Addressing Stress: Week of October 16th, 2020

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

It’s been another busy week on campus and in our clinics. Students continue to do their work in face to face classes, labs, clinics and also virtually. The fall weather has begun to transform our campus foliage with vibrant colors, which always looks beautiful. Fall is my favorite season, even in the midst of a global pandemic.

DR. GILDA CROZIER – REMEMBERED: As I shared with you earlier this week, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University lost one of its icons with the passing of Dr. Gilda Crozier. Our communications team has written a very informative article about Dr. Crozier that includes information about her funeral arrangements next week. Read the details at salus.edu/GildaCrozier.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FALL GRADUATES: Once again, congratulations to our fall graduates who are now ready to take on the world. It’s now time to take advantage of all that you’ve learned during your time at Salus and apply those skills to the patients and clients. To read more about our virtual ceremony that was aired Oct. 13, 2020, please go to salus.edu/FallCommencement2020.

NATIONAL PA WEEK: We continue to recognize National Physician Assistant Week. Like every healthcare professional, physician assistants (PA) have been put to the test as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out “A Day in the Life” of some of our PA students at salus.edu/PAweek. Students can also submit their own stories to be spotlighted on the University’s website and social media here.

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS: Congratulations to two of our 2020 Presidential Medal of Honor Award winners, including Dr. Victor Hugo Bray, who you can read more about at salus.edu/VictorBray and Dr. Andrew Gurwood, who you can read more about at salus.edu/GurwoodAward. I’m proud of the work that Drs. Bray and Gurwood have done for this well-earned honor. The other 2020 award winners will also be featured with stories on our website in the coming weeks.

BLINDNESS AWARENESS MONTH: October is Blindness Awareness Month and according to the World Health Organization, there are 285 million people who are visually impaired worldwide, 39 million of whom are completely blind. You can read more about this here.

HAFTER STUDENT CENTER: The Hafter Student Community Center reopened last month with new capacity limits in place — a maximum of 15 people per one-hour workouts are now allowed, which also includes the use of the gymnasium. We all should continue to stick to our exercise routines the best we can during the pandemic, and with the fall weather quickly approaching, the Hafter Center is a great place for your indoor workouts. Read more about the protocols that are in place at salus.edu/HafterWorkout.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON STRESS: I want to address this last section specifically to our students. We all realize how much stress you are all under, especially those of you who are just starting your professional programs. There’s a great deal going on around us and there’s also much to get accustomed to in school – between new schedules, new living environments, new subject matter to learn and working with new friends and colleagues in a virtual environment. I want you to know that you’re not alone – not at all. If you’re having difficulty with a specific subject I can pretty much guarantee that many of your classmates are experiencing the same challenges. The difference is that you just don’t have the opportunity to “compare notes” as you would have if we were not living in a mostly virtual world.

For our first-year students, I can remember my first year at PCO, yes, way back when, sitting in Dr. Lorraine Lombardi’s anatomy lectures trying to figure out how I was going to remember all that stuff. Throw in ophthalmic and physiological optics and my head was spinning – and I was a pretty good student. It took a little over a semester both to realize I had this and also that I wasn’t alone. Most of my classmates were feeling the same way. The biggest difference between then and now is that we could easily share our concerns during lunch or in other social settings. That’s clearly more difficult now. Your deans, program directors and faculty all realize the stress you’re currently under. While there is no simple answer and everyone copes with stress a bit differently, I have some suggestions to help you through this that have served me well over the years:

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.

Develop a routine you can stick to - Sounds basic, but it will make 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 – This also sounds pretty basic and to some, maybe it seems like “mission impossible” but the better rested you are, the more capable your body and mind will be at handling things that come your way, to include stress. Prioritize sleep over other things and you’ll be more productive, resilient and attentive.

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

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

Use social media purposefully and not nonchalantly – Limit your screen time and refrain from posting for “likes” or for the sake of making the “best content”. Use social media to connect with some new classmates or the people you miss seeing every day.

We all understand what you’re going through as many of us are feeling some of the same stressors. As I’ve said many times, and still believe, the pandemic will eventually end. While it won’t be tomorrow or even by the end of next semester, but it will end. In the meantime, we all need to remain focused, healthy and optimistic, which is the most difficult task. We have skilled counselors in our Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) who are there for you. I would strongly encourage you to contact them, if you feel like you need to. All you need to do is make an appointment here.

Finally, all the weather apps are saying after Friday’s rain, it should be a nice fall weekend. I strongly encourage you all to get out and enjoy the good weather while we still have it. As the numbers of COVID-19 cases increase in Pennsylvania and in surrounding states, it’s even more important that you continue to practice the good prevention measures that have proven to be effective. Continue to wear your face mask when around others, practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently. Remember what you do off campus affects all of us on campus. Be safe, be smart and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

PA Week and Giving Week: Week of October 9th, 2020

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

Greetings from a chilly, but very nice Elkins Park campus. Our students have been busy with mid-terms, labs and clinics. As always, it’s energizing to see our world-class faculty interacting with our talented students. As you can see from the length of this update (I apologize), there’s lots going on! SUMMER 

ENRICHMENT PROGRAM GIFT: The Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University announced this week that National Vision Inc.’s America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses will be the sole sponsor of its Robert E. Horne Summer Enrichment Program. The goal of the program is to increase underrepresented students of color in the optometric profession. Totaling $300,000 through a five-year commitment, it is the largest sponsorship Salus has received to date, in support of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. To read more, go to salus.edu/SEPdonation.

FALL COMMENCEMENT: While we wish we could celebrate the successes of our Fall graduating students in person, once again the pandemic has forced us to conduct a virtual ceremony, which will be aired on Tuesday, 13 October at 2 p.m. State Senator Art Haywood is our keynote speaker and honorary degree recipient. You can access the ceremony here. That morning, I will be also be broadcasting a live message to our graduates via Instagram Live at 9 a.m.

NEW ONLINE CE LIBRARY: Melissa Vitek, OD ‘95, FAAO, director of the Department of International and Continuing Education, has been working with instructors and collecting online continuing education lectures since June. The University’s website now includes a designated section titled “Asynchronous CE Library” that links to these recorded lectures. To read more about our asynchronous CE library, go to salus.edu/OnlineCElibrary.

UPCOMING CE EVENT: Our next Continuing Education online event will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14. Titled “SLP in a Virtual World — Assessment and Intervention Across the Life Span.” Presenters will discuss how many speech-language pathologists have had to pivot from face-to-face interactions to exclusively remote service provisions. For more information, click here.

ACT 31 & OPIOD CE: The Department of International and Continuing Education at Salus University will be hosting ACT 31 Mandated Child Abuse Awareness, Recognition and Reporting and Opioid Education online, synchronous offerings. To register, click here.

FACULTY FOCUS: This week’s Faculty Focus is on Erin Draper, OD ‘09, Resident ‘10, FAAO, who joined the PCO/Salus faculty following her residency at TEI in 2010. Read more about Dr. Draper at salus.edu/ErinDraper.

GIVING WEEK: Today is the last day of our annual Giving Week. Our goal is to get to 100 donors, no matter what the amount. This year’s Giving Week is dedicated to student scholarships, capital improvements and community outreach. There’s still time to jump in so just click here to get you to the site.

PA WEEK: Today marks the last day of Physician Assistant (PA) Week, in honor of the first graduating PAs from Duke University. Of note, October 6th was also the birthday of Dr. Eugene Stead, the profession’s founder. He would have been 112! This PA Week is especially significant as it falls during a global pandemic. PAs have stepped up in major ways, including serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. Whatever their specialty or setting, they have put their health at risk every day to care for their patients. The theme of this week’s celebration is, “PAs are Essential.” There’s no doubt that PAs have not only proven themselves as flexible, adaptable, and collaborative – but also essential to healthcare and to the patients they serve.

VOTING: As November 3rd gets closer it’s imperative that everyone who is entitled to vote is registered and has already made the decision to either order a mail-in ballot or vote in person. As I have been doing, below is information to assist you in performing the most important duty we all have as Americans – TO VOTE!

1. Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application.
2. Fill out the application completely.
3. Submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
4. When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it. If you do decide to vote in person, please ensure you know the location and times your polling place will be open. You can find that by accessing the PA voter website here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As you’ve seen in the news, many people in higher levels of our government have contracted COVID-19. Without going into a political discourse about this, the fact that so many people, who are so closely monitored, some on a daily basis, could contract this disease illustrates how easily it can be spread. This can be a deadly and dangerous disease, and it’s imperative not to minimize its potential impact and follow current guidelines that have, to date, been keeping us all healthy and safe.

Because we’ve been at this for over seven months, some people are developing what the media has termed Coronavirus Burnout and Pandemic Fatigue. With the onset of nicer Fall weather, the start of school and the holidays on the horizon, it’s easy to forget we’re still in the middle of a public health emergency that has already claimed over 212,000 American lives. Of note, while the U.S. has only 4% of the world’s population, we account for 21% of the 1 million deaths worldwide. As the richest country with the most sophisticated health system in the world, this represents a distressingly huge failure in our response to the pandemic.

Across our country, to include Pennsylvania, COVID rates have been rising because many are not following prescribed guidelines. As healthcare professionals, we must set the example for others. That means continuing to social distance, wearing a cloth face mask when around others and frequently washing our hands. This is not rocket science, nor is it an expression of political affiliation – it’s just good public health prevention measures. Even when we have access to reliable and affordable testing, these measures will still form the backbone of our prevention measures.

As you prepare to enjoy the great weather this weekend, I strongly encourage you to get out and enjoy the changing leaves and cooler temperatures. Practice good public health prevention measures wherever you go and remember what you do off campus directly affects all of us on campus!

Be safe, be smart, look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Giving Week: Week of October 11th

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

Good morning from Elkins Park!  It’s great to be back on campus to feel the energy after being gone for over a week!

Unfortunately, I need to start this week’s update with some sad news.  Mr. Richard DePiano, a Board member since 2003, passed away late last week.  Rich was a mentor and friend who brought a great deal of financial expertise and experience to our board.  He was the Chairman of Escalon Medical Corporation, which develops, manufactures and distributes surgical and diagnostic products for ophthalmic applications.  He also served on the board of LaFrace Corporation and Drexel University, his alma mater.  At Salus, he served on our Finance and Institutional Advancement committees.   He will be sorely missed.  Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. 

On the much brighter side, congratulations to Ms. Donna Agnew, interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Director of our Physician Assistant (PA) program for receiving the Leadership Development award from the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA).  The award recognizes an individual who develops future leaders among faculty through mentoring. This is the third year this award has been given. PAEA is the education arm of the profession that supports those working in PA education.  Please join me in congratulating Donna on this well-deserved honor!    

This is also National PA week, which recognizes the Physician Assistant profession and its contributions to the nation's health. Before it was a week-long event, National PA Day was first celebrated on October 7, 1987 in honor of the 20th anniversary of the first graduating class of PAs from Duke University.

Congratulations to Dr. Victor Bray who was elected President of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology at last week’s meeting.  In his new role, Dr. Bray will work to forward the mission of the ADA which includes the positively affecting the advancement of practitioner excellence, high ethical standards, professional autonomy and sound business practices in the provision of quality audiologic care.

Last week, some of our faculty and students from Audiology, Optometry, Speech-Language Pathology, and Physician Assistant programs attended the 26th annual Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology (PAA) Convention in Lancaster, Pa. This convention is a chance to obtain continuing education units for audiologists and I’m very proud of our faculty across programs who came together for this occasion. PAA is especially significant to Salus, as Dr. George Osborne was its original founder and first president. Thank you to everyone who attended and represented Salus! 

On Monday, the Optical Women’s Association (OWA) partnered with Salus to present an evening of networking, learning and fellowship with University staff, students and local optical professionals. OWA is committed to enhancing and promoting the leadership role of women in the optical industry and raise the level of awareness of the multifaceted roles and contributions made by women. The event also included an opportunity to raise money for our Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) charity. Thank you to everyone who made this special event happen.

Yesterday was World Sight Day.  In the morning, I had the pleasure of introducing EyeSafe to our Salus community as we announced the release of the first-ever blue light handbook, “How to Save Your Eyes in the Digital Age.” Throughout the next year, members of our staff from Salus, led by Dr. Mitch Scheiman, will be working in partnership with EyeSafe on further research for the second blue light handbook. 

I’d like to thank everyone who helped Salus and our Office of Institutional Advancement this week with our first ever Giving Week. It truly was a remarkable week of receiving support from faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends. Today is the last day to reach the goal of 100 gifts – as of yesterday afternoon, we were really close to meeting our goal!   Please help to put us over the top!  Visit salus.edu/givingweek to see exactly how this week has impacted Salus. 

Looking ahead, we have a special week ahead of us!  First, is the Graduate Luncheon followed by the traditional Physician Assistant Long White Coat Ceremony on Monday, and our 119th Commencement on Tuesday!  It's an honor to have Sen. Marie Collett deliver the keynote address at Commencement and as always, I look forward to this momentous occasion for our graduating students and their families. 

Tomorrow is the AOSA Optometry Cares 5K run at 9am in Alverthorpe Park in Jenkintown.  All proceeds will go towards the American Optometric Association’s Optometry Cares charity.  So, if you’re up for nice run, walk or combination of the two in a really nice place, come join us Saturday morning!

Finally, while it’s supposed to be a little cloudy, the weather is exactly what you’d expect for Fall around here.  I encourage you to get out and enjoy the weather while it lasts!  It will be snowing before we know it!  Have a great weekend – be safe and look out for one another!

Mike