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It’s been more than six months since our last installment of In Case You Missed It. Why, you ask?
Well, because we have so much going on that we like to cover in a big way. But December and the compounded holiday season is said to be the busiest time of the year and sometimes that isn’t always possible. As a result, below are snippets of recent events that have happened across campus.
DIY Air Filters Installed Across Campus
DIY activities are all the craze - combined with the ever-important aspect of air filtration as a result of the pandemic. Recently, after president Michael Mittelman, OD ’80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, came across an article on how to create your own effective but inexpensive portable air cleaners, the University’s facilities team jumped right on board. After reading the step-by-step guide detailing the DIY air purifier, facilities created 35 to 40 units to be utilized across the University in large group areas such as smaller classrooms, labs, the Learning Resource Center, conference rooms and offices if more filtered air flow was necessary. Something that was simple, yet effective. According to Physical Plant director, Richard Echevarria, while they “should be good for a year, we plan to check them every five to six months, put new filters in and reuse the fans.” He did mention that the DIY air filters should not be turned on and off because timers are installed. To create one at home, read more here.
‘Tis the Season of Giving
Students at Salus have been busy this holiday season donating their time and efforts toward those in need. The main lobby of the Elkins Park campus has been overflowing – with winter coats that is! The Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) held a Winter Coat Drive and collected new and used coats through Dec. 20. All donations are being made to Face to Face – a human services organization dedicated to the health, well-being, and stability of the Philadelphia community. Face to Face works to ensure families living in poverty have the resources they need to successfully manage their lives.
While SAA was focusing on providing necessary coverage for bracing the winter elements, the National Perinatal Association Student Society (NPASS) was conducting a Toys for Tots drive.
And, finally, there was chocolate for a cause. The Phi Theta Epsilon Occupational Therapy Honor Society (PTE) was recently selling Gertrude Hawk Chocolate and joining in on the St. Catherine’s Challenge to raise money for occupational therapy research.
Keep it up Salamanders!
A Comprehensive Foundational Program in Vision Therapy
A program with a 30-hour track for vision therapists and an 100-hour track for optometrists endorsed by the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) was recently held on the University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus. A collaboration between Salus and the Academy of Ophthalmic Education, a Canadian organization, most of the participants were in fact from Canada.
Due to COVID, the lectures were held virtually and the on-campus workshops were cancelled multiple times, so the much-anticipated program and the participants were excited to finally be on campus for interactive workshops.
Mitchell Scheiman, OD, PhD '16, FAAO, director of Biomedicine and dean of Research, Maria Parisi, OD ‘85, FAAO, associate dean of Clinical Affairs at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), Siva Meiyeppen, OD, FAAO, PCO assistant professor, Erin Jenewein, OD, FAAO, PCO assistant professor, and Karen Pollack, research study coordinator, were all on site working alongside the participants.
STAAR Surgical Partnership
Salus, Dr. James S. Lewis, the Fort Washington Surgery Center, and STAAR Surgical Company recently entered into a partnership to collaborate on a project that will provide implant surgery to patients in need. This is a direct result of the importance of providing charitable services to patients with myopia. Salus will identify and refer up to 30 patients who are in need of lens implant surgery for myopia and astigmatism but unable to pay for such a surgery, STAAR will donate the intraocular lenses, Dr. Lewis will donate his surgical expertise and the Surgery Center will donate the use of its facilities, personnel, and equipment. An examination room at The Eye Institute of Salus University will be named to commemorate this partnership.
Spreading Holiday Cheer: Door Decorating Contest
To help facilitate the holiday spirit, a holiday door decorating contest featuring some festive and creative ideas at both The Eye Institute and the University’s campuses were held on December 22. High level specially trained judges awarded top prizes to the best three doors! Although the judges have total discretion, in general terms, the doors were judged based on how well they embrace the holiday season, their creativity, and on their novelty.
And, the winners for Clinical Operations were:
The Eye Institute's campus:
Tie for First Place - Pediatric Team Room - Peds Team, led by Brandy Scombordi, OD and Occupational Therapy Institute - Brianna Brim, MOT, OTR/L
Second Place - Neuro - Kiera Jeschke, OD and Elizabeth Marunde, OD
Third Place - Patient Services - Kiana Hardaway
Elkins Park Clinical Operations campus:
And, the winners for the University were:
Book Books Books
The National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) recently ran a book donation drive to benefit the education of children. Tree House Books is a Giving Library located in Philadelphia that provides children with access to free books to increase literacy skills. NSSLHA teamed up with Tree House Books to donate a total of 559 books for their library. The student organization is grateful to have had the opportunity to give back to the community and help promote a lifelong love of reading and writing.
