Keeping COVID Victims in Our Thoughts: Week of April 2nd, 2021

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

It’s been a relatively short week. I know that students, faculty and staff have been busy preparing for board exams and clinical practicals, in addition to attending virtual and in-person classes and providing patient care in our clinics. Here’s some of what’s going on around our Salus Community:

HOLY DAYS: This time of year includes several cultural and holy days that are significant to many in our community: 

• Passover (March 28 - April 4) — The Jewish holiday observed for eight days (sundown to sundown) celebrates the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt.
• Holi (March 29) — An annual Hindu festival held in the spring to signify the triumph of good over evil, the end of winter, and the arrival of spring and the harvest.
• Holy Week (March 28 - April 4) — Holy Week is a Christian observance from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, as a time of devotion to the Passion of Jesus, who died on Good Friday and rose on Easter Sunday to give new life to all who believe.

SAVE THE DATE: Mark your calendars for this year’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) Externship Celebration. The virtual event will be held on April 27, 2021, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2022 as they journey into externship. This year's event will be interactive with trivia and a few other surprises. Please click here to RSVP to the event.

BEHIND THE SCENES: In the latest episode of “Behind the Scenes at TEI,” we get some insights from Jeffrey Nyman, OD, FAAO, director of emergency services at The Eye Institute (TEI), and its most senior staff member. The nature of emergency care can be unpredictable, but Dr. Nyman gives us an inside look at how his day unfolds. To read more, click here. 

FACULTY FOCUS: This week’s Faculty Focus is on Amy Lustig, PhD, MPH, CCC-SLP, assistant professor in the University’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program. Dr. Lustig plays guitar, piano, percussion and sings. For years she has had a particular interest in Afro-Cuban and Brazilian folkloric music. Find out more about Dr. Lustig here.

NEW CLASS OF RESIDENTS: Congratulations to the class of newly matched PCO optometry residents. They will be honing their skills in Primary Care/Ocular Disease, Pediatrics/Vision Therapy, Low Vision Rehabilitation, Cornea/Contact Lens and Neuro Ophthalmic Disease. We look forward to seeing you at The Eye Institute this summer!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Check in on Alexandra Kistner, MS ‘17, and how her career has progressed since graduation in this week’s “Where Are They Now.” A member of the inaugural Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) class in 2015, she is now a speech therapist in the Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania. To read more about Alexandra, go here.

VACCINE AVAILABILITY: Vaccine availability is becoming more ubiquitous in our region. It’s taken a while to get there but by the middle of this month, any person over the age of sixteen will be eligible. What has been incredible about these new vaccines is how effective (100%) they have been proven to be against severe COVID disease and hospitalizations. If you have not yet had the opportunity to receive either the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, here’s a link to the Commonwealth’s website that will explain the vaccine rollout timeline and help guide you to one of many pharmacies in the area where vaccines will be available. I strongly encourage all of you to get vaccinated as soon as you can. Once you are vaccinated, here is the CDC guidance that outlines what you should and should not do.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we look forward to having 4-days off from class, clinic and work, I ask that you take a few moments to remember all those who have lost their lives to COVID. To date, over 552,000 Americans have died, with the global toll over 2.8 million people. While we are not yet out of the woods, your perseverance, resiliency, creativity and stamina have allowed all of us to weather this storm better than most. That said, now is NOT the time to let our guard down. We must continue to be vigilant in all we do, even if we’re vaccinated, to help stem the spread of the virus. To that end, please continue to wear your double face mask when around others who are not in your immediate circles and are unvaccinated, continue to socially distance and wash your hands frequently.

Over the course of these next four days, try to take some time for yourselves and get out and enjoy the nice weather. Fresh air and exercise are great for rejuvenating yourself both physically and mentally!

We wish everyone celebrating Passover, Easter or Holi peaceful and restful holidays.

Finally, we are SALUS STRONG because of your unyielding commitment to excellence in everything you do. I look forward to seeing you around campus and clinics next week. Stay safe, stay active and continue to look out for one another.

Mike

Gun Violence is a Public Health Emergency: Week of March 26th, 2021

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

Good morning from our nation’s capital where I am here to attend the bi-annual meeting of the Department of Veteran Affair’s Special Medical Advisory Group meeting, of which I am a member. One nice advantage of being down in DC for the meeting is I get to jog along the National Mall and around many of the monuments, which was a nice treat this morning. The cherry blossoms are even starting to bloom! While I’m down here, there is much happening around campus:

DEI FORUM ADDRESSING PERSPECTIVES ON RACISM & HATE FOR ASIAN AMERICANS: I want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Mosley-Williams for organizing a very informative and timely panel discussion that focused on the most recent violence against the Asian American population in our country. Very special thanks to forum panelists Salus Board member Joyce Koh, JD; Salus partner, Ken Wong; and Chestnut Hill College professor and psychologist, Bindu Methikalam, PhD for your very personal insights and thoughts. For those who did not have a chance to see this, please click here and insert the following password: mFUZkbp5 to access the recording of the session.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: An historic number of women at Salus University have taken on top leadership positions. They sit on the President’s Council and the Board of Trustees. They all have come ready to help lead Salus and its clinical facilities. In honor of Women’s History Month, meet a few of the University’s women in leadership. Click here to read more. 

LIGHTHOUSE AWARD WINNER: This year’s recipient of the Looking Out for Kids 2021 “Lighthouse Award” is TD Bank. We are thrilled to honor the bank with this award. Our relationship is more than just one of a business association, as the bank has genuinely become partners with us on many fronts. To read more about the bank’s commitment to Salus and its communities, go here. The University’s 14th annual LOFK fundraiser, held virtually this year, will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1. To purchase virtual tickets or VIP reception boxes online, visit our website here.

LENA START GRANT: Salus University’s Department of Speech-Language Pathology has been 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 communication in order to close the early-talk gap, improve school readiness, and build stronger families. Read more here.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features Emily Swavely, MS ’17, who now works as a speech therapist at an elementary school in the Owen J. Roberts School District in the Pottstown, Pennsylvania, area. To read more, go here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As I read the paper, listened to the news and walked around Washington last evening, I could not get the thoughts of the most recent gun violence out of my mind. While, unfortunately, this is nothing new in our country, it is something that must be addressed. While there are myriad causes for this epidemic that include mental health conditions, poverty, and many of the social determinants of health, there are some things that can and should be done to make it more difficult for those who shouldn’t have firearms to get one. In our country, just this year alone, there were 107 mass shootings (defined as 4 or more victims), 122 people killed, 325 injured, for a total of 447 total victims, including the shooters in some instances.

According to a recent New York Times article, guns account for over 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S. This includes homicides, suicides and accidents. While gun violence, such as mass shootings and other homicides tend to get all the press attention, the fact remains that over 50% of these deaths are from suicide. No matter how you look at it, deaths attributed to guns represent a public health emergency.

If you compare the U.S. to other developed countries (see chart), you will find, not surprisingly, that the number of guns that are civilian-owned directly relate to the number of gun deaths. What stands out is just how many more guns are owned in the U.S. compared to other developed countries. If we are to begin to curb this very disturbing trend, we need a multi-pronged approach that includes funding for mental health initiatives, enhanced suicide prevention initiatives, enacting effective gun control laws such as universal background checks, barring people with a history of mental illness and domestic violence from purchasing guns and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines for starters. I raise this issue not to make a political statement, but rather to raise your awareness as healthcare professionals. Gun violence is a public health emergency. We all have a responsibility to recognize it as such and to do what we can to influence public policy to help turn this around.

As you think about all this, I hope you can get out and enjoy some of the good weather we’re having. Please stay safe, continue to wear your double face mask when around others, socially distance and wash your hands frequently.

You are SALUS STRONG because of your commitment to helping others improve their lives.

Mike

Condemning Racism and Hate: Week of March 19th, 2021

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

Good morning on a cold and sunny morning in Elkins Park. It’s also a sad day as we reflect on the killings that occurred in Atlanta last Tuesday and the increased violent attacks on people of Asian heritage around our country. As I stated yesterday, this is contrary to everything we believe at Salus as we condemn all acts of racism and hate on our campus and in society and we must continue to address the racial and social disparities we see in public health. With all that is going on around us, it’s helpful to spend some time on the positive things that our Salus community has been doing both on and off campus:

IMPACT HBCU: Black Eyecare Perspective, established by PCO/Salus alum Darryl Glover, OD ‘11, in partnership with Dr. Adam Ramsey, has worked toward the goal of obtaining 13 percent representation of Black ODs in the profession since its inception in 2019. To address the eyecare needs of Black Americans in an increasingly diverse society, Dr. Glover teamed up with fellow PCO/Salus alumni Jacobi Cleaver, OD ‘11, and Essence Johnson, OD ‘10 to create Impact HBCU, an initiative that links optometry school recruitment and admissions to students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). To read Part 1 of this three-part series, click here.

FACULTY FOCUS: This week’s Faculty Focus features Kelly Salmon, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLT-LANA, NDC, an assistant professor in our Department of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). Dr. Salmon has recently been involved in conducting admissions interviews with prospective SLP students, and one of the questions many of them ask are her impressions of the Salus program and what she believes makes the University unique. To find out what she tells them, just click here.

EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT: The Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) welcomed its first international cohort of students from Canada in the Spring of 2019, who enrolled in the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy program at Salus. The affiliation between Salus and Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada – the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (VLRC-CNIB) - has proven to be a successful one. To read more, click here.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Our next Where Are They Now profile features Amanda Kaufmann, MS ‘17, who pursued her dream of becoming a speech-language pathologist at Salus University and is now working with children at a private practice in Los Angeles, California.

AUDIOLOGY MENTOR PROGRAM: Session three of the Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) mentor program will be held from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, 2021. The program “Building Your Brand and Expanding Scope of Services” will feature a panel discussion and Q&A with leaders in Audiology on career mapping. For information, click here. 

TEI RESEARCH STUDY: The Eye Institute (TEI) is recruiting children ages 3 to 12 for a research study evaluating an investigational medication to help slow myopic progression (poor distance vision). Potential enrollees will receive a no-cost examination at The Eye Institute to determine eligibility. If the child meets the study requirements, they will attend up to 11 visits (about every six months) during the four-year study. If you or somebody you know is interested or if you have questions, please email Jasmine Campbell at jcampbell@salus.edu or call 215-276-6034.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Following the shootings in Arizona that claimed the lives of six people and almost claimed the life of Congresswomen Gabrielle Gifford, President Obama gave a speech in which he noted that, “at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -– at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do -– it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.” He went on to ask all Americans to "expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together." These words are just as pertinent today, maybe even more so. We are living in a world where the tolerance for people, ideas and ideologies different from ours has been deeply diminished. As healthcare providers, our “moral imaginations” should include our commitment to make it part of our mission to help bridge these differences, not through discourse, but through listening, respecting and exhibiting the empathy needed to effectively care for those who seek our help. Bridging these differences won’t be easy, especially now, when our country is so deeply divided. We have to start someplace and I can think of no better place than here, at Salus, where empathy, imagination and respect for others are bound together as we continue to provide quality and compassionate care for our patients and clients, wherever they may be.

As we approach this weekend, please take some time to reflect on the events of this week and remember those who were lost. Also, please take some time to recharge your own physical and mental batteries as you prepare for next week.

You are SALUS STRONG because of the high ideals and moral fortitude you personify and share with every patient and client interaction you have. Please continue to socially distance, wear your double mask and wash your hands frequently.

For those who would like more information about the challenges Asian Americans have been facing during the pandemic, here is a link from our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum www.apiahf.org

Tessler, H., Choi, M., & Kao, G. (2020). The Anxiety of Being Asian American: Hate Crimes and Negative Biases During the COVID-19 Pandemic. American journal of criminal justice: AJCJ, 1–11. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09541-5

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