Addressing Stress: Week of March 18th, 2022

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

Good morning on this pleasant, spring-like Friday! I hope you are adjusting to the time change and enjoying the extra hour of daylight with daylight savings time. While daylight burns, our students, faculty and staff remain as busy as ever between classes, labs and clinical schedules. We also keep all Ukrainians in our thoughts as they courageously battle Russia’s inhumane onslaught on their cities. We continue to collect canned goods, clothing and medical supplies in support of refugees. Look for the boxes in the lobby adjacent to the Elkins Park campus cafeteria.

Other items of interest include: 

HELP FOR UKRAINE: Salus students Alexandra Domaradsky ‘22PA and Jamie Dorotov ‘23SLP, both first generation Ukrainian Americans, are collecting donations for the people of Ukraine. Find out more about their efforts and how you can help by clicking here.

NEW BOT MEMBER: Danita Nias, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties in Florida, has joined the Salus University Board of Trustees effective January 2022. She has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in International Relations from Syracuse University. She is currently working on her PhD dissertation titled “The Role of University Presidents in University Fundraising Performance.” Read more about her here.

NEW EXTERNSHIP DIRECTOR: Congratulations to Rachel Brackley, OD ‘09, Resident ‘10, FAAO, who has been named the new director of the University’s Externship program. She replaces Satya Verma, OD ‘75, FAAO, DPNAP, Diplomate, who retired at the end of 2021 after 50 years at PCO/Salus. You can read more about Dr. Brackley here.

ON-CAMPUS CADAVER LAB: Check out this conversation with Michael Speirs, associate professor in our Physician Assistant Studies (PA) Program, about the on-campus cadaver lab and how it benefits our Salus students. Click here for more. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: The war in Ukraine, climate change, global pandemic, and midterm election politics, all contribute significantly to the stress already felt with packed academic and clinical schedules. I don’t know anyone who has not been touched by the events in Europe, the pandemic or climate change. While none of us is immune from this, there are things we can all do to mitigate some of the feelings we might be having. I’ve reminded you of these before, and I don’t think I can do it enough, given all that’s happening around us.

Here are some suggestions that may help with stress:

• 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!), 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 including stress. Prioritize sleep and you’ll be more productive, resilient and attentive.
• Get outside and enjoy the fresh air – As the weather gets warmer, there are so many outdoor parks and places around us to explore and walk. Being in nature helps calm the mind, exercise our bodies and replenish our spirits.
• 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 – 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 have skilled counselors in our Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) who are there for you. strongly encourage you to contact them, if you feel like you need to. All you need to do is make an appointment here. For faculty and staff, please contact your health insurance carrier who can assist you. Finally, it looks like we’re in for a pretty nice weekend, so get out and enjoy the fine weather. As COVID numbers remain low (zero cases reported on campus and through random screenings this week), please remember to wear your mask when appropriate, wash your hands frequently and socially distance when you can. We are closely watching the new “Deltacron” variant in Europe and here at home to ensure we’re ready if numbers increase.

Be safe, continue to act responsibility and thank you for remaining SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Addressing Stress: Week of February 26th, 2021

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

Greetings from a sunny and cold Elkins Park campus. The snow is starting to melt and we’re looking forward to some warmer days ahead! It’s been another busy week on campus. We’ve said farewell to a long-standing PCO faculty member, Dr. Francine Pearlman-Storch after 40 years teaching PCO students clinical skills and participated in an alumni beer tasting event, which was lots of fun. In addition to this, here are some of the other things happening around campus:

BLACK STUDENT UNION: One of our newest student organizations is the Black Student Union (BSU) group. Forming a new group is difficult under normal circumstances, but for a group that has a mission that includes being out in the community and advocating for the various professions in which Salus students are trained, the challenges have become even more complicated. Read more about the BSU and its goals at salus.edu/BSUgroup.

NEW BOT MEMBERS: Salus University’s Board of Trustees kicked off the new year by adding three new members. Dr. Kate Kinslow, Shannon Tornoe and Emily Turner were named to the board at its January 2021 meeting. Learn more about our new members at salus.edu/NewBOTmembers.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT TEI: Our next “Behind the Scenes at TEI” podcast features Alissa Coyne, OD ‘10, Resident ‘11, FAAO, staff optometrist for primary care and emergency service at The Eye Institute. Read more about Dr. Coyne at salus.edu/ACoyneTEI.

PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERSHIP: We are grateful that the University’s philanthropic partnerships have continued to thrive despite the pandemic. Our most recent donation of $7,500 came from a new donor named Keplr Vision. The Illinois-based company has recognized an opportunity to help students through the Optometry Learning Experience (OLE), a program established 40 years ago by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus. To read more about this contribution, click here.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features Caitlin Panella, MS ‘18, CCC-SLP, who now works in early intervention after school with children three to five years of age and also serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade for ASPIRA Bilingual Cyber Charter School in the Olney section of Philadelphia. Read more about Caitlin at salus.edu/CaitlinPanella.

FINAL THOUGHTS: In just a couple of weeks, we will have been working within this public health emergency for a year. That has taken a toll on all of us, but I know, especially faculty and students. To that end, I’d like to address this last section specifically to them. We all realize how much stress you have been under over the last year. I want you to know that you’re not alone – not at all, and we recognize this. For our students, I can almost guarantee if you’re having difficulty with a specific subject, many of your classmates are experiencing the same challenges. Because you are not spending time together as groups, you just don’t have the opportunity to “compare notes” as you would have if we were not living in a mostly virtual world. Your deans, program directors and faculty all realize the stress you’re currently under. For our faculty, while we don’t say it enough, we realize the extraordinary efforts you have made to ensure our students are getting the best education possible. We also realize the challenges associated with teaching in a virtual environment, leveraging the technology that’s available to us and working in close quarters with others in clinics and labs. None of this is perfect and frankly, none of the learning platforms that people are using across higher education were designed to be used in totally virtual environments. Your creativity and ability to adapt and make things work less than optimum settings have been enviable and extremely effective and we also realize that often the results of everyone’s efforts are not up to your high standards. We also know how stressful this is. There is no simple rejoinder to many of these stress-causing challenges and we also know that everyone copes with stress a bit differently. I’d like to share some stress-relieving strategies that I’ve shared in the past and suggestions to help you through this, that have served me well over the years:

For students, stay focused on your studies - Don’t get behind. Keep up with your studies, ask questions when you’re not sure and seek help as you feel you need it. Stay in close touch with your faculty.

Develop a routine you can maintain - Sounds basic, but it will make a world of difference. Get up, make your bed (now you’ve accomplished at least one thing!), start or maintain a regular exercise routine, 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, including stress. Prioritize sleep over other things and you’ll be more productive, resilient and attentive.

Get outside and enjoy the fresh air, even in the cold – There are 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.

Give us concrete suggestions on how we can improve our learning environment - While we cannot redesign Blackboard or Blackboard Collaborate, we may be able to design workarounds or can provide specific training that help to augment the teaching and learning experiences.

I can assure you that the pandemic and everything we’ve had to do to keep everyone safe and healthy, while ensuring everything else gets done, has stressed all of us. With the impending approval of a third vaccine, hopefully, later today, there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. While we probably won’t be back to “normal” until enough people are vaccinated, that time is approaching, hopefully by late summer or early fall. In the meantime, we all need to remain focused, healthy and optimistic. We have skilled counselors in our Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) who are there for students and Human Resources has access to counselors for faculty and staff. I would strongly encourage you to contact them, if you feel like you need to. For students, all you need to do is make an appointment here.

Finally, it appears we might have a rainy weekend but you still should be able to get out and enjoy some fresh air. I strongly encourage you all to get out and enjoy the good weather while we still have it.

As you get out and about, please continue to wear your double 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, have some fun and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Happy Holidays: Week of December 18th, 2020

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

Good morning from a beautiful, cold, snow-covered Elkins Park campus. While we, happily, didn’t get the 10 -14 inches of snow originally predicted, we got enough to make it look like a winter wonderland. We’ve made it through the semester; face masks, social distancing, virtual classes and all! I look forward to the day when we are mask-less, able to meet in larger groups and see our campus buzzing with activity again! As we get ready to depart on Winter Break, just a few things to leave you with:

WELCOME TO REGINA SCRIVEN: Please join me in welcoming Regina Scriven as the University’s new vice president of Technology and Learning Resource Services. Regina comes to us after serving more than eight years as director of Information Technology for the School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Welcome aboard, Regina. We’re so happy to have you as part of the Salus team. To read more about Regina, go to salus.edu/ReginaScriven.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” features Brittney Hamlett, MMS ‘17, a physician assistant in the Emergency Room at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore. Read more about how Brittney’s career has progressed since her graduation at salus.edu/BrittneyHamlett. 

SLP PODCAST: Check out the first of a five-part ongoing podcast series about the University’s Speech-Language Pathology program. Chair and program director Bob Serianni talks to some of our students from the Class of 2022. Click here to listen to the podcast.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT DAY: Very special thanks to Jeanne DiVincenzo and her staff at CPPD for leading a very thought-provoking discussion on things we all could be doing to help recognize and alleviate the stress our students, faculty and staff have been experiencing during the pandemic. I found this extremely helpful, personally - thank you! We hope to continue this important discussion next semester.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Congratulations on making it through probably one of the most challenging semesters in our history. I look forward to getting the vaccine and getting on with our normal lives! A Navy tradition I have embraced through the years was who ever had the watch on Christmas Eve was supposed to write a “clever” poem in the logbook. As a junior officer, I had to come up with several. So, I will leave you with this, as we all prepare to get some much-needed rest and relaxation: 

‘Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the campus,

Not a student was stirring, not in clinics or classes;

The finals were finished, the grades were prepared,

In hopes that an “A” soon would be there;

The pandemic has challenged through much of the year,

But even with that, we have all persevered;

A vaccine is in sight,

That sure will end our plight;

With the New Year approaching,

We hope for no masks and in-person toasting;

As we wait for the end of this long misery,

We look to next summer when we’ll be COVID free!

While we wait for that time with patience and hope,

We wish you all peace, rest and time on the slopes.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa to all and to all a good night! 

Be safe, get some rest, and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Hitting the Wall: Week of December 11th, 2020

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

Good morning from a cold and very quiet Elkins Park Campus. As a precaution, with few exceptions, most of our students, faculty and staff are off campus following the Thanksgiving break. Our labs and clinics remain open with plans for clinics and the Elkins Park campus to shut down from 24 December – 4 January. Even with limited activities on campus, much has been happening virtually.

AUDIOLOGY LEARNING EXPERIENCE: The Audiology Learning Experience is scheduled from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. today. The program includes a program overview, admissions tips, campus tour and more. It's the first time it will be held virtually and so far, 15 prospective students registered.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Our “Where Are They Now” feature this week focuses on Jenae Stiles, OD ‘17, FAAO, who after graduation started a three-year active duty tour with the U.S. Army. Find out how the training she received at Salus helped her handle some complex cases right at the start of her professional career as an optometrist. Go to salus.edu/JenaeStiles.

TOLAND SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: The Joseph C. Toland Memorial Scholarship winner this year is Heather McKay ‘22OD from Columbia, Maryland. Read about the unique and fun way that Heather found out she won the award by going to salus.edu/HeatherMcKay.

LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARDS: Although the Salus Holiday Party will not be held as usual this year, an important part of the event — the Length of Service Award presentations — will still be conducted. I’ve recorded a video to acknowledge all faculty and staff who recently celebrated a five-year milestone in 2020. Salus has many dedicated employees who have contributed to the success of the University over the years and we look forward to keeping that prestigious list growing. Look for that video and a story on our website before the holidays.

HAPPY CHANUKAH: As Dr. Mosley-Williams acknowledged yesterday in an email to the University community, today marks the first day of Chanukah. I’d like to wish all of our Jewish colleagues and friends a very happy and healthy Chanukah as they celebrate the Festival of Lights.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Many of you know that I have run several marathons, most recently in Berlin last year. Marathoners often describe “hitting the wall” at around mile 20, something I’ve experienced as well. The advice for overcoming this physical and psychological phenomena is to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and focusing on the finish line and I can tell you it works. Applying this same advice may help us work through the next few months of the pandemic.

Back in March, we thought the pandemic would be over within a couple of months, as opposed to potentially over a year. Right now, many of us are “hitting the wall”. Some have characterized it as pandemic fatigue. I think what people are feeling right now more closely aligns with human nature. We’re just not built to withstand this level of stress, facing the unknown for long periods of time. That’s why it’s imperative, now, more than ever, to concentrate on placing one foot in front of the other to get to the finish line – remaining safe and healthy. In order to do that, we have to maintain trust in our current protocols. While they have been effective to date, we are discussing ways to augment them to continue to keep us safe.

In addition to conducting testing prior to our “Return to Learn” for the Spring Semester, as more cost-effective testing options become available, we are discussing ways we can augment what we are already doing to keep the Salus Community safe and get us all the way through the pandemic. This could include testing students returning to campus from externship or clerkship sites, where appropriate.

We’re also looking forward to when vaccines are being deployed to the general public. We’ve applied to become a vaccine administration site so we can ensure the Salus Community receives the vaccine in a timely fashion. While not guaranteed, we’re hopeful our application is approved. I realize how stressful and tiring this is for everyone. I ask that you continue to hang in there as we look towards the future. We just need to focus on the finish line and we’ll all get there together, I promise.

So, as we approach this weekend, especially in light of the Governor’s increased pandemic restrictions on indoor dining, indoor gym activities, and the number of people who can congregate inside and out, please try to maintain what the U.S. Surgeon General calls the 3 “W’s” - Wear a face mask, Wash your hands and Watch your distance. Try to get outside - away from others - and enjoy the warmer weather. It won’t be long before it gets much colder!

Please continue to act responsibly and remain SALUS STRONG! If you would like to talk with one of our counselors at CPPD, just hit the link here to get an appointment.

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

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

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