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Algernon Phillips, OD ‘69, MD, Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) alumni and trailblazer for PCO/Salus University’s commitment to global service passed away on December 29, 2023.
Dr. Phillips had a tremendous impact on the University; as the founder of PCO’s Student Optometric Service to Humanity (SOSH) chapter, he paved the way for the global healthcare impact PCO maintains today.
In 1968, Dr. Phillips planned the PCO Chapter of SOSH’s first humanitarian trip to Haiti after seeing the country’s need for vision care.
This initial trial humanitarian optometric program in Haiti, based in the commune of Cap-Haïtien, took place over the two-week Christmas holiday of 1968-1969. The students on the trip cared for approximately 1,000 people and provided 600 pairs of glasses.
In over fifty years of service, SOSH has continued participating in humanitarian efforts to provide healthcare to underserved populations and has screened, examined, and treated thousands of people abroad.
“I first met Dr. Phillips when I was a first-year student at PCO, and I was a part of the first trip to Haiti. What was clear to me as a student and as I continued attending the trips as a faculty member, was that Dr. Phillips remained committed to humanitarian work. He was a pioneer in his humanitarian efforts and interest in giving back,” said Susan “Dr. O” Oleszewski, OD ‘76, Resident ‘78, MA, FAAO, PCO/Salus professor emerita. “His legacy remains in those optometry students who are moved and touched by their humanitarian trip experiences.”
Dr. Phillips also established and funded the A.A. Phillips – SOSH Scholarship, awarded to a student from the former British West Indies or a non-U.S. citizen from the Caribbean.
After graduating from PCO, Dr. Phillips earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Howard University. In 1978, he founded Ophthalmic Service International, spearheading medical missions to Senegal, West Africa’s Ivory Coast, and the desert regions of Israel. He later served as a Clinical Instructor of Ophthalmology at the Veterans Administration Hospital in East Orange, New Jersey.
Dr. Phillips, his wife, Elois Rogers-Phillips, MD, and daughter, Adrienne A. Phillips MD, MPH, previously served as members of the University's Board of Trustees.
“As a colleague and inspirational friend, my memories of Dr. Phillips reflect his tireless dedication to humanitarian causes. His legacy continues to inspire and motivate both students and faculty,” said Anthony Di Stefano, OD ‘73, MEd, MPH, FAAO, FCOptom (Hon), vice president of Academic Affairs emeritus. “Dr. Phillips has been a role model for all of us as over the years he maintained his love of SOSH and PCO through his years of service on our Board of Trustees. We will miss a dear friend, who taught us to believe in our shared humanity and to live it with passion and joy.”
The Salus University community sends our condolences to Dr. Phillips’ family and friends and thanks him for his tremendous impact.
At Salus, we take seriously the idea of honoring the life and legacy of those on whose shoulders we stand. Suppose you would like to make a gift in memory of Dr. Phillips. In that case, you can donate online or forward your gift to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Salus University, 8360 Old York Road, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027.
