Welcome Back: Week of August 28th, 2020

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

Good morning from a warm and muggy Elkins Park!

WELCOME BACK! - I’d like to welcome back all of our students returning to campus – I recorded a welcome video stressing the importance of our Safety Strategy and what will be accessible on campus during this fall semester. While I won’t win the academy award for the video, I encourage all of you to check it out. 

FACULTY FOCUS - This week’s faculty focus features Bisant Labib, OD ‘14, Resident ‘15, FAAO. Learn more about why she believes humor has the ability to transform any negative situation or emotion into a positive one. It’s well worth the read!

N95 MASK DONATION - Salus recently received a much-needed donation of more than 285 N95 masks from Medical Students for Masks – an organization dedicated to protecting frontline healthcare workers. Read more at salus.edu/PPE-Donation.

OUR NEW FACULTY MEMBERS - We have a couple new faculty members I’d like to welcome to the Salus Community: Eileen Hunsaker, MS, CCC-SLP, recently joined the University as director of Clinical Education for the SLP program and Chad Killen, OD ‘19, Resident ‘20, who became a PCO instructor. 

UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT DAY - This morning, we’ll conduct a virtual faculty-wide Development Day from 9-11:30 a.m. Please join in on Blackboard Collaborate.    

VOTE! – As the country prepares for the presidential election this coming November, I want to ensure everyone has a chance to vote, no matter what your political affiliation is. If you’re going to vote by mail, which I encourage, given the pandemic, I urge you to get your mail-in ballot early so it will be counted. Here are the steps to vote by mail in Pennsylvania:

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.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This week we all were witness to yet another shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. This time in Wisconsin. I am again angered and dismayed by the event and that our nation once again finds itself reeling from the tragic shooting of a Black man by police, as three of his children looked on. Mr. Blake, who is now paralyzed as he fights for his life, is just the latest in a long line of Black men and women who have been shot and severely wounded or killed by police.

We continue to stand with all those who demand justice, equality and accountability for Black lives in our country – lives like those of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony Robinson, Denise Hamilton, Earnest Lacy, and Sylville Smith. I want to reiterate what our DEI committee noted in their email yesterday encouraging all members of the Salus community to check on each other, and especially on our Black students, friends, and colleagues. Ask questions such as “How are you feeling? What do you need from your us – your classmates and colleagues?” We will fully support our Black students, faculty and staff and try to use this tragedy to come closer together as a Salus community, not get pulled farther apart. 

On a much more positive note, this weekend should be pretty nice, so please take some time to relax, reflect and get outside. Remember to continue to socially distance, wash your hands frequently and wear a face mask when around others. Also, please remember that what you do off campus effects all of us on campus, so please be vigilant. This pandemic, while it seems to be lasting a lifetime, will end - we just need to stay on top of things until it does.

Stay safe, be smart and remain Salus Strong!

Mike

Plans for the Fall Semester: Week of June 15th, 2020

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff and Board Members, 

Having resumed limited University operations and clinical instruction during the Yellow Phase of the Process to Reopen Pennsylvania, I wanted to confirm our plans for the fall semester. Consistent with the guidelines promulgated by the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education, after a great deal of planning and preparation, we are planning to resume the majority of our on campus operations on August 24th.

Instruction

Laboratory and clinical instruction will be conducted face-to-face either on campus, at our clinical facilities or at externship sites. Didactic classroom instruction will be conducted in alternative formats with individual programs and their students selecting from a variety of modalities including, face-to-face, remote (synchronous and asynchronous) and blended offerings. We are adopting a block scheduling system to allow for enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of spaces and to reduce congestion in common areas. If for any reason, the public health situation dictates otherwise, we are well prepared to pivot and provide remote instruction.

Student Services

The Learning Resource Center (LRC), Café and Student Affairs Office will be open for your use. We are also developing plans to reopen the Hafter Student Community Center.

Operating Protocols 

The health and safety of the Salus community remains our utmost concern. The operating protocols that we have adopted for the Yellow Phase will evolve in accordance with CDC and state guidelines. Daily screenings and temperature checks will continue as will the requirement to wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth. For your own convenience, please remember to complete the Salus Sign On. Students and faculty engaged in laboratory and clinical instruction will continue to be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE).

One way traffic in our hallways and staircases will also continue. Laboratories, classrooms, the LRC and the Café will all have reduced capacities to allow for physical distancing. Plexiglass shields are being added to laboratory and clinical equipment and in additional locations as customer service barriers.

To allow for contact tracing, all individuals entering and leaving our facilities will be recorded. Class schedules and assigned seating will provide additional information. 

All faculty and staff who can perform the essential functions of their jobs from home will still be encouraged to do so. Those whose essential functions require them to be on site will return to campus and our clinical facilities.   

Our protocols are designed to reduce the risk of exposure, but the contagious nature of COVID-19 means we cannot eliminate all risk of infection. Everyone must also do their part by practicing physical distancing, frequently washing their hands, not touching their nose, mouth or eyes, and most importantly staying home if they are sick. Once again, this is where the Salus Sign On comes into play. We have adopted more liberal excused absence policies to accommodate those who stay home because they are or may be sick.

Orientation

Building upon the success of our series of Entering Student Webinars, our new students will be able to conduct their Salus University orientation online and at their own pace beginning in early August. In addition, each individual program will conduct small group orientation sessions virtually and/or in person the week of August 17th.

  

As we work tirelessly to prepare for the fall semester, additional and updated information, including our protocols and procedures can be found on our updated COVID-19 webpage – salus.edu/COVID-19.

I cannot tell you how excited we all are to welcome you back to campus. You’re returning to campus during an exciting, yet challenging time that presents us with great opportunities to innovate and help to define the next normal that has been necessitated by the pandemic. 

We are SALUS STRONG, working together as a singular University team. I can’t wait to see you in person.

Mike