Processing, Healing, Progressing: Week of April 23rd, 2021

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

Once again, there’s lots going on around campus. Here are just some of the things that I’d like to highlight:

LOFK SUCCESS STORY: Unlike many of Philadelphia’s children, Colbie and Addyson Sparks were able to attend school this year in-person at Our Lady of Port Richmond (OLPR). With the help of The Eye Institute (TEI) of Salus University’s School Vision Program their school year was made a little easier. Read more about their experience at salus.edu/SchoolVision. And don’t forget to get your tickets to the University’s 14th annual “Looking Out for Kids” fundraiser, held virtually at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1. To purchase virtual tickets or VIP reception boxes online, visit here. 

PROCESSING, HEALING, PROGRESSING: I hope you got a chance to tune into the DEI forum “Processing, Healing and Progressing After the Verdict” last evening via WebEx. It featured Lisa Croft, DO, who shared personal perspectives and how traumatic events impact our work in health care. A second speaker, Jaison Freeman, PhD, Chestnut Hill College assistant professor of psychology, also shared personal perspectives and how faculty can assist in facilitating difficult dialogue around these events in the classroom/clinical setting. We recognize these forums will not solve our societal ills, but they do provide an opportunity for members of our community to be together to dialogue, listen and support.

MATCH DAY 2021: Resident Match Day is when all residency programs and candidates who applied receive their results on where they ultimately are matched after a season of residency interviews that begins in October and closes the end of February every year. Read more about the excitement and anxiety surrounding this year’s Match Day at salus.edu/MatchDay2021.

PA OLYMPICS 2021: Salus students joined other PA students from Arcadia University, DeSales University, Drexel University, Jefferson University, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and Temple University to participate in “The Amazing Race,” April 10, 2021, in Philadelphia. Read more about how our PA students had some fun and raised money for a good cause by going to salus.edu/PAOlympics.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features Devin Williams, OD ‘17, who was attracted to PCO/Salus because we emphasized early clinical exposure and placed students in our clinical facility, The Eye Institute (TEI), earlier than most optometry schools. Find out how Dr. Williams’ career has progressed at salus.edu/DevinWilliams. 

ONGOING PODCAST SERIES: Join Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, the chair and program director of the department of Speech-Language Pathology at Salus University as he speaks with a clinical educator and three current students about their collaboration with the members of the Breastfeeding Resource Center and their work in the population of infants, toddlers and families. Click here to listen. 

LUNCH AND LEARN: I hope you had a chance to attend, via Zoom, our latest Lunch and Learn event yesterday on “Environmental and Behavioral Factors Associated with Refractive Errors in Israeli Boys” presented by Ariela Gordon-Shaag, PhD, FAAO, chair of the Department of Optometry and Vision Science at Hadassah Academic College in Jerusalem, Israel. If you missed it, contact Dr. Melissa Vitek at mvitek@salus.edu for more information.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This past week many of us recorded our parts for the upcoming virtual commencement exercise. We’re extremely excited that Congresswoman Madeleine Dean is our Keynote speaker and former Dean of Students, Robert Horne will be receiving an Honorary Degree, the Doctor of Humane Letters Degree, for the work he did in establishing and growing the Summer Enrichment Program during his tenure at Salus. While all of us would have preferred to do this in person, the pandemic is continuing to throw us curves. I am happy that we’re able to do the in-person drive by ceremony next month but also realize it’s not what many of you (and me) would have preferred, but given the current situation, it is the responsible course of action to take at this time. As more people get vaccinated, hopefully, this will be the last time we’ll have to go down this road. In the meantime, I’m hoping all of you are either vaccinated or have appointments to get vaccinated as that is the only way we will contain this virus. We are working on having a vaccination event here on campus sometime next week for those who still need it – more details to follow on that. 

In the meantime, please continue to wear your face masks, socially distance and wash your hands frequently. Please be safe, look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG as you prepare for the weekend!

Mike

Busy Spring: Week of April 20th

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board members and Friends:

Dr. Scharre and I just returned from a trip to Nashville, Tenn., where we honored the Osborne College of Audiology’s (OCA) newest Alumna of the Year, Dr. Angela Morris, AuD ’03, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA). We were joined by Mr. Dennis Washington, our vice president for institutional advancement, and 72 alumni, students and faculty, which made it a wonderful event. Dr. Morris’ accomplishments are numerous and you can read a bit more about them on our website. Angela truly embodies the drive, compassion, excellence and professionalism that we have grown to expect from our Salus graduates.   

Salus OCA was also very well represented at AAA with presentations by Drs. Radhika Aravamudhan, PhD; Rebecca Blaha, AuD; Bre Myers, AuD; and Jonette Owen,AuD. Dr. Owen's poster received the Blue-Ribbon Excellence Award. We even had our first student poster presentation, by Monica Skarzynski ‘19AUD and Jamie Lantz ‘19AUD, selected for presentation at the Academy Research Conference. Congratulations to everyone who made this such as successful and memorable meeting! 

Last Friday we hosted the annual PCO Quiz Bowl on campus. As usual, the event was exciting, educational and fun. This year’s winner was Annie Govan ‘20PCO. Annie will go on to represent Salus/PCO at Optometry’s Meeting next year in St. Louis, Mo. Last year’s PCO Quiz Bowl winner, Celeste Gomez ‘19PCO, will compete against contestants from 23 other schools at the Essilor Optometry Student Bowl on Thursday, June 21, during Optometry’s Meeting at the American Optometric Association Congress in Denver, Colo. Here’s a link for more information.

On Saturday, April 14, students from our Physician Assistant program participated in the PA Olympics, held at Bamboo Gardens in Vincetown, N.J. Students competed against seven other schools in games of tug-of-war, dodgeball, a speculum egg race, and trivia – all in the name of charity.The game day events mark the end of fundraising for this year’s charity and is a day of fun and celebration for all of the PA students involved. This year, the students raised money for the Miracle League - North Hampton, a baseball league for children with mental and physical handicaps, in Churchville, Pa. A record 600 students participated in the games on Saturday. A check was given to the Miracle League - North Hampton for the total amount raised of $24,500 which will go toward a playground for special needs children next to their specialized baseball field. Well done!

We just posted a wonderful story on our website about how our staff at the Pennsylvania Ear Institute has had a life-changing influence on an 11-year old young lady. Read more. 

A historical note – The Eye Institute (TEI) celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. Opened in 1978 (my class was the first class to practice there),TEI has been a model for every other optometry program in the country to emulate. Read more about TEI’s history.

Next week is going to be a busy week around here, starting on Sunday. On Sunday, April 22, we will be hosting the annual Joseph Toland Excellence in Education optometric CE event on campus. The event will feature Drs. Rigoberto Arteaga, Alissa Coyne, OD, FAAO; Pinakin Davey, Bisant Libib, OD,FAAO; Tracy Offerdahl, BSc,PharmD; and our residents who will be presenting Grand Rounds cases. The CE will cover the ocular manifestation of ocular disease, lasers, glaucoma, and pharmacology cases. This is always a great event to catch up on the latest in treatment options and technology.

On Monday, April 23, I will speak at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel (across the street from the EP campus) at 11:30 a.m. about my experiences as the senior military medical representative while serving at the United States Pacific Command Surgeon during Operation Tomodachi, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. You are all invited to attend.

On April 24, our Blindness and Low Vision Studies will be hosting an Alumni and Friends reception at the annual meeting of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation at The Central Best Western Atrium in Harrisburg, PA at 5:30 p.m. All of our alumni and friends are invited to attend.

On Wednesday, April 25, in support of our Veterans Readiness Initiative, Salus students and faculty will participate in a multi-disciplinary health screening at the annual Veteran’s Expo held at College Hall, Montgomery County Community College in Bluebell, Pa., from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

On Thursday, April 26, I’m invited to discuss my views on leadership to the officers of U.S. Naval Hospital, Naples, Italy via WebEx. The discussion is scheduled for 9 a.m. and I will be doing this from the Salus board room (W400). Please come if you’re interested. 

Also on Thursday, the admissions office will host students from the Hardy Williams Mastery Charter High School STEM program on our Elkins Park campus for most of the morning. So, when you see these students walking around campus be sure to say hi.

On that note, I’ll conclude, wishing everyone a safe and fun weekend! 

Mike