Plan, currently does not include independent colleges and universities, such as ours. Along with other university & college presidents in our region, I have written to our Congressional delegation asking them to ensure our educational sector is included in the bill. Additionally, we have asked Congress to change the rules addressing Federal Student Aid to allow graduate students to compete for Pell Grants and low-interest student loans. Currently, both of these programs are open only to undergraduate students.

I have attached a sample letter you can feel free to personalize, in addition to links to contact information for your Congressional delegations. This is really important, so please take a few minutes this weekend to let Congress know how they can continue to help our students and institution get through this pandemic.

• U.S. Senator look up 
• U.S. Representative look up 

A CHAT WITH DR. J: I hope you had a chance to participate in the recent virtual chat with Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams, our Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The session provided the opportunity for people to hear from and engage with Dr. J. in a conversation about the University’s DEI initiatives since she has come on board. Please feel free to reach out to her at any time with input and suggestions.

PARTNERING WITH OTHERS: After receiving an invitation to join the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE), Salus is now a member of the group of nine independent higher education institutions in the Greater Philadelphia region. We are the only graduate-level school in the consortium. The goal of the group is to facilitate collaboration and help improve the quality and efficiency of academic programming, student access, faculty development, institutional operations and community outreach through a wide range of shared activities, services, technology and information. You can learn more about SEPCHE here.

NEW PODCAST SERIES: We have a new podcast series that takes a look at what goes on behind the scenes during a typical day for a doctor at The Eye Institute. Check out the episode with Erin Kenny, OD ‘15, FAAO, Resident ‘16, chief of the William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center, here.

DYNAMIC DUOS: Don’t forget to register for “Dynamic Duos,” a unique and comprehensive lecture discussion scheduled for Feb. 7. Topics and speakers include “Get to Know Your MIGS” with Dr. G. Richard Bennett and Dr. Andrew Meagher; “Stepwise Strategy to Optimize Ocular Surface Disease Outcomes" with Dr. Clark Chang and Dr. Brandon Ayres; “Medical Artificial Iris Implantation: Why, When and How” with Dr. Chang and Dr. Ayres; and “Expanding Scope of Practice: OCT to OCT-A” with Dr. Byung Josh Kim and Dr. Carlo Pelino. To register, click here.

WELCOME TO NEW BOARD MEMBERS: Please join me in welcoming three new members of the Salus Board of Trustees: Kate Kinslow is the Executive Vice President/Chief Integration Officer of Jefferson Health System. Emily Turner is Vice President of the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs in Philadelphia. Shannon Tornoe is founder/principal of Coast to Coast Insurance Brokers in Radnor, Pennsylvania. The time, energy and expertise our Board members brings to Salus makes us a stronger, more effective institution. Welcome aboard to all of our new members!

VIRTUAL ALE: Last month we held our Audiology Learning Experience (ALE) and for the first time, it was a virtual event. It is designed to expand awareness with undergraduate students about the audiology profession and the Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program at the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA). Read more about it at salus.edu/ALE2020.

TYPES OF HEARING LOSS: Not all hearing loss is the same. The type of hearing loss you have depends on what part of your hearing is damaged. Read more about the four types of hearing loss here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Who would have thought that back in March we’d still be in the throes of this global pandemic? Well, here we are, almost eleven months in with an end in sight. As the vaccine rollout begins, albeit, slowly, that light at the end of the tunnel we’ve talked about for months now, is getting a little brighter. Now is not the time to relax, but rather become even more vigilant with preventive measures. There are multiple new strains circulating around the globe, to include here in PA. The good news is that experts tell us the current vaccines will be effective against them. The bad news is that some of these strains might be up to 70% more transmissible.

Moving forward, it’s going to be extremely important to double down on social distancing, wearing your face mask and hand washing. Some experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, are recommending double masking when out in public, as it will be more effective than a single mask. At the very least, any cloth mask you wear should be two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric. And, of course, they’re only effective if worn properly, over your nose and mouth.

I know several of you have either received your first vaccine dose or are on the schedule to receive it. Once you are fully vaccinated, nothing you do now should change. While that may sound counterintuitive, until more people are vaccinated we must maintain the current course. I suspect (now don’t hold me to this) by late summer, we can begin to relax our precautions and slowly move toward some degree of normalcy. Until then, it is essential that everyone continues to social distance, wear a face mask (or two), and wash hands frequently. As an institution, we have weathered this storm extremely well, thanks to all of you following these guidelines. Let’s not let things slip now!

As we begin this very cold weekend, I encourage you to bundle up, soak up some vitamin D from the sun and get some fresh air. Continue to follow all of the COVID precautions and stay SALUS STRONG! 

Have a great weekend!

Mike

Salus New Year Message: Week of January 1st, 2021

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

As we prepare to thankfully leave 2020 in our rearview mirrors and welcome in 2021, I want to take this opportunity to thank the entire university community for your continued support, indefatigable resiliency and compliance with our Salus Safety Strategy which has allowed us to effectively provide our world-class programs, overcoming significant challenges along the way. You all rock!

Reflecting upon 2020, with its many challenges, it has been a year of intense focus, clarity and noteworthy achievements, to include the completion of our Standardized Patient Simulation Laboratory; our Occupational Therapy Program received a 10-year reaccreditation; we celebrated milestone professional recognition for several of our faculty and staff members; we recognized 4 outstanding faculty members with the Presidential Medal of Honor; several of our professions have already achieved or are on the road to achieving 100% national board pass rates; we welcomed our new Special Assistant for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams; we welcomed our new Dean of the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation, Dr. Jim Konopack; we wished Mr. Bill Brichta a fond farewell as he began his retirement and welcomed Ms. Regina Scriven as our new Vice President, Technology and Learning Resources and we recently received a $750,000 Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the state to help fund our new Orthotics and Prosthetics program.

While 2021 promises to be much brighter than 2020, we still have a ways to go before we approach any semblance of what we would consider normal. History reminds us that in the midst of a crisis, things might actually get worse before they get better. For example, in late 1944, following the successful D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, it seemed as if the Second World War was all but over. On Dec. 16, with the onset of winter, the German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favor. Thousands were killed or wounded. The battle that ensued is known historically as the Battle of the Bulge. The U.S. Army ultimately beat back the German offensive, but with great sacrifice, and continued their drive toward Berlin, thus helping to end World War II.

We can draw some parallels from this to what we’re experiencing today. While there are now several vaccines approved for COVID-19 around the world, experts are still predicting a rather grim winter for our country, given the current number of infections and hospitalizations. Thus, it’s imperative that we continue our diligence with wearing face masks, social distancing and frequent hand washing. While these measures are certainly effective, as you know, we have also implemented our “Return to Learn” testing program for all students and clinical faculty returning to campus for scheduled instruction. To date, over 500 people have signed up for their tests and I’m sure others are preparing to do that this week. Remember, you cannot return to campus for your scheduled instruction unless you have evidence of a negative test. Additionally, throughout the semester we will be offering testing solutions to our students returning to campus from their externship, clerkship and other clinical rotations.

There is light at the end of the tunnel as we look towards 2021. We will emerge from this public health emergency stronger, smarter and better prepared for the next time we’re confronted with any emergency that comes our way. We are better healthcare providers, with refined critical thinking skills. 

My staff and I are working hard to ensure we receive the vaccine along with other healthcare professionals at the appropriate time. As you know, we’ve applied to become a COVID-19 vaccine closed Point of Dispensing (POD) that will help to ensure all of us, including our immediate family members, are vaccinated efficiently. Hopefully, that will be approved shortly.

Needless to say, 2020 has been a most challenging year for us all; probably the most in our school’s 100-year history. Personally, I can’t wait to see our classrooms and labs full of students and faculty and be able to show up on campus and not wear a mask and douse my hands with hand sanitizer. But, that will all have to wait. Looking ahead, 2021 does promise to be a much brighter and exciting year. As vaccines become more ubiquitous, and people receive them, things will improve quickly. Salus is a great university because of the students, faculty, staff and volunteer board members that bring our university to life. That has never been more apparent to anyone looking at us than this year. I look forward to working with each and every one of you as we prepare for an exciting 2021 and position ourselves for another year of great accomplishments, growth and successes.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year. Stay safe, stay healthy and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Dealing with the Stress and Preventing the Spread of COVID: Week of December 3rd, 2020

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

I wish everyone a good morning from a cold, almost deserted Elkins Park campus. In light of the projected increase in COVID-19 cases secondary to the Thanksgiving holiday, all of our programs made adjustments to minimize their presence on campus and in our clinics to ensure student, faculty and staff safety. That said, our clinics have remained open thanks to our clinical faculty at TEI and those students who are currently assigned to clinical rotations in PEI and SLI. Even with the apparent lack of visible activity on campus, things still continue to happen. These include: 

SIMULATION LAB RIBBON-CUTTING: We cut the ribbon this week on our new state-of-the-art Standardized Patient Simulation Lab that was made possible by a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). Now, all of our students will have the opportunity to work in a genuine clinical setting without having to leave the Elkins Park campus. To read more about the renovation project and what it means to our faculty and students, go here.

A BRIGHTER THANKSGIVING: Thanks to Dean of Student Affairs Dr. James Caldwell; Center for Personal & Professional Development (CPPD) counselor Tami April-Davis; vice president of Finance Don Kates; chief of staff Brian Zuckerman; and Matt Morett, chief manager of the University’s Cafe for Metz Culinary, for putting their heads together to make Thanksgiving a little brighter for our students who chose not to go home for the holiday. They created a “Turkey Gobbler” event that allowed 72 students to get a Thanksgiving dinner while remaining close to campus as opposed to traveling home during the holiday. To read more, check out salus.edu/TurkeyGobbler. 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” feature is on Jenna Fenton, AuD ‘20. While at Salus, Dr. Fenton conducted research on cochlear synaptopathy, also known as hidden hearing loss, with her mentor, Dr. Martin Pienkowski, PhD, associate professor at the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA). Read more about how Dr. Fenton has been able to continue working with hidden hearing loss patients in her professional career at salus.edu/JennaFenton.

LUNCH & LEARN EVENT: The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee’s most recent Lunch & Learn event featured Jeffrey Carroll, PhD, assistant professor of Political Science and the chair of the Center for Data & Society at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Dr. Carroll offered his perspective on the topic, “2020 Election Results, National Impact and Marginalized Populations.” To read more about that discussion, go to salus.edu/ElectionEffect.

GRAND ROUNDS: The next Grand Rounds at The Eye Institute (TEI) will be at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11. The virtual event will feature Dr. Dominic Brown on “Triple Threat: Low Vision Rehabilitation Strategies for Central, Peripheral and Hemianopic Vision Loss” and Dr. Preet Dhami on “Ocular Complications of Uncontrolled Diabetes … Starring the Type 1 Diabetic: A Look into Diabetic Retinopathy after Cataract Surgery.” For more information click here.

FACULTY FOCUS: Featured in our Faculty Focus this week is Patricia Martin Mayro, who was one of our first faculty members when the Speech-Language Institute (SLI) opened its doors in 2015. Read more about how the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) department has evolved and Trish’s role in the department here.

PEER MENTORING PROGRAM: Our Peer Mentoring program continues to be strong. The purpose of the program is for second-year students to help first-year students become acclimated to the Optometry, Audiology and Occupational Therapy programs (the Physician Assistant Studies and Speech-Language Pathology programs have their own, separate peer programs). To read more about the program, go to this link.

DEALING WITH STRESS: I know that many of you, in addition to dealing with the stress caused by the pandemic, are also in the midst of preparing for final exams, leaving for externships or other clinical rotations or planning for a trip home for the holidays. I encourage each of you to be looking out for each other. Consider some virtual get togethers or even a small group, socially distanced activity outside to help alleviate some of the stress. You can also make an appointment to speak with any of our counselors in CPPD here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: To those of you who opted not to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, you have my sincere thanks. There have been a record number of COVID-19 cases both nationally and locally over the last couple of weeks and secondary to holiday travel, most experts expect those numbers to increase even more by early next week.

While the FDA is preparing to issue an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer vaccine sometime within the next week or so, which will likely be followed by an EUA for the Moderna vaccine shortly afterwards, we are not out of the woods. While the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, I don’t anticipate we will be back to what anyone might consider normal until early or mid-summer of 2021. It’s easy to get complacent knowing there is a vaccine that’s ready to be distributed, especially after all the sacrifices we’ve had to make since March. The truth is, we need to remain focused on staying healthy and safe until a large majority of the population receives the vaccine, which won’t be for a while. That means remaining conscientious about following all the guidelines outlined in our Salus Safety Strategy that we’ve been successfully following all these months:

• Continue to socially distance
• Wear a face mask when not around others in your immediate household indoors and outside and on campus at all times
• Wash your hands frequently
• Don’t leave your home if you’re not feeling well
• For faculty and staff, if you don’t need to be on campus, please work from home

You have been doing an exceptional job in helping us get to the end of this semester. Because of your efforts, as a Salus Community, we have remained healthy and safe. We have been able to conduct our classes both in-person and virtually and provide required laboratory and clinical instruction in our own clinics and through external clinical rotations. That is no small feat in the midst of a global pandemic. You should feel extremely proud of this accomplishment. I certainly feel very proud to be associated with you as you’ve navigated through these rough waters. We still have some treacherous waters in front of us, but I have no doubt that we’ll get through those relatively unscathed as well. A quick reminder - if you already haven’t, please ensure you download the COVID Alert PA app here. This will allow you to opt-in to receive alerts if you have had a potential exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

As you prepare for the weekend, even with the rain predicted on Saturday, try to find some places outside that aren’t crowded and enjoy the fresh air. Winter break will be here before we know it and looking ahead, some much needed rest and relaxation.

Be safe, continue to act responsibly and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Veteran's Day, Election Day and the Marine Corps Birthday: Week of November 6th, 2020

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

Good morning from Elkins Park on a beautiful Fall morning. It’s hard to believe it’s going to be near 70 degrees today, but we’ll take it! It’s been another busy week on campus with our students and faculty working hard together in labs, clinics and virtual and face to face lectures. Here are some of the other things happening around campus and virtually:

Election Results Discussion: Dr. Juliana Mosley and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will host a Lunch & Learn event at noon Wednesday, Nov. 11, featuring Dr. Jeffrey Carroll, discussing “2020 Election Results, National Impact and Marginalized Populations.” I encourage all of you to participate in this. Remote access will be sent via email prior to the event.

Where Are They Now: Check out our new online feature “Where Are They Now?” which catches up with some of our recent graduates to see how they’re doing in their professional lives. This week features Susan (Barnes) Gresham, OD ‘19, a top Traditional Optometry Program graduate who gave the spring 2019 commencement address. To read more about Dr. Gresham, go here.

Private Practice Symposium: The PCO/Salus Private Practice Symposium 2020 will be held online from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. Speakers include Janelle Davison, OD ‘06, James Deom, OD ‘14, MPH, FAAO, Kennard Herring, OD ‘14, and Michael Talone, OD ‘98. For more information, click here.

Long White Coat Ceremony: The Physician Assistant (PA) Long White Coat Ceremony will be held online at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. For updated information, click here.

Presidential Medals Ceremony: The 2020 Presidential Medal of Honor ceremony will be online at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. Keep an eye on our website for additional details.

Eye Care Tips: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes is the main cause of blindness among people under 74 years of age. However, 90 percent of vision loss from diabetes can be prevented. So, we’ve got some eye care tips for those with diabetes. Read more about that here.

OT Research: A paper titled “Exploring the Role of Occupational Therapy with Mothers Who Breastfeed” by Lauren Sponseller, PhD ‘18, OTD, MSOR/L, MEd, Chair of the Occupational Therapy (OT) Department, has been accepted for publication in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, a top OT research journal. To read more about Dr. Sponseller’s research, go here.

Final Thoughts: Tuesday marks the 245th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Here in Philadelphia, on November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution establishing the Continental Marines. Since that time, Marines have distinguished themselves defending our freedoms around the world. During my 33-year Navy career I had the privilege of serving with the Marine Corps for almost one-third of that time. Wednesday, we also recognize all of our veterans as we celebrate Veterans Day. World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, has been regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” Originally designated Armistice Day by President Wilson, November 11 commemorates the armistice that began that day. In 1954 Congress changed the name to Veterans Day to recognize all veterans.

While I was on active duty we observed the Navy and Marine Corps birthdays and Veterans Day by participating in cake cutting ceremonies and attending a few veteran’s events. I think this year it is even more important remember how fortunate we are to have men and women who, every day, make sacrifices and place their lives on the line to ensure we enjoy the freedoms we have as Americans. They do this while being held to the highest of standards, professionally, ethically and morally. Core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment have been the moral and ethical compass that have guided the men and women in uniform for 245 years. 

As we exercise patience and wait for our uniquely American democratic process to be completed and learn the results of the election, please don’t lose sight of the fact that the ability to hold elections such as ours was paid for by veterans, many who made the ultimate sacrifice, so we could freely choose our leaders. 

As healthcare professionals we have much in common with those who serve in our armed forces. We too have made a commitment to devote our time and energies to serve others. Most importantly, though, as healthcare professionals we also must be guided by an ethical and moral compass – one that emulates that of our Navy and Marine Corps – that of Honor, Courage and Commitment. 

So, as we celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday on Tuesday and take time to honor our veterans on Wednesday, I hope you reflect on how we can leverage our own commitment to always conduct ourselves with honor and have the courage to always do what’s right for our patients, clients and those around us. I think this is exceptionally true as we watch and wait to see the final results of the election.

Finally, as we approach the weekend, the weather is going to be near perfect. If you decide to participate in any election-related events, I’d like to remind you that whether your candidate wins or loses, you continue to embrace our core values of inclusion, acceptance, diversity, and respect for all people and our differences.

If you decide to participate in an in-person event, also please keep in mind the risks of the pandemic and be sure to socially distance and wear a facemask. Remember, what you do off campus affects all of us on campus.

Have great weekend and try to get out and enjoy the nice weather. Be safe, stay healthy and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Building Resiliency: Week of October 30th, 2020

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

Greetings from a rather soggy and cool Elkins Park. It’s been another busy week at Salus with many of our students preparing for exams, continuing with their virtual and in-person classes and labs and seeing patients in clinic.

PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL RECIPIENTS: Congratulations to two more Presidential Medal of Honor recipients, Fern Silverman, EdD, OTR/L, and Neal Nyman, OD, BS. Dr. Silverman originally came to Salus in 2013 during the Occupational Therapy (OT) program’s infancy and then three years later helped launch the Doctoral Program in Occupational Therapy (OTD). Read more about Dr. Silverman here. Dr. Nyman, a well-respected clinician who easily imparted knowledge to his interns and residents alike, greatly expanded the way PCO approached both ethics and patient-doctor communications prior to his retirement in 2019. Read more about Dr. Nyman here.

AUDIOLOGY STUDENT PANEL DISCUSSION: Earlier this month, Katie McGovern ‘23AUD, was one of three student panelists to participate in the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) discussion titled “Office Hours: Don't Get Spooked by Grad School Applications.” Read about Katie’s experience here.

DR. J HAS ARRIVED!: Salus will have its own “Dr. J.” starting Nov. 1 when Juliana Mosley, PhD, officially starts as the University’s inaugural Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Read more about Dr. Mosley here.

LGBTQIA+ MONTH: To recognize LGBTQIA+ History Month, the Communications Department sat down with the Sexuality & Gender Alliance at Salus (SAGAS). Sean Lewis ‘23OD, president of the LGBTQIA+ organization at Salus, and Camille Menns '21OT explained how to be a better ally. View Camille’s full interview here. View Sean’s full interview here.

VISION THERAPY PROGRAM: Salus University and the Academy of Ophthalmic Education are presenting “A Comprehensive Foundational Program in Vision Therapy: A 100-Hour Program Model,” featuring the first live webinars with Q&A and 70 hours of theory/didactics. Online lectures begin Nov. 5 and go through May 2021. The program is for optometrists and vision therapists interested in incorporating or enhancing binocular vision diagnosis and treatment in their practice. It has been endorsed by COVD (College of Optometry in Vision Development) and meets the 100- hour requirement for fellowship to COVD. For more information, click here.

JOSEPH C. TOLAND CE PROGRAM: The Dr. Joseph C. Toland 30th annual Excellence in Education conference will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Topics and speakers will include:

• Glaucoma Myth Busters & IOP Adjusters with Alissa Coyne, OD, FAAO and Andrew Meagher, OD, FAAO
• Real World Applications of Emerging Technologies and Treatments with Leslie O’Dell, OD, FAAO
• Dry Eye and the Surgical Patient with Leslie O’Dell, OD, FAAO
• Contact Lens Troubleshooting with Nicholas Gidosh, OD, FAAO
• Myopia Control Updates with Nicholas Gidosh, ID, FAAO

For more information and to register, click here.

HALLOWEEN SAFETY: When celebrating Halloween, whether you have a hearing impairment or not, keep several safety tips in mind. Trick-or-treating in the dark can make it more difficult to see certain things and also to hear in your surroundings. Read more about that here. Halloween is also a time for spooky costumes. For some, cosmetic contact lenses are the perfect accent to their festive and ghoulish attire. However, according to our own experts and other health officials, wearing these cosmetic accessories can come with a price and people are warned to steer clear of these potential dangers. Read more here.

VOTE: Voting is the one essential responsibility we all have to ensure our democratic process endures. If you have not already dropped off or mailed in your election ballot or if you plan to vote in person, please ensure you plan ahead as lines likely will be long on election day. No matter what your political leanings, please cast your vote!

FINAL THOUGHTS - BUILDING RESILIENCY: We are entering the ninth month of working through the challenges and taking advantage of some of the opportunities presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic. As an institution, thanks to the hard work of all of you – faculty, students and staff – we have come through this reasonably well, to date. You have pivoted to online teaching and learning, conducted labs and clinics in a somewhat restrictive environment and continued to make progress towards the completion of your professional degrees. This hasn’t been easy for anyone, but together we have overcome many hurdles along the way together. One of the silver linings of this public health emergency has been our ability to provide online continuing education to a much broader audience and improve our ability to teach and learn virtually. Along with this, I also believe we have all been building our resiliency along the way.

Gever Tulley, a writer and entrepreneur suggests that, “persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” I couldn’t agree more. We’ve all been working together over the course of the past nine months doing exactly that! As healthcare professionals, I believe that building resilience is an important part of our professional growth. No matter what profession you are part of, you will always be faced with situations that require strength and resilience to succeed. The stress we are feeling now is normal and while it may sound like a cliché, it will make us all stronger and more resilient in the long run.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to help alleviate the stress associated with all this. Changing your daily routines, socializing virtually with friends and loved ones or in small groups outdoors, getting outside to exercise or just taking a walk to enjoy the fall colors are all helpful activities. Additionally, both students and faculty should make an extra effort to talk with each other about how you are doing and how you are feeling. Looking out for each other is essential. I also know that each of your programs, as well as Student Affairs, are working on ways to help reduce stress levels. Learning coping skills is all part of all of our professional growth. And, take it from me, you never stop learning those.

As we work our way through the pandemic, events surrounding the upcoming election, social and racial unrest on top of the stress caused by the high workloads you all are encountering in your programs, please reflect on the words of Helen Keller who said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” It’s not easy nor is there a simple formula for all of this – nothing worth doing is. I can assure you that we are all in this together and we will work with you. When we come out on the other end, whenever that will be, we all will be stronger and more resilient. Lean on each other, lean on us and if you feel you’d like to speak with a counselor, you can always make an appointment with our experts at CPPD or through Human Resources.

The rain should stop later today and it should be a nice, cool Halloween weekend. If you decide to go out and partake in Halloween festivities, please continue to social distance, wear your face mask and wash your hands frequently. What you do off campus affects all of us on campus.

Be safe, take some time to relax and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Plan to Vote: Week of October 23rd, 2020

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

Good morning from Elkins Park where our faculty, students and staff continue to work hard to teach, learn and support our health science educational mission. It’s been another busy week on campus as we successfully navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic and providing virtual and in-person classes and labs in addition to delivering our optometry, audiology and speech-language pathology clinical services.

VOTING PREPARATION: Election Day is a little more than a week away and voting is underway in many parts of the country. In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots can be dropped off at many locations around us. As we approach November 3rd, I highly encourage all of you who have not already either mailed in or dropped off your ballots to begin to plan ahead. No matter where you go on Election Day, lines will be long either voting in person or dropping off a ballot. More than likely, voting will take longer than in previous elections which certainly can impact your academic or clinical schedules. As a courtesy to others, please notify the school of your intentions ahead of time so no one has to cover your shift or you miss a required assignment that could have been rescheduled prior. We want everyone to have the opportunity to vote.

DEI LUNCH AND LEARN: The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will host a Lunch & Learn event at noon Wednesday, Oct. 28, featuring Janet LaBreck, who was the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration under President Barack Obama and co-founder of Synergy Consulting Partners. That group is dedicated to creating positive change within organizations and systems, with a commitment of full inclusion for individuals with disabilities. The link for the remote access will be sent via email prior to the event.

IMPORTANCE OF PRONOUNS: International Pronouns Day, celebrated earlier this week, seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people. Together, we can transform society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities.

STUTTERING AWARENESS DAY: Stuttering Awareness Day raises awareness in our own communities and joins with other organizations to educate the public and reach those who stutter who still feel alone and isolated. The Speech-Language Institute (SLI) of Salus University offers comprehensive evaluation services and treatment plans for stuttering. To read more about “Stuttering Facts vs. Myths,” click here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: There is arguably no more important civic duty than exercising your right to vote. Given the challenges that our country is currently experiencing, this is especially true this year. So please make arrangements to either vote by mail or in person. If you do vote in person, please remember we still are in the middle of a pandemic and you will need to take appropriate precautions that include wearing your face mask, socially distancing while standing in lines and washing your hands when you’re done.

Finally, it's going to be a relatively nice weekend, so please try to get out and enjoy some of the nice fall weather. The leaves are reaching peak and it’s a great stress relief to get out and enjoy the nice weather. Remember, if you feel like you’d like to talk to one of our CPPD counselors you can make an appointment here.

Please continue to socially distance, wear your face masks, wash your hands frequently and keep in mind that what you do off campus directly affects all of us on campus. Be safe, be smart, remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike