My Thanks to Our Salus Community: Week of November 22, 2023

 

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

At this time of Thanksgiving, we pause to count our blessings for the freedoms we enjoy in this great country and the many opportunities to achieve great things that our freedoms afford. Traditionally, individuals from all walks of life come together to celebrate this most American holiday with family and friends to recount the joys and blessings of the past year.

With all that’s happening in the world, we have much upon which to reflect, and for which to be thankful: 

Abundant thanks to our students for choosing Salus to advance your professional formation and for your continued partnership with us as we prepare you with the finest professional education available. You’re the reason we’re here. We are extremely thankful for that.

 

Sincere thanks to our talented staff for all you do for our students and our institution, and to our faculty for your commitment to instructional excellence, service, and research. Your collective contributions, often made without fanfare, advance our mission in ways that are significant and enduring. 

 

Deepest thanks to our volunteer Board of Trustees for your tremendous service to our Salus community. Your expertise, commitment and support inspire us to do our best work.

 

As many of our neighbors and friends lend a hand to those in need, we are also reminded of the indelible spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility that has distinguished our country since its earliest days. This spirit is alive and well here at Salus. Everyday throughout our Eye, Ear, and Speech and Language Institutes, in schools and across the many clinical settings we support, Salus people embody the Thanksgiving spirit. My admiration and thanks to our clinicians, staff, and students for the exceptional care you provide our patients across the Philadelphia region.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, we also embrace a significant moment in Salus’s history – our upcoming merger with Drexel University. This Thanksgiving let’s express our gratitude not only for the blessings in our lives but also for the exciting future that lies ahead as we join forces with Drexel. Together, we will innovate and enhance our strengths in graduate health sciences education and clinical practice, expanding our impact and continuing our legacy of excellence.

Thank you for making Salus a very special place in which to learn, work and support our community.

Wishing you all a very safe and restful Thanksgiving.

-Mike

Advancing Integration Effort: Week of November 17, 2023

 

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

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus on a beautiful Fall day. It’s been a busy week as students prepare for finals, we hosted our Drexel colleagues on campus and opened our new cafeteria. Here are some other items of interest for you:

BIG NIGHT FOR LOFK: The Salus University stars came out for the 16th annual Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) charity fundraiser Saturday night, not only to support the LOFK program but to honor one of our own, Susan “Dr. O.” Oleszewski, OD ‘76, Resident ‘78, MA, FAAO, as the 2023 Lighthouse Award winner. Thanks to all who attended, made donations and participated in our online auction. To read more about the evening, click here. And if you are interested in LOFK giving opportunities, click here.

THANKSGIVING MEAL: Salus University is making it a little easier for those not traveling home for the Thanksgiving holiday. The University will offer a complimentary holiday meal prepared by Metz Culinary. The meal choices are a turkey dinner plate (chicken will be substituted if turkey is not available) or a vegetarian option. Dessert will be included as well. For those interested, click here to fill out the form. Please place your order by noon Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. The date for the meal pick-up will be Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2023. Respondents will receive an email reminder with the pick-up time availability.

CHER CAREER FAIR: Salus University's Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) students got a peek into their futures at the first-ever College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER) career fair held Nov. 6, 2023, at the Hafter Student Community Center gymnasium on the Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, campus. The event included 24 businesses from the Philadelphia region and some that represented companies from across the nation. It was a great opportunity for our OT and SLP students to network. Click here to read more about the event.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Robert Fitzgerald, MS ‘99, has always advocated for disadvantaged populations. The training he received at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University was instrumental in helping him build a successful career in that area. And he’s maintained a strong connection with Salus by serving on the Blindness and Low Vision Services (BLVS) department’s advisory board and serving as a preceptor for the program. Read more about Robert here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Earlier this week, President John Fry and several of our Drexel colleagues met to discuss and advance Integration Council efforts. We were delighted to show them our newest spaces on campus and The Eye Institute, where Salus deans, directors and president’s council members had an opportunity to gather with their Drexel counterparts.

Relationship building is so important as we move closer to July, when many of our functions will begin to integrate in earnest. One of the most important predictors of success in any merger or partnership is the development of trust and familiarity. It is normal to feel unsettled because of the upcoming changes. Creating space and time to interact socially requires a commitment on both parts, particularly as the holidays approach and schedules get busier. The time invested now in building trust and camaraderie will pay dividends later as the work of integration gets more complex.

As we create opportunities to build connections among our Salus and Drexel colleagues in the coming months, please let me know how we can help and support your efforts to strengthen relationships with your counterparts beyond the work of the integration council. I know how excited our Drexel colleagues are to have us join them. Together we will make exceptional contributions to the higher education landscape. 

Special thanks to Rick Echevarria, Amie Leighton, Chris Esposito, Rich Stankovis, and our facilities, technology, security and Metz food services staff for getting our newly renovated cafeteria and first floor areas ready for the soft opening earlier this week. The firepit is a great addition to our patio and it’s great to see folks enjoying it! Also, thanks to Jacquie Patterson, Alexis Abate, Juliana Mosley-Williams and our institutional advancement and communications staff for the fantastic Looking Out For Kids event. Dr. O’s inspiring comments as she received the Lighthouse Award touched everyone in the room.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and Thanksgiving holiday. It’s a time to recharge ahead of the sprint to the semester’s finish line in December. It’s going to be a nice weekend, so try to get outside and enjoy the last of the leaves! Be safe, continue to look out for one another and if you haven’t yet gotten your flu and/or covid vaccinations, please put that on your dockets. Let’s finish out this semester SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Thanksgiving Message: Week of November 23, 2022

 

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

At this time of Thanksgiving, we pause to count our blessings for the freedoms we enjoy in this great country and the many opportunities to achieve great things that freedom and privilege afford. Traditionally, individuals from all walks of life come together to celebrate this most American holiday with family and friends to recount the joys and blessings of the past year.

This year, in particular, with all that’s happening in the world, we have much upon which to reflect, and much for which to be thankful:

• Abundant thanks to our students for choosing Salus to advance your professional formation and for your continued partnership with us as we prepare you with the finest professional education available. You’re the reason we’re here. We are extremely thankful for that.

• Sincere thanks to our talented faculty and staff for all you do for our students and our institution. Your collective contributions, often made without fanfare, advance our mission in ways that are significant and enduring. 

• Deepest thanks to our volunteer Board of Trustees for your tremendous service to our Salus community. Your expertise, commitment and support inspire us to do our best work.

 

As many of our neighbors and friends lend a hand to those in need, we are also reminded of the indelible spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility that has distinguished our country since its earliest days. This spirit is alive and well here at Salus. Everyday throughout our Eye, Ear, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Institutes, in schools and across the many clinical settings we support, Salus people embody the Thanksgiving spirit. My admiration and thanks to our clinicians, staff, and students for the exceptional care you provide our patients across the Philadelphia region.

As we prepare for the holiday tomorrow, thank you for making Salus a very special place in which to learn, work and support our community. Please continue to follow CDC masking guidelines and other preventive measures, such as frequent hand washing, as cases of Covid and flu are still prevalent in our region.

Wishing you all a very safe and restful Thanksgiving.

-Mike

A Thanksgiving Message: Week of November 19th, 2021

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

Good morning of the longest lunar eclipse (see below)in over 568 years from our Elkins Park campus. I was crazy enough to get up to see part of it, which was well worth the extra cup(s) of coffee! Even as the earth eclipsed the sun from the moon, our students, faculty and staff have been extremely busy administering and taking practical exams, sitting in both virtual and face to face lectures and providing world-class care to our patients and clients. Below are items of merit to share with you:

DISTINGUISHED CAREER: After half a century of excellence, Dr. Satya Verma is retiring at the end of the year. During his long and distinguished career at PCO/Salus, Dr. Verma has served in various capacities stacking accolades during his tenure. Read more about Dr. Verma’s storied career and future plans here and join me in wishing him fair winds and following seas as he prepares for retirement.

NEW DIRECTOR: Dr. Chad Killen has been named the new director of PCO/Salus’ On-Campus Residency Programs where he will oversee all residents at The Eye Institute (TEI) in Primary Care/Ocular Disease, Low Vision Rehabilitation/Ocular Disease, Cornea/Contact Lenses, Neuro-Ophthalmic Disease and Pediatrics/Vision Therapy. Currently, there are 12 on-campus residents. Congratulations, Dr. Killen! Click here to read more.

INSIDE AUDIOLOGY AND SLP, PART II: In part two of our latest podcast, we talk with Dr. Lindsay Bondurant, director of the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) and associate professor for Salus University's Osborne College of Audiology, and with Robert Serianni, chair, program director and associate professor for the Speech-Language Pathology program, about the audiology and speech-language pathology professions. Listen to the podcast here.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: This week’s Staff Spotlight features Ruby Singleton, who has been with the University for 35 years in the Technology and Learning Resource Center Services department. Find out more about Ruby, what she enjoys about her job and what she does in her free time by clicking here. 

FLU SHOTS: Many of you probably have read about the flu outbreak at the University of Michigan. None of us would like to see that replicated here. If you have not already gotten your flu shot, please take the time to get it done prior to next week’s holiday. They are available throughout our region at most pharmacies as well as healthcare institutions.

ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING: As an unfortunate requirement of the times, the University will host an active shooter training for the Salus community from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, in the Toland Classroom at TEI. Philadelphia Police Detective Joseph Rovnan will lead instructor our training. He is nationally recognized as a subject matter expert in active shooter strategies, programs and response. Detective Rovnan will talk about safety both in and around the workplace, communications and tips for preventing, preparing and responding to situations including unauthorized visitors and threats to our Salus community. 

AUDIOLOGY GRAND ROUNDS: This week’s Audiology Grand Rounds begin at 12:15 p.m. today, Nov. 19. Kathleen McGovern and Maria Kirifides will present on “Cochlear Implantation Candidacy after Two Decades Without Sound Stimulation.” Click here to join the meeting.

FUNDRAISER FOR PHILABUNDANCE: Our chapter of the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) is conducting a fundraiser for Philabundance from now through Dec. 1. Boxes are outside the cafeteria for donations of nonperishable food and drinks. The top 10 items most needed are: peanut butter and jelly, cooking oil, canned tuna or meat, canned fruits and vegetables, canned stew and soups, oatmeal/breakfast cereal, whole grain pasta, 100% juice, rice, and boxed non-refrigerated milk. Foods low in sodium and sugar, and free of high fructose corn syrup, are preferred. SOTA is also accepting money donations for the organization. 

STUDENT ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGY FUNDRAISER: Stop by CycleBar, 1470 Old York Road in Abington, at noon Saturday, Nov. 20, to ride and raise money for the Salus chapter of the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) organization.

GRANT AWARDED: Anna Grasso, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CAPS, ECHM, assistant professor and academic fieldwork coordinator in the Occupational Therapy (OT) program at Salus University, was recently awarded a subgrant in partnership with Rebuilding Together Philadelphia (RTP) to help low-income older adult homeowners in the Philadelphia area age in place. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Older Adults Home Modification Grant Program (OAHMP), which gave the project more than $824,000 to apply safety and functional home modifications and limited repairs to meet the needs of the local aging population. Read more about it here. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday next week, COVID-19 cases have been increasing in certain parts of the country. Thankfully, our region is still doing pretty well. Thanks to the miraculous vaccines that have been developed, this year we can, once again, celebrate the holiday with friends and loved ones. If you do decide to travel during the holiday, please take appropriate precautions: know what the spread of the virus is where you are going, wear your facemask when appropriate and test yourself prior to returning to campus.

Thanksgiving is traditionally a holiday when family and friends gather to recount the joys and blessings of the past year. I hope you use this time to take stock of the kindnesses we have shared; grateful for all that enriches our lives every day, even in the midst of the pandemic. With all that’s happening in our country and the rest of the world, we have much to reflect on, and also much for which to be thankful. During this challenging year, I offer thanks to our extremely dedicated faculty, residents, staff and trustees for your professional excellence, energy, compassion, enthusiasm in support of our students and our institution. You’ve accomplished so much, often without fanfare, but with great impact on our mission. It’s an honor and pleasure to work with such a committed group of professionals! I also thank our students for selecting Salus to pursue your chosen professions and for trusting us with your health and safety as we have navigated through the pandemic. You are the reason we’re here. We are extremely thankful.

As neighbors and friends pause to lend a hand to those in need, we are reminded of the indelible spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility. This spirit is alive and well here at Salus daily -- whether taking care of patients or clients in our Eye, Ear, Speech and Language or Occupational Therapy Institutes, caring for children in schools or serving clients in the many clinical settings we support. Salus people live the Thanksgiving spirit every day. I sincerely thank and admire you for that.

As we prepare for next week’s holiday, thank you for all that you do every day to make Salus the special place it is to learn, work and support our community.

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

We Need to Remain Conscientious: Week of November 30th, 2020

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

I hope everyone had a safe and restful Thanksgiving and stayed close to home during the holiday.

I wanted take the opportunity to welcome those few who are returning to campus and to remind you, especially if you decided to travel and see family and friends who have not been part of your normal “bubble”, to ensure you are taking all the appropriate precautions upon returning to campus. If you traveled outside PA, you should have taken it upon yourself to get tested prior to returning or quarantining if you didn’t get tested. If you don’t feel well, even if you think it’s only a cold, don’t come to campus. If it persists, please check with your primary care manager or use the Jefferson Health link to determine if you need to be tested.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Matt Morett and the Metz Culinary team on campus for providing Thanksgiving meals to almost 75 students who decided to remain locally during the holiday. I know our students really appreciated the effort, especially since they decided not to travel and couldn’t spend the holiday with their families.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, given the unsurpassed spread of the virus, we need everyone to be extremely conscientious about following the guidelines in our Salus Safety Strategy. Wear your face mask over your nose and mouth at all times while on campus and when around others not in your immediate bubbles off campus, wash your hands frequently, continue to socially distance and if you’re not feeling well, stay home.

As you know, we only have a few weeks until Winter Break and we need to ensure we do everything possible to keep our Salus Community healthy and safe as we navigate through this timeframe. While a vaccine is already being pre-staged around the country, most of us will not be the first to receive it. The end to all this is coming, but we have to exercise patience and not let our guard down now. We’re so close and we’ve done so well - let’s not let complacency change that.

Stay safe, stay Salus Strong!

Mike

Thanksgiving Holiday Planning: Week of November 20th, 2020

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

Good morning on a chilly Fall day from Elkins Park. It’s been another busy week around as we work to help keep everyone safe and healthy heading into the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

NEW GALLERY DISPLAY: To help keep spirits up, curator Elynne Rosenfeld has come up with another fabulous art display for the D’Arrigo Family Gallery outside the Bennett Lounge at the Hafter Student Community Center. Works from the recently formed Philadelphia Pastel Society (PSS) can be viewed through Dec. 17, 2020. If you’re on campus, stop by and take a look at the display – you won’t be disappointed! Read more about it here.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” features Kelly Garcia, MS ‘19, a speech therapist at the Independence Charter School in Philadelphia. To read more about Kelly’s professional journey after graduating from Salus, go here.

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY PLANNING: This is going to be a Thanksgiving holiday unlike most of us have ever experienced. Most years, the holiday is a time to connect with family and friends for good food, fun and fellowship. For some, it may be a difficult time, as we remember those we have lost or that returning home to family may not always be pleasant or welcomed for various reasons. When we think of all we have endured in 2020, and now, seeing increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases nationally and in our own region (see charts below), it may be more difficult to find a reason to be grateful. However, as you approach Thanksgiving, try to make the best of what I know is a stressful and challenging situation and reflect on all we do have to be thankful for – our health, our loved ones, our opportunities to help others and a brighter future ahead.

There will be temptations to see friends and family members you haven’t seen in a while during this short break. I would caution you not to take chances and to resist the temptation to gather, even in small groups.

To that end, consistent with the latest CDC guidance, I want to strongly encourage you not to travel during this holiday, as difficult as that might be. If you do, please ensure that you are taking all the necessary steps to maintain your health and safety as well that of as your family members and your classmates. That means wearing your face mask at home if you’re going to be with people not from your immediate circle (your immediate circle includes family members you live with, roommates and others you have regularly spent time with), social distancing of at least six feet, washing your hands frequently and maintaining maximum airflow in your house by opening windows, doors, etc. 

If you travel outside Pennsylvania, you need to be aware that beginning today, anyone who visits Pennsylvania from another state, including Pennsylvanians returning to the Commonwealth, must get tested within 72 hours prior to entering the Commonwealth. If you are unable or choose not to be tested, you are required to quarantine for 14 days upon returning to PA. The Commonwealth is expecting individuals to police themselves, which means that you would be unable to come to campus and would miss any scheduled face-to-face instruction.

AFTER THANKSGIVING BREAK: Below are enhancements that we are making to the Salus Safety Strategy designed to protect our community over the next two months.

December
Following Thanksgiving weekend, our academic programs have made adjustments to limit on campus instruction through winter break. While our clinics will remain open to serve our patients and clients and certain lab instruction will continue at Elkins Park, student activity on campus will be reduced. Your individual program will be in touch with these details. Please note, that there is an exemption from this restriction from the PA travel restriction for our students traveling in and out of Pennsylvania to “work” at their clinical sites.

Vaccine
You all have heard the good news concerning some of the vaccines currently be developed, which has been shown to be about 95 percent effective against the virus. While this is great news, an effective vaccine is still awaiting FDA approval and it will be several months after that before the vaccine is distributed to the public. Additionally, we will still need to take all the current precautions, such as continuing to wear a face mask for several months after receiving the vaccine to ensure there is no additional spread. While there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s imperative that we remain vigilant until we get there - which we will.

Winter Break
The Elkins Park campus and all Salus clinics will be closed from Thursday, December 24th through Sunday, January 3rd. Any essential staff that needs to work during this period will be informed by their supervisors. 

Return to Learn Testing
Following winter break, all students, laboratory educators, clinical educators and clinic staff will be required to be tested for COVID-19 prior to their return to campus or our clinics in January. We are partnering with LabCorp to provide Pixel at-home COVID-19 self-administered PCR tests by mail. Salus will make these tests available, at no cost to you, on or around December 28th via a secure web portal. Individuals will access the portal to order their test (which will be sent by overnight mail), take the test at home and then return the test via pre-paid overnight mail to LabCorp. Test results will be communicated to the individual and Salus 24-48 hours after receipt by LabCorp. A negative test result will be required to access campus or the clinics. Any positive tests will be followed up by medical professionals and Salus. The entire process from start to finish will take between 4 and 6 days, so individuals will need to plan to order the test early enough to allow for their return to scheduled instruction/work. Additional details will follow in the coming weeks.

Please remember that while our protocols are designed to reduce the risk of exposure, the contagious nature of COVID-19 means we cannot eliminate all risk of infection. We have successfully made it this far thanks to your efforts in following protocols and remaining flexible throughout pandemic. I ask that you continue to follow guidelines and act responsibly. You have become more resilient and adaptable as we have moved through these past nine months. Let’s hang in there so we can all sprint across the finish line together in the upcoming months. Please try to get out and enjoy the nice weather that’s predicted for this weekend. As always, please remember to wear your face mask, socially distance and wash your hands frequently. Be safe, remain vigilant and stay SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Happy Thanksgiving: Week of November 20, 2018

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

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week with friends and family, I want to take a moment to offer my gratitude to our extended Salus family – students, faculty, residents, staff, alumni and board members – for the energy, compassion, enthusiasm and cooperation that has made this past year so very successful for our University. What an honor and pleasure it is to work with such a committed group of professionals as we envision new ways to keep Salus moving forward. The spirit of improvement and dedication to excellence is truly inspiring.

It can sometimes be too easy for us to take for granted the freedoms afforded by this great country in which we live, which provides us the very opportunity we have during this holiday to gather peacefully with our friends and loved ones;  a situation brought into sharp focus over the past few months with the extraordinary challenges facing others in so many regions of our country and the rest of the world.

As we prepare for this week’s holiday, I want to thank you for what you do every day to make us a very special place to learn, work and support our community.  I also want to thank you for what you do to keep Salus University on its continued path of progress and innovation.

Tanis and I wish you all a very safe and restful Thanksgiving. 

Mike

Happy Thanksgiving From Salus University!

Dear fellow alumni and friends,

As we approach Thanksgiving we pause to count our blessings for the freedom of this great country in which we live and for all of those opportunities that come from that freedom to achieve great things. Traditionally, individuals come together to celebrate this most American holiday with family and friends to recount the joys and blessings of the past year. I hope you use this week’s holiday to take stock of the good fortune we have known and the kindnesses we have shared; grateful for the bounty that enriches our lives every day. This year, in particular with all that’s happening around the world and also in our own country, we have much to reflect on but also much to be thankful.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our extremely gifted and dedicated faculty and staff for all you have done for our students and our institution this year. You’ve accomplished much, often without much fanfare but with great impact on our mission. This was quite evident at this year’s Salus Awards Gala that was held last Thursday evening where many of you were recognized by our student body for the exceptional work you do every day. Thanks to our student council for organizing this important and fun event!

I would also like to thank our students for trusting and selecting Salus as your choice to pursue your given professions and for your continued support as we work to provide you with the finest professional education available. Everyone at Salus realizes you’re the reason we’re here and we are extremely thankful.

As many of our neighbors and friends pause to lend a hand to those in need, we are also reminded of the indelible spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility that has distinguished Americans since our earliest days. This spirit is alive and well here at Salus every day - whether it is by taking care of those underserved in our on campus facilities - The Eye Institute, the Pennsylvania Ear Institute or the Speech-Language Institute – or caring for children in schools through our Looking Out for Kids initiative or providing care for patients in the various clinical settings we support, the University’s faculty, staff and students are living the Thanksgiving spirit every day, and I sincerely thank and admire you for that.

As we prepare for this week’s holiday, I want to thank you for what you do every day to make us a very special place to learn, work and support our community.

Tanis and I wish you all a very safe and restful Thanksgiving with your family and friends!

Best,

Mike