Addressing Health Inequities: Week of February 12th, 2021

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

Good morning from a rather chilly and snow-covered Elkins Park campus. We continue to have busy weeks with our students and faculty engaged in mask-to-mask, in-person classes, clinical labs (with some practical exams this week) and virtual classwork, in addition to direct care, clinical training here at Elkins Park as well as East Oak Lane and Chestnut Hill.

MORE THAN JUST OPTOMETRY: It wasn’t all academics all the time for Arieneh Tahmasian, OD ’17 and James Komornik, OD ’17 when they were students at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University. Check out our website Sunday for a special Valentine’s Day love story about how Drs. Tahmasian and Komornik met at Salus, fell in love, got married and are now pursuing successful careers as optometrists.

UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND MICRO-AGGRESSION PRESENTATION: I’m looking forward to a Zoom presentation from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, called “Unconscious Bias & Microaggression in the Healthcare Setting” by Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams, PhD, our Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Dr. Mosley-Williams will talk about those topics as they relate to both clinicians and patients in the healthcare environment.

TOP JOBS: We found out recently that four of the professions that Salus trains its students to enter rank among the “100 Best Jobs of 2021” according to U.S. News and World Report — Physician Assistant (PA) at No. 1, Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at No. 7, Occupational Therapist (OT) at No. 19 and Optometrist at No. 48. Read more about how and why those professions were among the best at salus.edu/TopJobs. 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” features Sara Reuss, MS ‘17, CLVT, an Orientation and Mobility specialist at the Nebraska Center for the Education of Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, a school in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Read more about how Sara’s career is progressing at salus.edu/SaraReuss.

FINAL THOUGHTS: We have all been going through many of ups and downs over the past 11 months since the pandemic entered our world. It’s been an unsettling time between frequent discouraging and conflicting news about the pandemic, a vaccine finally being available but inconsistent in distribution, the racial and social unrest that shook the country during the summer, the presidential campaign, insurrection on the Capitol, and now a second impeachment trial for our former president. I think most folks will look back, and with the exception of possibly the Civil War and World Wars I & II, and describe these last 11 months as some of the most turbulent in our history.

These hard times affect us nationally and locally, especially regarding COVID-19 and the Black community. The highest COVID-19 rates of infections, hospitalizations and deaths have been in the Black population of Philadelphia, followed closely by Latinos (Philadelphia Dept of Public Health, 2020). Now as vaccines begin to be distributed across the region, of those vaccinated at Philadelphia health facilities, 43% were white, 12% were Black, 10% were Asian American and 10% reported their race as “other” (Philadelphia Dept of Pubic Health, 2021). That’s pretty disheartening when you know that 44% of Philadelphia’s population is Black, 34% white, 15% Hispanic and 8% Asian American. As I noted last week, some of the challenges with getting people to take the vaccine are related to the high degree of mistrust in the government and vaccine approval process.

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, it’s incumbent upon us to familiarize ourselves with these data, as difficult as that might be, and determine how we can all work together to help improve these health inequities that stem from hundreds of years of racial discrimination and injustices, systemic poverty, as well as a societal blind spot that must be unmasked. As healthcare professionals, while we cannot directly address many of the contributing systemic social determinants of health, we certainly can work to address those health inequities that have resulted in limited access to quality healthcare that has resulted in increased morbidities and mortalities over the years.

At Salus we have a responsibility to the communities we serve. Helping everyone to receive high quality and compassionate care within our clinical facilities as well as in others is a core tenet of our Credo. I ask that we all spend some time this weekend thinking about our Salus community can help to positively impact those systemic issues others have lived with for generations. We have so much to give through our educational and clinical outreach.

Stay safe, continue to social distance, wear your face mask (two are better than one) and wash your hands frequently. We are SALUS STRONG and this is our time to help make other lives better!

Mike

Key to Ending This Pandemic: Week of February 5th, 2021

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

Good morning from a very picturesque Elkins Park campus. Even with the snow storm shutting us down for two days earlier this week, we maintained our virtual classroom work and are now our students, faculty and staff have been busy playing a little catch-up in labs and clinics.

Here’s what else has been happening around campus:

NEW ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS: We’ve recently signed articulation agreements that will benefit college students who want to pursue several in-demand healthcare professions. These partnerships give qualified undergraduate students special consideration for admission, including reserved seats (if they meet admission requirements), under new agreements with Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, and Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Read more at salus.edu/TwoArticulations.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features James Komorinik, OD ‘’17. Find out how Salus University prepared him to become a professional and the details surrounding his early career success by going to salus.edu/JamesKomornik.

NEWS FROM NORRISTOWN SITE: Check out the latest update on our Norristown Federally Qualified Health Center site, the Norristown Regional Health Center, where Luis Trujillo, OD ‘09, Pediatric Resident ‘12, trains PCO/Salus students to learn to help their patients without saying a word. To read more, just click here.

BUILDING RESILIENCE: Join Ryan Hollister, MS (BCSC), associate director, Bennett Career Services Center at Salus and Molly Marcus, PsyD (CPPD), a counselor from the University’s Center for Personal and Professional Development, for a webinar discussing resilience, mindfulness and strategies for remaining positive and persevering through difficult times at noon Wednesday, Feb. 17. The virtual event will also focus on how resilience applies to the job search process. All students are invited and encouraged to attend this event. You can register here.

OPTOMETRIC GRAND ROUNDS: The next Grand Rounds at The Eye Institute (TEI) will be from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12. The topic will be an update on “Management of Diabetic Retinopathy” presented by Dr. Joshua Greene. For more information about Grand Rounds, click here.

WORKOUT BLOCK TIMES: Workout block times at the Hafter Center have been pushed back 15 minutes, now beginning at 6:45 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m. They are still one-hour long with 15 minutes in between workout blocks in order to clean and disinfect the equipment. You must make a reservation before you arrive at the Fitness Center. You can do this by selecting the “Book Class” tab in either the PTFitWorks app or on the salus.ptminder website. You can reserve up to five days in advance.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I wanted share some thoughts concerning the importance of people getting one of the COVID-19 vaccines. Wednesday evening, a couple of us had the opportunity to hear Dr. Drew Weissman, one of two University of Pennsylvania researchers responsible for the development of the mRNA technology used to develop the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, speak about the attributes of the new vaccines. Dr. Weissman noted that while this mRNA vaccines sound new to most people, the technology has actually been around for over ten years. He also stressed how safe, inexpensive and effective these new vaccines are. He noted that mRNA is a non-infectious agent and it does not affect one’s DNA, so there is no potential risk of infection nor can it cause cancer. Another advantage of this technology is the ability to make adjustments to vaccines, such as combat new strains of the virus relatively quickly.

Even with the threat of serious illness or even death from COVID-19, there are large segments of our population that refuse to take the vaccine for numerous reasons. Many think the process went too quickly, others, understandably, don’t trust the government and some have always been against vaccines, the anti-vaxxers. From a public health perspective, vaccines are one of the safest and most effective ways we have to combat infectious disease. They have had an incredible impact on reducing the overall burden of disease across the globe. Yet, there are those who just refuse to take them. These new vaccines have been shown to be 100% effective against serious disease and hospitalizations. They can save your life.

Experts tell us that if we’re ever going to get control of our lives again and reach a level of herd immunity, between 70 – 80% of the population needs to be vaccinated. As of yesterday, only 8.5% (28M people) of the U.S. population has received one dose and less than 2.1% (6.9M people) has received their second dose of one of the COVID 19 vaccines. I realize there is currently a limited supply of vaccine, but I’m also hopeful, especially as the Johnson and Johnson vaccine comes on line, that will change over the next several weeks. As availability permits, it will be imperative for as many as possible to get vaccinated as soon as practical. Once current supply and deployment challenges do get resolved, as healthcare professionals, we will need to set the example and get vaccinated as soon as we can. (We will continue to provide updated information regarding Montgomery and Philadelphia appointments as we receive it.) We also have a responsibility to ensure that whenever we have the opportunity to educate others about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, we do so. Unless enough people take these miraculous vaccines, the virus will continue to spread.

So, as you prepare for some time off this weekend, please think about who in your circles might be reticent to take the COVID vaccine and see what you can do to positively influence them to change their minds. Our public health depends on it. Once you are vaccinated, it will be important to continue to social distance, wear your double face mask and wash your hands frequently. Tomorrow, Tanis and I will receive our second dose of the Moderna vaccine. Even after that, we don’t plan to change our current practices of socially distancing and wearing our double facemasks when around others until more folks have been vaccinated and the experts tell us it’s safe to do so.

As we navigate these choppy waters, please continue to be safe, stay healthy and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Academic and Clinical Activities: Week of January 29th, 2021

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

Good morning from a rather frigid Elkins Park campus! I hope everyone is staying warm and safe. Even with the cold weather upon us, our campus has been a hotbed of activity between clinical labs, some face-to-face lectures, virtual teaching and learning and busy clinics. In addition to the academic and clinical activities occurring on campus, we’ve also been busy with other events.

ADVOCACY FOR COVID RELIEF & FINANCIAL AID EQUITY: As most of you know, Salus has been the beneficiary of the two prior COVID relief bills passed by Congress. Those additional funds have helped to offset student expenses as well as purchase PPE, Return to Learn and other COVID testing and help to offset our clinical income losses. New COVID relief legislation proposed by the current administration, CARES ACT III – The American Recovery Plan, currently does not include independent colleges and universities, such as ours. Along with other university & college presidents in our region, I have written to our Congressional delegation asking them to ensure our educational sector is included in the bill. Additionally, we have asked Congress to change the rules addressing Federal Student Aid to allow graduate students to compete for Pell Grants and low-interest student loans. Currently, both of these programs are open only to undergraduate students.

I have attached a sample letter you can feel free to personalize, in addition to links to contact information for your Congressional delegations. This is really important, so please take a few minutes this weekend to let Congress know how they can continue to help our students and institution get through this pandemic.

• U.S. Senator look up 
• U.S. Representative look up 

A CHAT WITH DR. J: I hope you had a chance to participate in the recent virtual chat with Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams, our Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The session provided the opportunity for people to hear from and engage with Dr. J. in a conversation about the University’s DEI initiatives since she has come on board. Please feel free to reach out to her at any time with input and suggestions.

PARTNERING WITH OTHERS: After receiving an invitation to join the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE), Salus is now a member of the group of nine independent higher education institutions in the Greater Philadelphia region. We are the only graduate-level school in the consortium. The goal of the group is to facilitate collaboration and help improve the quality and efficiency of academic programming, student access, faculty development, institutional operations and community outreach through a wide range of shared activities, services, technology and information. You can learn more about SEPCHE here.

NEW PODCAST SERIES: We have a new podcast series that takes a look at what goes on behind the scenes during a typical day for a doctor at The Eye Institute. Check out the episode with Erin Kenny, OD ‘15, FAAO, Resident ‘16, chief of the William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center, here.

DYNAMIC DUOS: Don’t forget to register for “Dynamic Duos,” a unique and comprehensive lecture discussion scheduled for Feb. 7. Topics and speakers include “Get to Know Your MIGS” with Dr. G. Richard Bennett and Dr. Andrew Meagher; “Stepwise Strategy to Optimize Ocular Surface Disease Outcomes" with Dr. Clark Chang and Dr. Brandon Ayres; “Medical Artificial Iris Implantation: Why, When and How” with Dr. Chang and Dr. Ayres; and “Expanding Scope of Practice: OCT to OCT-A” with Dr. Byung Josh Kim and Dr. Carlo Pelino. To register, click here.

WELCOME TO NEW BOARD MEMBERS: Please join me in welcoming three new members of the Salus Board of Trustees: Kate Kinslow is the Executive Vice President/Chief Integration Officer of Jefferson Health System. Emily Turner is Vice President of the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs in Philadelphia. Shannon Tornoe is founder/principal of Coast to Coast Insurance Brokers in Radnor, Pennsylvania. The time, energy and expertise our Board members brings to Salus makes us a stronger, more effective institution. Welcome aboard to all of our new members!

VIRTUAL ALE: Last month we held our Audiology Learning Experience (ALE) and for the first time, it was a virtual event. It is designed to expand awareness with undergraduate students about the audiology profession and the Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program at the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA). Read more about it at salus.edu/ALE2020.

TYPES OF HEARING LOSS: Not all hearing loss is the same. The type of hearing loss you have depends on what part of your hearing is damaged. Read more about the four types of hearing loss here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Who would have thought that back in March we’d still be in the throes of this global pandemic? Well, here we are, almost eleven months in with an end in sight. As the vaccine rollout begins, albeit, slowly, that light at the end of the tunnel we’ve talked about for months now, is getting a little brighter. Now is not the time to relax, but rather become even more vigilant with preventive measures. There are multiple new strains circulating around the globe, to include here in PA. The good news is that experts tell us the current vaccines will be effective against them. The bad news is that some of these strains might be up to 70% more transmissible.

Moving forward, it’s going to be extremely important to double down on social distancing, wearing your face mask and hand washing. Some experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, are recommending double masking when out in public, as it will be more effective than a single mask. At the very least, any cloth mask you wear should be two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric. And, of course, they’re only effective if worn properly, over your nose and mouth.

I know several of you have either received your first vaccine dose or are on the schedule to receive it. Once you are fully vaccinated, nothing you do now should change. While that may sound counterintuitive, until more people are vaccinated we must maintain the current course. I suspect (now don’t hold me to this) by late summer, we can begin to relax our precautions and slowly move toward some degree of normalcy. Until then, it is essential that everyone continues to social distance, wear a face mask (or two), and wash hands frequently. As an institution, we have weathered this storm extremely well, thanks to all of you following these guidelines. Let’s not let things slip now!

As we begin this very cold weekend, I encourage you to bundle up, soak up some vitamin D from the sun and get some fresh air. Continue to follow all of the COVID precautions and stay SALUS STRONG! 

Have a great weekend!

Mike

Democracy Prevails: Week of January 22nd, 2021

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

Good morning from a chilly, but energized Elkins Park Campus. We’ve been a beehive of activity with both virtual and some in-person classes, clinical labs and providing direct patient care in all of our busy clinical settings. It’s been quite a week! Here are some of the things we have to be proud of looking back as well things we’re looking forward to next week:  

SALUS PROUD: President Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Rachel Levine to be Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Levine, the current Secretary of Health for Pennsylvania, who received an honorary doctorate from Salus University and was a commencement speaker in 2017, could be the first openly transgender federal official to win Senate confirmation. Congratulations to Dr. Levine for this prestigious nomination.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” features In-Ae “Grace” Choi, OD ‘18, an optometrist at Northern New Jersey Eye Institute (NNJEI) in South Orange, New Jersey. Find out which two Salus alumni proved to be role models for Dr. Choi as she started her career. To read more, go to salus.edu/GraceChoi.

NAVY COMMISSION: I was honored to commission Ryan Martzall, MMS ‘20, recently into the United States Navy. It ended up being a memorable day for Ryan and for all of us. Read more about the ceremony at salus.edu/MartzallCommissioned.

A DAY IN THE LIFE: Find out what a day in the life of second-year Audiology student Renee Kochinski, ‘23AUD, looks like. It’s both busy and productive. To read more, click here.

QUARTERLY BOARD MEETING: On Monday, we’ll be hosting the 3rd virtual meeting of the Salus Board of Trustees. Normally held on campus, but they’ve had to pivot due to the pandemic, like the rest of us. Our very active and engaged Board is comprised of all volunteer members from varied backgrounds and specialties. We sincerely thank all of them for their support of Salus!

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we all reflect on the last couple of weeks, I believe, no matter what your political or philosophical leanings are, we would all agree how historically significant they were. What was most germane to me is that the culmination of the events leading up to yesterday was the peaceful transfer of power centered around the theme of National Unity that should bring to all of us feelings of hope, self-reflection and a renewed commitment to keep an open mind and embrace the truth. Democracy prevailed. Additionally, history was made with the swearing in of our first female, first black and first Asian-American vice-president, Kamala Harris.

While we won’t agree on everything the new administration brings to the table, we do know that deploying a strategy to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the health of our citizens and of our planet and actively addressing racial and social injustice are key priorities. These are all essential steps toward moving our country forward, “to form a more perfect Union". As healthcare professionals, these initiatives should excite us, as they will enable us to better serve those under our care.

Finally, Amanda Gorman, the country’s first youth poet laureate eloquently challenges and encourages all of us through her words during yesterday’s ceremony that I would hope you all listen to here.

Have a great weekend – be safe, keep wearing your face mask when around others, continue to socially distance and wash your hand frequently. Above all, remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Condemning Violence and Assaults on Our Democracy: Week of January 15th, 2021

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

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus where our students have been actively engaged in their lab work, virtual classroom learning and clinical interactions, both on this campus as well as in East Oak Lane and Chestnut Hill. We are now nine months into the pandemic and even having a limited number of students, faculty and staff on campus and in our clinics is a far cry from normal, yet, thanks to our dedicated and highly motivated faculty, students and staff, our consequential educational mission is effectively being executed.

A BRIGHT FUTURE: U.S. News and World Report recently reported on the 100 best jobs to pursue right now. Four of our professions are listed, including Physician Assistant at No. 1. Speech-Language Pathologist is No. 7, Occupational Therapist is No. 19 and Optometrist is No. 48. Look for a more detailed story about this in the future on our website.

COGNITIVE CLASSROOM: The Speech Language Institute (SLI) has partnered with ReMed, a care center for clients who experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI), to provide a weekly virtual group titled "Cognitive Classroom.” To read more, click here.

GRAND ROUNDS: The next Ground Rounds at The Eye Institute will be at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 22. Dr. Elizabeth Marunde will talk about “Getting Down with the Lateral Rectus: Differentiating Between Heavy and Saggy Eye Syndrome,” and Dr. Korey Patrizi will speak on “A Prescribing Paradox: Steroid Response in a Chronic Case of Irvine-Gass Syndrome.” For more information, click here.

FOCUS ON DR. PELINO: This week’s Faculty Focus is on Dr. Carlo Pelino, assistant professor at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus and chief of The Eye Institute at Chestnut Hill. Learn more about Dr. Pelino, a Salus Presidential Medal of Honor Award winner in 2019, here.

HAFTER SURVEY: Please take a moment to respond to our Group Needs Assessment to help us continue to provide the classes and content you want to see at the Hafter Center. Click here for the survey.

FINAL THOUGHTS: On Monday, we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His life epitomized one of advocacy for equality (racial, economic, educational, and employment), service, non-violence and respect for others. Under more normal circumstances our Salus Community would actively participate in the day of service. Because of the pandemic, I hope you were able to register for one of the virtual opportunities sponsored by globalcitizen365.org. Beyond the day of service, through our Looking Out For Kids and other outreach programs, we have consistently been serving the communities we are a part of by providing vision and hearing screenings to children in underserved communities throughout Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties.

As we reflect on the horrific events at the U.S. Capitol last week and now look forward to the upcoming Inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris next week, it will be incumbent upon all of us to actively embrace the attributes of hope, respect, unity, equality and justice that Dr. King so eloquently and effectively espoused and personified. In doing so, especially, as healthcare professionals, we will be holding ourselves to those same high standards, where we help to set the example at Salus for how that should look. At Salus, we continue to vehemently condemn violence and any assault on our democracy.

Please take some time this weekend to think about and reflect upon how we can all do better in treating each other with civility and respect; with honesty the hallmark in everything we do and say. Be safe, and even as many of you begin to get vaccinated, it’s important to continue to wear your face mask, socially distance, wash your hands frequently and stay SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Happy New Year: Week of January 8th, 2021

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

Happy New Year. It’s been quite a week, to say the least, with 2021 starting out leaving much for us to think about. You all should have received my comments yesterday concerning the events that unfolded in Washington on Wednesday. While the stress of the event is still with many of us, I would like to highlight all the positive things that have been happening on campus since returning from a prolonged holiday break.

FOCUS ON FACULTY: We are fortunate to have an enviable team of world-class faculty at Salus. Take a look at two recent Faculty Focus features, one on Chad Killen, OD ‘19, Resident ‘20, a clinical instructor in primary care services and the other on Eileen Hunsaker, director of Clinical Education in our Department of Speech-Language Pathology. You can read more about Dr. Killen here and more about Ms. Hunsaker here.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT DAY: We held our semi-annual University Faculty Development Day before the holiday break, a virtual event that featured and in-depth presentation by Dr. Ragan DuBose-Morris, associate professor and director of the Office for Telehealth Education at the Medical University of South Carolina. She discussed topics surrounding the growth of telehealth, such as the pandemic’s impact on the industry and educational goals from both academic and clinical perspectives. Read more about UD Day at salus.edu/UDDay2020.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” feature is on Cora Franze, MS ‘20, who recently graduated from our Orientation & Mobility (O&M) program. Find out more about how Cora’s career has gotten off to a good start by going to salus.edu/CoraFranze.

BACK TO THE GYM: With the restrictions on gyms being lifted recently by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, the Hafter Center will reopen on Monday, Jan. 11. The center’s staff continued to provide virtual services this week, including Lifestream classes. Check your emails next week for monthly class schedules.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST: Check out our Facebook page to see pictures of the winners of our virtual Gingerbread House Contest. Congratulations to Rachel Jhala ‘21OD, Brynn Parkin ‘22OT and Anna Demko ‘21AUD. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: The recent, unfortunate events in Washington, along with events leading up to Inauguration Day will fill the news for the next two weeks. As we navigate through these eventful and often stressful times, I want everyone to know that you will not be alone. It’s times like these that bring communities, such as ours at Salus together. It’s okay to share your thoughts with others in a meaningful and respectful way, and I would encourage you to do that, as differing perspectives help us to learn and grow. I’m happy to host a virtual meeting with anyone interested in discussing recent events.

As I said in yesterday’s note to everyone, I have no doubt that our democracy and Constitution will fully withstand yesterday’s assault on the democratic process.

Right now, the most important thing you can do is to maintain your focus on learning your chosen professions and caring for those patients and clients under our care. Your contributions to our healthcare system and ultimately, the country, will be considerable, once you leave Salus. We do all this while still in the middle of a global pandemic. Vaccinations are beginning to become available to some, but they are still not wide-spread. It is essential to continue to wear your face mask when around others, socially distance and wash your hands frequently. This too will end, but not until many more are vaccinated. In the meantime, help control the spread.

As I’ve said before, I don’t think anyone would argue the fact that we are currently living the old Chinese proverb - “living in interesting times”!

Stay safe, remain optimistic and stay Salus Strong! Have a great weekend!

Mike

Salus New Year Message: Week of January 1st, 2021

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

As we prepare to thankfully leave 2020 in our rearview mirrors and welcome in 2021, I want to take this opportunity to thank the entire university community for your continued support, indefatigable resiliency and compliance with our Salus Safety Strategy which has allowed us to effectively provide our world-class programs, overcoming significant challenges along the way. You all rock!

Reflecting upon 2020, with its many challenges, it has been a year of intense focus, clarity and noteworthy achievements, to include the completion of our Standardized Patient Simulation Laboratory; our Occupational Therapy Program received a 10-year reaccreditation; we celebrated milestone professional recognition for several of our faculty and staff members; we recognized 4 outstanding faculty members with the Presidential Medal of Honor; several of our professions have already achieved or are on the road to achieving 100% national board pass rates; we welcomed our new Special Assistant for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams; we welcomed our new Dean of the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation, Dr. Jim Konopack; we wished Mr. Bill Brichta a fond farewell as he began his retirement and welcomed Ms. Regina Scriven as our new Vice President, Technology and Learning Resources and we recently received a $750,000 Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the state to help fund our new Orthotics and Prosthetics program.

While 2021 promises to be much brighter than 2020, we still have a ways to go before we approach any semblance of what we would consider normal. History reminds us that in the midst of a crisis, things might actually get worse before they get better. For example, in late 1944, following the successful D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, it seemed as if the Second World War was all but over. On Dec. 16, with the onset of winter, the German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favor. Thousands were killed or wounded. The battle that ensued is known historically as the Battle of the Bulge. The U.S. Army ultimately beat back the German offensive, but with great sacrifice, and continued their drive toward Berlin, thus helping to end World War II.

We can draw some parallels from this to what we’re experiencing today. While there are now several vaccines approved for COVID-19 around the world, experts are still predicting a rather grim winter for our country, given the current number of infections and hospitalizations. Thus, it’s imperative that we continue our diligence with wearing face masks, social distancing and frequent hand washing. While these measures are certainly effective, as you know, we have also implemented our “Return to Learn” testing program for all students and clinical faculty returning to campus for scheduled instruction. To date, over 500 people have signed up for their tests and I’m sure others are preparing to do that this week. Remember, you cannot return to campus for your scheduled instruction unless you have evidence of a negative test. Additionally, throughout the semester we will be offering testing solutions to our students returning to campus from their externship, clerkship and other clinical rotations.

There is light at the end of the tunnel as we look towards 2021. We will emerge from this public health emergency stronger, smarter and better prepared for the next time we’re confronted with any emergency that comes our way. We are better healthcare providers, with refined critical thinking skills. 

My staff and I are working hard to ensure we receive the vaccine along with other healthcare professionals at the appropriate time. As you know, we’ve applied to become a COVID-19 vaccine closed Point of Dispensing (POD) that will help to ensure all of us, including our immediate family members, are vaccinated efficiently. Hopefully, that will be approved shortly.

Needless to say, 2020 has been a most challenging year for us all; probably the most in our school’s 100-year history. Personally, I can’t wait to see our classrooms and labs full of students and faculty and be able to show up on campus and not wear a mask and douse my hands with hand sanitizer. But, that will all have to wait. Looking ahead, 2021 does promise to be a much brighter and exciting year. As vaccines become more ubiquitous, and people receive them, things will improve quickly. Salus is a great university because of the students, faculty, staff and volunteer board members that bring our university to life. That has never been more apparent to anyone looking at us than this year. I look forward to working with each and every one of you as we prepare for an exciting 2021 and position ourselves for another year of great accomplishments, growth and successes.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year. Stay safe, stay healthy and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike