Reflecting on a Year Since the Pandemic Began: Week of March 12th, 2021

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

I hope everyone has been enjoying the very nice reprieve from winter! The pond in the middle of campus is almost totally ice-free and our ducks and Canadian geese are returning. As we prepare to lose an hour of sleep later this weekend as Daylight Savings Time begins early Sunday morning, we should also reflect on the fact that one year ago today we effectively pivoted to an online, hybrid educational model within 72 hours. As I walked around the campus and clinics this week I was energized by the level of excitement I saw in all of you. While not nearly back to normal yet, there is still a great deal of activity within our University community that is a testimony to your resilience, dedication and professionalism. Here’s some of what’s happening around campus:

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! If you’ve been at The Eye Institute or on the Elkins Park campus this week, you may have noticed a film crew at work. That’s the folks from The College Tour, a TV series hosted by Alex Boylan, that tells the story of a single college through the lens of its students. They’re doing a half-hour show on Salus University, and have enlisted a number of our students and a few of our faculty members to be in front of the camera detailing the many wonderful aspects of our University. Some students have had the opportunity to appear as extras, and I even have a cameo appearance in the end. This is going to be a great marketing opportunity for Salus and will help us to attract prospective students and faculty. We’ll keep you updated as to when the show will air.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features Rachel Plavnik, MS ‘19, who after graduation moved to Los Angeles where she is a speech-language pathologist at a skilled nursing facility and also works part-time at a local hospital. Read more about Rachel’s journey into the professional world at salus.edu/RachelPlavnik.

LOOKING OUT FOR KIDS: In what will be the first of several reminders in the coming weeks, Salus University’s 14th annual “Looking Out for Kids” fundraiser will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1. This year’s event is virtual and will honor TD Bank as the “Lighthouse Award” winner. Once again, NBC10 News anchor Rosemary Connors will host the event. To purchase virtual tickets or VIP reception boxes online, visit SalusUhealth.com/LOFK. Please RSVP by April 9, 2021.

EMERITUS STATUS: The University’s Board of Trustees recognized the many contributions of board member Jane Scaccetti over the past 12 years and granted her emeritus status at its first board meeting in January. Jane has served as chair of the Finance Committee and most recently as chair of the Health Services Committee and was a member of the Executive Committee. She will now participate and continue to contribute as an emeritus trustee. Thank you Jane, for all you have done and will continue to do for Salus. To read more about Jane’s service, go to salus.edu/JaneScaccetti.

VACCINATIONS FOR UNION MEMBERS: As you might have seen in your emails yesterday, on Thursday, March 18, UFCW Local 1776 will be partnering with ACME Pharmacies to offer vaccinations for its union members in the Toland Classroom at TEI. We are pleased to assist in this effort, which will benefit those in our patient service, housekeeping and facilities staff that are members of Local 1776. Those employees will receive a separate email with more information on how to register for an appointment. Unfortunately, due to limited supply and their mandate, vaccinations are not able to be provided to non-union members in the Salus community. However, we are continuing to lobby local government for increased vaccination opportunities for the Salus community.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As many of us reflect on the last year and how we have all had to make significant changes and sacrifices along the way, I can’t help but to feel very proud of the way that Salus has weathered the storm. Because of the manner in which everyone has conducted themselves, when we compare ourselves to other institutions, we have had lower numbers of COVID cases than most of our peers and we have been able to provide our essential labs, clinics and classes, often in modified formats, since this began. Throughout this emergency I have been highlighting the fact that our faculty have been rock stars - but so have our students and staff. Organizations get through difficult times as a team and we have done just that. I cannot effectively convey the level of pride I have in leading and representing such a talented, spirited, intelligent and successful group of professionals. You are the ones that make us SALUS STRONG!

As we prepare to set our clocks forward this weekend and lose that hour of sleep, please take some time to reflect on what you have accomplished this year. It should not be minimized. We still have a ways to go, but as vaccines become more available and COVID rates hopefully continue to decrease, it is more important than ever to continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines for social distancing, wearing a face mask when around others, (even if you are vaccinated) and washing your hands frequently. If we do this, then our Fall semester might be more normal. Stay safe, get out and have some fun and come back even SALUS STRONGER!

Mike

Looking Forward to Spring: Week of March 5th, 2021

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

Good morning from a sunny but cold and windy Elkins Park campus. While all the snow provided a very pretty picture, it’s nice to see most of it gone – at least for now! It’s been another busy week with more students on campus for in-person, socially distanced classes and multiple labs. Our clinics have remained as busy as possible under the current occupancy restrictions.

SLP PODCAST SERIES: In part seven of our ongoing podcast series about the Speech-Language Pathology program at Salus, department chair and program director Bob Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, speaks with Bridget Turnbach, MS ‘17, who is an Speech-Language Pathologist at The Therapy Spot, a pediatric multidisciplinary clinic in Baltimore, Maryland, about how Salus prepared her to to practice her profession. Click here to listen to that conversation.

GORDON FAMILY LEGACY: The Gordon family has a robust legacy at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO). Patriarch Mark Gordon, OD ‘71, built a successful practice in Maryland and was followed into the family practice by daughter Shoshana (Gordon) Cohen, OD ‘96, and son Joshua Gordon, OD ‘99. Read more about the family at salus.edu/GordonFamily.

INTERPROFESSIONAL RESEARCH PAPER PUBLISHED: A research paper entitled “Efficacy of an Intervention to Teach Zippering,” by a group of interdisciplinary faculty members from Salus that includes Fern Silverman, EdD, OTR/L, Carrie Knight, PhD, CCC-SLP, and Anna Grasso, MS, OTR/L, CAPS, has been published in the March/April 2021 issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy that supports the use of a modified zippering vest with added visual and language clues to teach zippering skills to preschool children. Congratulations to all on this important research project.

SLP AWARDED GRANT: The Salus University Department of Speech-Language Pathology was awarded a one-time grant from the LENA Foundation to Launch LENA Start, a parent program that uses regular feedback from LENA's "talk pedometer" technology to help increase interactive talk in order to close the early talk gap, improve school readiness, and build stronger families. This grant will enable the faculty and students of the SLP Department to work with 100 families over the next two years to help parents and caregivers learn about the importance of interactive talk along with ways to incorporate more conversation into their daily routines. 

ATTENTION FIRST YEAR STUDENTS: The Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) has teamed up to launch SocialConnections20, a program designed to connect you with your peers. We understand that you are missing connecting with both your cohort members and the student body at large. Although we can't provide those opportunities right now, CPPD and OSA have created a program to connect you with peers who share your interests. A sign up link was sent to your salus.edu email from compatibility-mentor@compatibilitymentor.com to create a Compatibility profile and complete the survey to match you with fellow first year students. Once the 'pods' or groups are established, the SocialConnections20 team will be in touch with next steps on how to connect with your group. If you have any questions about the program or need to have the survey link sent again, please contact them at connections20@salus.edu.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Check out the details on three virtual events we’ve recently had that addressed vaccine hesitancy, building resilience and unconscious bias hosted by our Black Student Union (BSU), Bennett Career Services Center (BCSC) and Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) and Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams, our assistant to the president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Go to salus.edu/VirtualEvents.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we march towards the anniversary of one full year since the global pandemic brought life to a screeching halt, I thought it might be nice to share a bit of good news with everyone. On Thursday, I was informed that the University received the assets left to us from the Dr. Robert Henry trust, which totaled $418,000. Based on instructions in the Trust, that money is restricted for scholarships for the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Since its inception thirteen years ago, the Trust has been providing scholarship funds for PCO students. We estimate the total value of this gift surpasses $530,000, to include the scholarship money received in prior years, which makes it one of the most generous gifts the institution has received.

Dr. Henry was a 1935 graduate of the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry and he served in the U.S. Navy for twenty-six years, serving as the Head of Optometry for part of his tour. He spent most of his time Navy time in Pensacola, Florida.

Establishing a trust with the University or any of our colleges as the primary beneficiary is an example of how planned giving can have a significant impact later on. Dr. Henry’s original gift, which started out as a fraction of what we see today, will have a significant impact on those students who are lucky enough to receive the scholarship that is in his name. This philanthropic example is something we all should consider as we look to keep Salus moving forward well into the future.

As we look to the weekend, it’s going to another cold one but the weather wizards are promising some 60-degree days next week, and that’s something to look forward to! Please try to bundle up and get outside to enjoy the sunshine, even with the colder temperatures. Remember to continue to double mask, socially distance and wash your hands frequently. Even as more of us get vaccinated, it’s important to remain vigilant. 

So stay safe, take some time to recharge and remain 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

The Importance of Listening: Week of February 19th, 2021

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

It is clear that winter is upon us given the snow and ice we’ve experienced over the past couple of days! Please be very careful driving and walking around the parking lots today as there still may be some icy patches. It looks like the groundhog might have been correct! But, even as we are challenged with the elements of winter, our world-class faculty, students and staff have made multiple pivots to ensure essential clinical labs and classes still met prior to the storm. I cannot thank our faculty enough for the number of times they’ve had to improvise, compromise and adjust to ensure our students are receiving the best education possible. Even with the bad weather, other events have been happening on or around campus.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Ryan Hollister, MS, associate director of the Bennett Career Services Center (BCSC), and Molly Marcus, PsyD, a counselor from the University’s Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), conducted a lunchtime webinar Wednesday called “Building Resilience,” which discussed resilience, mindfulness and strategies for remaining positive and persevering through difficult times. Later that evening, Juliana Mosley-Williams, PhD, Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, presented “Unconscious Bias & Microaggression in the Healthcare Environment,” which took a deeper dive into those aspects. And Thursday evening, our Black Student Union group hosted a very thought provoking discussion on “Hesitancy Toward Vaccines from Black People” in this country. The virtual meeting was offered to explore the history of healthcare in this country toward black people and their experiences with previous vaccinations.

WHY DEI MATTERS: Women in Optometry has released a podcast featuring Ruth Shoge, OD ‘06, Resident ‘07, MPH, speaking on “Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter for Everyone.” Dr. Shoge serves on the University’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee as well as the Diversity and Cultural Competency Committee for the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry. To listen to the podcast, click here.

HIGHER ED CONSORTIUM: Salus recently joined the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE), marking the first time in more than two decades that the consortium has expanded its membership. The consortium was established in 1993 and represents more than 20,000 students in small colleges located across four counties of metropolitan Philadelphia. To read more, go to salus.edu/SEPCHE.

CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR: After establishing a successful optometry career, Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University alum Sakesha Caston, OD ‘00, has now added children’s book author to her resume. Dr. Caston has published her book “Mommy Loves My Little Toes,” an idea that first formed when her son Jesiah was a baby. To read more, go to salus.edu/CastonAuthor.

VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR: Join Yards Brewing Co. founder and head brewer, Tom Kehoe, as he takes us through the history of Philadelphia's Brewery and four tasty brews during a virtual happy hour at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Alumni Association's student virtual learning grant program. While it’s too late to have the beer delivered to your door, you can still stop by and pick it up if you’d like to participate. For information and to register, click here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Way back, when I was a 2nd year student at PCO starting my rotation at The Eye Institute, Dr. Joel Silbert, Dr. Bob Walker and later Dr. Jeff Nyman would remind all of us the importance of listening to our patients. They told us, as I’m sure you are all hearing now, how if we took a good history and listened carefully to our patients, we could almost be able to make a provisional diagnosis from what we heard. Throughout my entire career, both here and when I was in the Navy, that lesson has been reinforced in many situations.

Once again, the importance of listening is being reinforced through many of your thoughtful comments concerning commencement. To that end, while I still believe the responsible action for us to do now is continue down the path for the virtual ceremony, I have asked our staff to explore options for a modified outdoor event, for those who would feel comfortable enough to attend one. No promises at this point, but I want you to know that we totally understand many of your desires and are working to see how we could accommodate both the virtual and outdoor events in a way that appropriately celebrates your successes, while at the same time ensuring everyone’s health and safety. We are listening!

As we approach this frosty weekend, I want to encourage you to try to get out and enjoy the fresh air. We’re all under a great deal of stress, so getting out and playing in the snow might be a good way to help alleviate some of that. In the meantime, please continue to socially distance, wear your double-layered face mask and wash your hands frequently.

Please be safe, remain healthy and stay SALUS STRONG!

Mike

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