Salus University Alumni Magazine Spring 2019 - Centennial Commemorative Issue

ALUMNI MAGAZINE T H E F U T U R E O F H E A LT H S C I E N C E S I N C E 1 9 1 9 .

SPRING 2019

H

S

THE FUTURE OF

HEALTH SCIENCE

SINCE 1919.

Interview with Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, President To honor the Centennial Anniversary of the University’s founding College, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), we sat down with president Michael H. Mittelman, OD ’80, MPH to reflect upon the legacy and history of PCO from the beginning to today, and where we’re headed as a multifaceted University.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW YOU BELIEVE WE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE THE UNIVERSIT Y’S PRINCIPLES* IN THE NEXT 100 YEARS?

Today’s healthcare system is practiced in an interdisciplinary manner. It’s imperative that we train future providers to not only become cultured in providing patient care, but to interact with colleagues across healthcare professions.

It continues to be a core focus here at Salus, but I think we still have a way to go. I am excited for new ideas to continue to energize us to take the next steps that are necessary to ensure we achieve a truly interdisciplinary curriculum.

YOU WERE INDUCTED IN JULY 2013 AS THE SIXTH PRESIDENT — WHAT HAVE BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENTS OF YOUR PRESIDENCY SO FAR?

Every day somebody [at Salus] makes me proud — especially when I visit our clinics and see firsthand the healthcare providers we are training, or the work we are doing in the community. Our faculty and staff also make me very proud on a regular basis.

I marvel every time I visit the Learning

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Resource Center (LRC). I think creating that space was a game changer for the University — but the credit really belongs to all of those who were instrumental in bringing it to life. I love that it’s become the center (literally and figuratively) for the University community.

I’m also proud of how we have leveraged technology into the curriculum. We continue to push the envelope which is something the institution, long before I got here, had a history of doing.

WHAT ARE THREE MAIN IMPORTANT IDEAS THAT YOU WANT STUDENTS TO WALK AWAY WITH AFTER AT TENDING SALUS?

I want students to come away with: • A distinct sense of pride in the education they received at Salus University — an education that has changed their lives.

• A feeling of being prepared and ready to hit the ground running in their respective professions.

• A sense of team and belonging to a greater good.

IF ALBERT FITCH CAME TO VISIT SALUS TODAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK HIS REACTIONS WOULD BE ON THE GROWTH OF THE INSTITUTION?

I think he would be happy with the progress of PCO, and now Salus University, and that we continued to make his vision into reality.

I hope he would appreciate the fact that we’ve integrated additional health professions into the University and that he too would embrace the interdisciplinary model we are providing our students.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND AS YOUR LEGACY?

My goal, wherever I’ve been, is to make the place better than when I arrived there. My legacy to the University is that we are integrated, we are better known, and that students can look back and be unbelievably proud of the education they have received here and that they take on leadership roles to change the healthcare system. But it’s not my legacy, it’s really the University’s — and the University’s legacy is our students. To me that’s the best legacy we can leave collectively.

* See sidebar for University's principles

Interview with Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, President WHAT DO YOU ENVISION AND HOPE FOR THE INSTITUTION IN THE NEXT 100 YEARS?

I see us continuing to develop partnerships and affiliations. I strongly believe that we need to affiliate with a healthcare system, which would help facilitate the clinical rotations across programs. If we truly are going to push the scope of practice within the programs we currently have, this type of relationship is essential to moving the University as well as the individual professions forward.

IF YOU HAD TO PUT INTO A TIME CAPSULE THE TOP THREE THINGS THE UNIVERSIT Y DOES BEST CURRENTLY, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

• The work we do in the community — it’s invaluable. We change people’s lives everyday.

• The patience and the skillset of our faculty. We have a broad spectrum of expertise here.

• Our spirit of innovation — that’s something that also differentiates us, and what I want people to remember about us.

WHAT ARE TWO INITIATIVES THAT EXCITE YOU MOST AS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPCOMING YEARS IN YOUR PRESIDENCY AT SALUS?

It’s the modernization of our clinical facilities across the board as well as our educational processes that excite me most. As we modernize the classrooms, I hope the faculty embrace a lot of experiential learning techniques. I look forward to continuing to make an impact in how the health science professions are practiced through the work we’re doing here.

IN YOUR TIME AS PRESIDENT, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE CULTURE OF SALUS, AND HOW DO YOU SEE THAT CREATING A BET TER FUTURE FOR BOTH THE UNIVERSIT Y AND OUTSIDE OF THE INSTITUTION?

We are an unbelievably energetic and innovative institution. I believe our culture is healthy because I equate our

faculty to thoroughbred horses: spirited and wanting to get out of the gates and run.

HOW DO YOU EXPL AIN SALUS TO THOSE NOT AWARE OF IT?

We are a cutting edge health science university. Clearly the Pennsylvania College of Optometry is still our largest program, but we’ve got three other colleges all pushing the envelope within their own professions. When I start talking about the Osborne College of Audiology and explain it’s the only stand-alone college of Audiology in the country, people’s interest are piqued.

I continue to talk about the College of Health Sciences, the Physician Assistant Studies and Biomedicine programs, people are surprised we have that depth.

Then I mention the College of Education and Rehabilitation, which includes Blindness and Low Vision Studies, Occupational Therapy and SpeechLanguage Pathology, and they are very impressed.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS ESSENTIAL NEXT STEPS IN ORDER TO REMAIN A SIGNIFICANT PL AYER IN HEALTH SCIENCE EDUCATION?

• We need to get a handle on the cost of education.

• We need to attract a diverse student body that represents today’s society as a whole.

Salus University’s Principles The University bases its curriculum for all programs on these central principles: • A commitment to interprofessional education and interdisciplinary training • A primary care philosophy and holistic approach that assesses the whole patient for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation • An exceptional clinical training sequence that begins in the very first semester of study and includes externships in a variety of healthcare delivery settings • Innovative learning strategies that include small group, interactive, and self-directed learning experiences as well as clinical problem solving • Integration of new technologies that enable students to use and understand today’s cutting-edge technologies while preparing them for their ever-evolving professions • A commitment to the ongoing professional and personal development and the success of each student

• We need to continue to expand the scope of practice in the professions and our curriculum, so we can better address the overarching health needs of Americans today. It means teaching more primary care and concentrating on prevention to combat the epidemics in the country.

• We need to continue to develop leaders that will drive their professions.

Consequently, the people that graduate here will push their professions to even higher planes as they work themselves into more advanced leadership roles.

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In this issue FEATURES

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Interview with Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, President

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Following Our Legacy: A Timeline

24 By the Numbers: Salus University 2018-2019 26 Capturing 100 Years of Stories 30 The Optimist Optometrist: Dr. Albert Fitch and the Making of PCO (Part I) 34 Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients

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FOCUS ON OUR FUTURE

40 The Centennial Campaign

Following Our Legacy Follow along with one hundred illustrious years of Salus University’s founding College, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, through our timeline.

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SHARE YOUR STORY

Are you a Salus or PCO graduate with a story to share about your time as a student? If so, please email communications@salus.edu.

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SALUS UNIVERSITY ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Stay connected to Salus

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SalusUniversity

Michael H. Mittelman, OD ’80, MPH, FAAO, FACHE President Dennis C. Washington, MP Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Community Relations MANAGING EDITOR

Alexis R. Abate, MA Director, Communications EDITOR

Macy Zhelyazkova Communications & Publications Coordinator CONTRIBUTORS

Alexis R. Abate, Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, Lesley Westerfer, Macy Zhelyazkova EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE

Alexis Abate, Karen Greave, Lawrence Green, Lesley Westerfer

#FlashbackFriday: Did you know that there used to be a swimming pool on our campus in the old Oak Lane building? In this picture, George L. Brown, OD ’34 sits in the foreground of a shot taken at the swimming pool in the 1930s. He is joined by the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PSCO) swim team behind him. #SalusPCO100 #celebratingacentury September 7, 2018

DESIGN

Roni Lagin & Co. PHOTOGRAPHY

November 3, 2018

Ryan Brandenberg, HSD of DuPage, Illinois College of Optometry, Marshall B. Ketchum University, Philadelphia Retina Associates, Jack Ramsdale, Lesley Westerfer, Western University Salus University Alumni Magazine is published bi-annually for alumni, staff, faculty, parents and friends. Please send comments, contributions and address changes to: Office of Institutional Advancement Salus University 8360 Old York Road Elkins Park, PA 19027 215.780.1391 alumni@salus.edu www.salus.edu Salus University by choice, declares and reaffirms its policy of complying with federal and state legislation and does not in any way discriminate in education programs, employment or in service to the public on the basis of race, color, creed or religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disabilities, or veteran status. In addition, the University complies with federal regulations issued under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Questions concerning any of the above policies should be addressed to: Maura Keenan, Affirmative Action Officer, Salus University, 8360 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027 at 215.780.1267.

“Family is not an important thing — it’s everything.” Irving Bennett, OD ’44 knows this firsthand; his family pointed him to optometry, and it was he who passed optometry on to two of his children, and his granddaughter. salus.edu/ centennial #SalusPCO100 #celebratingacentury #SalusAlumni

Yesterday, Dorothy (Nemtzow) Lippman, OD ’36 celebrated her 104th birthday! It’s been 83 years since she attended PCO but she still clearly recalls some of her favorite memories while in school!

Check them out: salus.edu/ Dorothy-Lippman #SalusPCO100 #celebratingacentury #optometry #optometrist January 9, 2019

“Over the last four years, not only did I find a school that provided one of the best optometric educations I could have received, but I was also able to find a group of friends that I believe will be some of my lifelong friends.” Thanks for sharing your #Salus100Story with us Katharine Funari, OD ’18! Read her full story: salus. edu/100stories #SalusPCO100 #celebratingacentury #SalusAlumni August 18, 2018

#ThrowbackThursday: Sports have always been part of the Salus legacy, going back to our basketball teams of the 1920s. Today, our Student Athletic Committee prides itself on offering intramural programs that are varied and fun, offering busy students a vigorous schedule of programs. #SalusPCO100 #celebratingacentury #TBT August 23, 2018

Check out this week’s #MedalMonday, Albert Fitch, OD, FAAO, who founded the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PSCO) in 1919 and was the first president until his death in 1960. #SalusPCO100 #celebratingacentury September 24, 2018

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1919-2019

Follow our legacy in health science education through 100 illustrious years of Salus University’s founding College, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.

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1910s

1917

A charter is granted to the Pennsylvania College of Optometrists signing off on the Pennsylvania Optometry Bill authorizing the licensing of optometrists by the commonwealth.

Dr. Albert Fitch fights to legitimize a new profession while the medical establishment is opposed to optometrists serving as primary vision care providers. His valiant efforts set the stage for professional change.

1919

The Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PSCO) opens its doors on October 6, 1919 at 1809 Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia.

The entering class of 33 students is the largest freshman class to enter any school or college of optometry up to that time. The program courses are organized as a three-year night school taught by a faculty of six and the curriculum is based on biological sciences, which is unusual for the time. PSCO, Pennsylvania State Optical Society and Philadelphia Society of Optometrists hold mass meetings and approve the founding of a college of optometry.

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1920s

1920

The first clinical facilities of PSCO officially open on May 6, 1920.

The optometric and ophthalmological clinics each occupy one room in the original College building at 1809 Spring Garden Street and operate two afternoons a week.

1922

In June, the first class of 26 graduates attend the very first Commencement exercises held at the Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., in Philadelphia. Entrance requirements are raised to include graduation from a four-year high school course.

1923

PSCO becomes the first to confer the Doctor of Optometry degree.

The program of study is increased in length from two years to three years.

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1924

PSCO completes the construction of a building extension to house the new clinical facility located at 1810 Brandywine Street. Patients are examined every afternoon in 11 refracting rooms and one ophthalmological treatment room. Students in their final year complete all refracting and fitting of eyeglasses under the direction of faculty.

1930s

1930

Postgraduate courses are instituted and the College provides one of the earliest formal contact lens courses.

1932

PSCO’s growth requires a move to a large, 32-acre campus in the Oak Lane section of Philadelphia, where The Eye Institute (TEI) remains to this day. The Spring Garden Street building is used solely as a clinical facility.

1935

PSCO is the first school of optometry to require a four-year education. During this year, the program of study increases from three to four years.

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1940s

1941

PSCO is accredited by the Council on Optometric Education.

1949

Lawrence Fitch, OD ’36, son of Albert Fitch, becomes the College’s dean. And, entrance requirements are raised to include one year of pre-optometric college credits.

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1949

PSCO is the first college or school of optometry to offer a contact lens course for practitioners, now known as continuing education. Contact lenses are incorporated into the curriculum and the College opens a contact lens clinic — the first such facility in any college or school of optometry.

1950s

1954

PSCO is the first independent healthcare school of any kind to be recognized by a regional accrediting body and obtains accreditation from the Middle States Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.

1957

PSCO develops a satellite clinic at the Philadelphia County House of Correction.

1958

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania authorizes PSCO to grant the Bachelor of Science Degree.

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1960s

1960

Following the death of Dr. Albert Fitch in 1960, Lawrence Fitch, OD ’36 becomes the second president of PSCO. His legacy includes an exceptional time of growth, including an expanded general optometric clinical facility and the construction of new College facilities on the Oak Lane campus (1970), as well as the College’s first apartment houses, Powell Hall (1967) and Wentka Hall (1973). The new administrative and classroom facilities replace the stately gray stone building that was fondly known as “Old Main.”

1961

The College receives its first appropriation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and becomes the first independent optometry college to receive financial aid through legislation.

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1964

The Pennsylvania State College of Optometry officially changes its name to Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO).

1966

PCO opens a second optometric clinical facility at 5601 N. Broad Street. The two sites — Spring Garden Street and the North Broad Street clinics — provide greatly enhanced general optometric services, as well as contact lens and low vision services to the public at large.

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1970s

1972

Dr. Norman Wallis becomes the third president of the College. He re-energizes the College with a new curriculum and the building of The Eye Institute (TEI), a $5.1 million clinical education and patient care facility. Dr. Wallis also expands the Board of Trustees and implements the “Full Cost of Education Concept,” establishing agreements with surrounding states to contribute financial support to the cost of the education of their residents — agreements that still exist today.

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1978

The Eye Institute (TEI), PCO’s main clinical facility, opens and is the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary clinical facility of its kind for both patients and education. It is the first optometric care facility in the nation using a multidisciplinary approach with optometrists, ophthalmologists, physicians, low vision rehabilitation specialists, students and other healthcare professionals working together for comprehensive vision care services.

Postgraduate residency programs for Doctors of Optometry include advanced clinical competencies in primary care, pediatric/binocular vision, vision rehabilitation, contact lens, ocular disease and refractive eye care. The William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center opens at TEI.

1979

Melvin D. Wolfberg, OD ’51 becomes the fourth president of the College, in which he leads the dynamic growth of the College’s research programs. His tenure includes the historic affiliation with Hahnemann University and the establishment of the Irving Bennett Business and Practice Management Center, now known as the Bennett Career Services Center.

1980s

1983

PCO is the first institution in the country to offer a graduate degree and certificate program in Vision Rehabilitation. The new degree program — and the three others that follow — means PCO is no longer a single-purpose institution.

1988

The Irving Bennett Business and Practice Management Center, along with the Cornea and Specialty Contact Lens Center, are established.

PCO and Hahnemann University School of Medicine establish an educational affiliation agreement.

1989

Thomas L. Lewis, OD ’70, PhD, FAAO becomes the fifth president of the College. Dr. Lewis leads several successful fundraising campaigns; creates new academic programs (Audiology, Physician Assistant Studies, Public Health, Occupational Therapy, and Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedicine); establishes a new campus in Elkins Park; builds the Hafter Student Community Center; advances the institution to University status and renovates TEI.

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1990s

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1990

The Hafter Family Light and Laser Institute is established and the College acquires an excimer laser.

1991

The Center for International Studies is created.

1995

PCO is the first optometry college to graduate a Master of Science in Clinical Optometry program composed solely of international practitioners.

1996

PCO becomes the administrative headquarters of the World Council of Optometry and Anthony F. Di Stefano, OD ’73, MPH, MEd, FAAO becomes its executive director. As the College set its sights on the 21st century, a campus-wide functional space analysis is completed. Critical space limitations are identified at the Oak Lane Campus, including classroom and lab capacity, the library, and parking. After studying several alternatives, a solution is found: The Breyer Office Park in Elkins Park, Pa. The new campus is purchased with a $13.5 million dollar loan and $3.5 million from PCO fundraising efforts. Renovations start the following year.

1998

The College moves to an 11.5 acre campus in the Philadelphia suburb of Elkins Park, just three and a half miles from TEI.

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2000s

2000

PCO becomes the first professional school to establish a Doctor of Audiology degree program. The PCO School of Audiology is founded

by Dr. George S. Osborne and offers both a four-year residential Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree and an online bridge AuD program for licensed practitioners.

Early 2000s

TEI opens two new satellite facilities in the Mt. Airy and Strawberry Mansion sections of Philadelphia in an effort to expand patient care in the community.

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2001

The first Commencement for the PCO School of Audiology.

2004

The Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) opens its doors as the on-campus clinical facility for the PCO School of Audiology, now Osborne College of Audiology.

2005

PCO applies to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for university status.

2007

The College welcomes its inaugural class of 20 Physician Assistant (PA) Studies students — the anatomy-based Master of Medical Science degree curriculum also becomes one of only five statewide schools that provide students with a full body on-site cadaver lab. Two years later, the program graduates its first class.

2008

On July 1, PCO establishes Salus University.

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2010s

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2010

TEI’s Strawberry Mansion satellite clinical facility moves to a newly renovated space in the East Falls section of Philadelphia.

2011

Completion of more than an $11.2 million renovation at TEI — upgrades include state-of-the-art equipment, enhanced technology and integrated electronic medical records.

2012

The Occupational Therapy (OT) program welcomes its first class offering a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. The University’s first PhD degree program in Biomedicine is offered. TEI’s Mt. Airy satellite clinical facility relocates to a new and enhanced space in Chestnut Hill.

2013

Michael H. Mittelman, OD ’80 becomes the sixth president. A retired Rear Admiral and former Deputy Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy with more than 30 years of interprofessional healthcare administration experience, Dr. Mittelman also holds a Master of Public Health degree (MPH) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

2016

The first class for the University’s Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Therapy begins.

2018

TEI celebrates 40 years of service to the Oak Lane community while Salus University celebrates its tenth anniversary as a multidisciplinary institution.

2015

In July, the University’s Master of Science (MS) degree program in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) is awarded Candidate for Accreditation status by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-LanguageHearing Association.

2019

PEI celebrates 15 years of service to the Elkins Park community while PCO celebrates its Centennial Anniversary.

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By the Numbers

Salus University 2018-2019

Campus Facilities

195,000 sq. ft.

ELKINS PARK CAMPUS

69,000 sq. ft.

30,000 sq. ft.

THE EYE INSTITUTE AND PRIMARY CARE HEALTH FACILIT Y (OAK L ANE)

HAFTER STUDENT COMMUNIT Y CENTER

Quick Facts

1,188 STUDENTS

14,000+ ALUMNI

$48.8M BUDGET

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By the Numbers

Clinical Facilities PATIENT VISITS ANNUALLY

+39,000

+1,600

+2,700

The Eye Institute

Pennsylvania Ear Institute

Speech-Language Institute

ELKINS PARK

ELKINS PARK

OAK L ANE (MAIN) SATELLITES IN CHESTNUT HILL, EAST FALLS AND NORRISTOWN

Personnel

224 STAFF

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ON-CAMPUS RESIDENTS

OFF-CAMPUS RESIDENTS

97 FACULT Y

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Capturing 100 Years of Stories

S

ince May 2018, we’ve continued to ask our community members — faculty, alumni, staff and students — to submit some of their

favorite memories of their time here at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) and Salus University. Compiled below are snippets of submitted memories — their full stories can be found on our Centennial website (salus.edu/centennial). Be sure to visit and submit your own story, memory, or experience to the collection.

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Capturing 100 Years of Stories

Irving Bennett, OD ’44 ALUMNI

There are lots of fond memories. This hilarious one stands out: Ours was the first class to go to PCO during the summer months since WWII was going on. Finally we were “permitted” to go to classes without a jacket (heretofore, we were to dress with jackets and learn to act like “doctors”). Professor [Onofrey] Rybachok was a taskmaster early in that first summer session. He said that “next Thursday we are going to have a formal exam” in anatomy.

So, in keeping with his subtle humor, Milton Kaplan, OD ’44 came to that exam in a tuxedo!

Luann Cade, MS ’94, COMS ALUMNI

My sister was studying Optometry at PCO when I was looking for a Master of Science program. And, she sent me information regarding the Orientation & Mobility (O&M) program at PCO. I up and quit my current job, moved across the state to Philadelphia, with a roommate I had never met, into a row house I had never seen, and into an educational program, which I knew very little about. It was the biggest and best risk I ever took!

Michael Gowen, OD ’87

Terri Lightbody, AuD ’04

ALUMNI

ALUMNI

There are many fond memories of PCO: Neuro-optometry with Larry Gray, OD ’72, post exam parties, going to a nursing home with Satya Verma, OD ’75, FAAO, FNAP, and working with SOSH (Students in Optometric Service to Humanity), as well as Irving Bennet, OD ’44 and my other great mentor Harry Kaplan, OD ’49, FAAO who taught me more than just contact lenses.

I returned to Virginia and worked for Philip Dobken, OD ’52, my third mentor from PCO, and after a few years moved to Shenandoah Valley, Va., in 1991 and practiced there ever since. In 2015, I sold my three offices and now work there for the people who purchased them. I am 31 years in the field and I have never been anything but happy and fulfilled to have chosen optometry and PCO.

While attending PCO [School of Audiology], I was a full time managing audiologist in a busy Ear Nose & Throat practice with three different office locations and six audiologists. As the practice grew, so did the headaches — figuratively and literally! I was planning on opening a private practice after receiving my doctorate degree. You only live once! I enjoyed working with audiologists and professors all over the United States. One of my first classes, Hearing Loss and Syndromes, was one of the hardest, yet rewarding, classes.

Wayne Martin, OD ’68 ALUMNI

I entered PCO in 1964. Over the next four years I was privileged to work part time with Harry Kaplan, OD ’49, FAAO at PCO. In 1966, while working in Dr. Kaplan’s office, I met my wonderful wife. I graduated in 1968 with the Clinical Efficiency Award, got married in August and started a practice in Walnut Creek, Calif. We have had a wonderful, blessed and rewarding life and PCO was a big part of providing this opportunity and we are very appreciative. Happy 100th Anniversary!

Michael H. Mittelman, OD ’80, MPH SALUS UNIVERSIT Y PRESIDENT

While I have many fond memories of my time at PCO, the one that first comes to mind was having the opportunity to meet my wife during my externship at the Indian Health Service Hospital rotation in Rosebud, S.D. Tanis is a registered nurse and was volunteering at the hospital during my tenure as an extern there.

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Capturing 100 Years of Stories

Satya Verma, OD ’75 ALUMNI & FACULT Y

Even though I graduated with the class of 1975, I have served as a faculty member since 1971 as I had an optometric degree from India and some graduate work at University of California Berkeley. When I joined PCO in 1971, there was no low vision clinic. I had just come from Berkeley where I had worked with the top educators in the study of low vision at the time. I also worked in the office of Dr. William Feinbloom, an optometric scientist in low vision and pioneer in the field of contact lenses and vision rehabilitation, so I suggested we should start a low vision clinic and advised the clinical staff to refer low vision patients. It was not until a few years later when Randy Jose, OD joined PCO as a faculty member that we had a formal launch of the low vision clinic.

Randy started the clinic and I worked with him running the low vision lab.

Katharine Funari, OD ’18, Resident ’19 ALUMNI & RESIDENT

Over the last four years, not only did I find a school that provided one of the best optometric educations I could have received, but I was also able to find a group of friends that I believe will be life-long. We spent endless days and nights in classes and clinic, studying until we couldn’t fit anything else into our brains for the day, and enjoying each other’s company while working towards our goals. There are so many fond mem-

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ories I have with my classmates but one of my favorites was our first year field day. Each optometry class was split into four sections — A,B,C,D — with about 40 students in each. Our class council decided to bring us together with a day of friendly competition. Each section chose a team color and we battled it out to see which section was the best. We had pie eating contests, races, quizzo, music, food and so much more. Of course the best section won that day (A for Awesome) but in the end we all just had a great time letting off some steam and enjoying company with our friends.

Lots of love for the class of 2018!

Amanda H. Kaufmann, MS ’17 ALUMNI

I decided to attend Salus University because of its location in the Philadelphia area and for the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program itself. I was familiar with Salus from being a local, and when I found out they were starting an SLP program, I immediately became interested.

After applying and going in for my interview, I fell in love with the school.

I loved that it was a small community of graduate programs and all of the staff and students I met were very friendly and approachable. I also felt SLP would provide me with a strong education filled with valuable experiences. Choosing Salus was the right decision. I had an exceptional experience with the program. All of the faculty, students, and clinical experiences provided me with a very strong foundation in order to help me be successful in my career.

Michael Spinell, OD ’70 ALUMNI & RETIRED FACULT Y

I chose optometry because I never forgot the feeling of what it was like seeing trees with leaves on them and not just a green blur. The fact that our profession was evolving and that I was going to be on staff at PCO was a real perk. I chose Salus/PCO because it was reputed to have the best clinical experience — a fact that hasn’t changed over the years.

Veronica Heide, AuD ’01 ALUMNI

Still, graduation is a favorite memory because it was a year of firsts: it was the first graduating class for the new PCO School of Audiology; we were the first AuD graduates in the country to wear the new spruce green regalia for graduation (George Osborne, PhD, DDS, founder of the PCO School of Audiology, was proud to point out that it was one of the last greens available for a doctoring profession); and we were the first class to visit the campus and meet the wonderful faculty of PCO who welcomed us so graciously. It was a wonderful weekend with my family and of course to hear the organ play as we walked down the aisle of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia to accept the challenges still confronting us in the transformation of our profession.

Capturing 100 Years of Stories

Christin DeMoss, OD ’17, Resident ’18

Andy Lau, AuD ’13

ALUMNI & FACULT Y

I met George Osborne, PhD, DDS rather serendipitously.

It is refreshing when someone comes along who is truly wholesome, who retained a most infectious passion for life and for his profession, and who truly exemplifies unconditional positive regards. That was Dr. Osborne in a nutshell. Here was a grandfatherly figure who has a twinkle in his eyes, who can’t seem to hide his ebullience of having found something splendid and can’t wait to share the discovery with you. Here was the audiology equivalent of Chef Auguste Gusteau telling me I could become a great audiologist, and there is one place to do it — the residential audiology program offered at PCO. Here was a man with a vision, brimming with compassion, and a profound belief that others can succeed like him. How can one say no to that?

That night, he lit a fire under me like no other. For if love for education and for the profession of audiology is like spreading a fire; then Dr. Osborne was a pyromaniac.

There was a patient I had who was diagnosed with macular degeneration.

One of her goals was to be able to play the clarinet and read music but she had always been told that there was nothing that could be done. I told her to give us a chance and I’m proud to say that we were able to work together to make a spectacle mounted telescope for her so she could see the sheet music.

It worked perfectly and she was so happy — moments like that are really unforgettable.

Burton Eisenberg, OD ’67 ALUMNI

Jacob Nevyas, OD would tutor me in organic chemistry when I was a Temple student. In the lab, we were at lunch one day and he asked me to hand him a bottle of acetic acid. He then proceeded to pour some drops on his food. I said, “What are you doing?”

After he asked me to smell it, he then said a small drop of acetic acid was equal to vinegar.

ALUMNI

Erin Kenny, OD ’15, Resident ‘16 CHIEF, WILLIAM FEINBLOOM VISION REHABILITATION CENTER

One of my best Salus memories was during my residency year from 20152016. At the end of the year, we attended an annual event called the Ciao Chow. Although all of the clinical faculty were invited, the event was really to welcome the new residents and also thank the outgoing residency class. My class decided to do a superlative list for all 12 of us since we were so close. It was so funny to look back on the previous year’s memories and reflect on how close we had become. In fact, they still are my residency family to this day.

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The Optimist Optometrist: Dr. Albert Fitch and the Making of PCO (Part I) 30

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hose that think futuristically are often at risk for public ridicule — but with a lot of

motivation and confidence in their dreams — they often succeed. A select few of those who succeed are lucky enough to be considered a visionary.

The founder of the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (later named to Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) in 1964) and first president from 1919 until his death in February of 1960, Dr. Albert Fitch was indeed a visionary.

He led the fight for the recognition of optometric education and the establishment of optometry as a licensed profession. Almost single-handedly, he raised optometry to new professional levels by the high educational standards he established at the College. His belief that “a proper college of optometry must compete with any of the colleges of the other health professions, such as medicine and dentistry, and be on par with the best of them” was the hallmark of his outstanding leadership to the profession and to PCO. He established many firsts for both the College and the profession of optometry. Through Dr. Fitch’s leadership, the College was one of the first to be given permission to grant the Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree.

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Feature

THE START Despite his long-standing success in optometry, it was not Dr. Fitch’s initial career path. His first job as a school boy was in 1892 at the old Philadelphia Times newspaper where he worked as a newsboy selling papers early in the morning before school at a salary.

When he finished school, he went to work for Vincent McLaughlin, the manager of the Philadelphia Times.

He worked there for nine years and was promoted to a reporter. When the ownership of the company changed,

Fitch was again promoted to be the circulation manager, but was soon after demoted as staff positions at the paper changed and staff from the New York Times began taking over certain roles.

It was then that Fitch resigned and had trouble securing another job at a newspaper.

After he was offered a job at an advertising company he met William Fairman, who was engaged in an optical business with a few other doctors who wished to advance their practice. While his offer at the advertising firm was decent, he decided to take a risk and jump careers, declined the advertising position and

started in the optical business for just $9 per week. This was Dr. Fitch’s introduction to the world of optometry.

At a time when optometry was not well-regulated, Dr. Edward Gifford, a renowned ophthalmologist, saw Dr. Fitch’s potential, and took it upon himself to train him. Under Dr. Gifford’s supervision, Dr. Fitch was allowed to see his patients and he took it upon himself to practice on friends and family and learned the pathology of diseases.

BECOMING A DOCTOR In 1906, after four years of working with Dr. Gifford, Dr. Fitch opened his own practice in Philadelphia’s Kensington section. He was quite successful and by 1912, he had opened two additional practices.

In his autobiography, “My Fifty Years in Optometry,” published in 1955, Dr. Fitch wrote about adopting the “Doctor” title, as many medical doctors during that time took the title not from attending medical school, but from studying medicine under the supervision of a doctor.

As he opened his practices and gained additional experience and knowledge, he became more interested in organized optometry. He then started to attend Philadelphia Optical Association meetings. “I soon found out that any suggestions from me were unacceptable as being radical or as being mere flights of fancy,” Dr. Fitch wrote. However, from time to time, his suggestions were adopted, but only after they had been introduced again by somebody else.

Much to his chagrin, he stopped attending the meetings until a friend told him that the next meeting was to be the final one prior to the optometrists vote to join with the medical board — a vote that would give the medical board jurisdiction in the issuance of optometric licenses. That piqued Dr. Fitch’s interest to come back. During the meeting, the majority of attendees felt it was right to give the medical board jurisdiction.

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Feature In a moment that undoubtedly changed his life forever, it was Dr. Fitch who opposed the Medical Board’s decision of classifying optometry as a “minor branch in medicine” in the 1913 Amendment to the Medical Act of 1911.

He believed optometry needed to be recognized as a profession and deemed the amendment as unconstitutional.

He continued to push for optometry to run independently from a medical doctor’s line of work and encouraged optometry to develop and grow without being managed by another profession.

Dr. Fitch had accidentally fallen into legislature for the profession, something that he would fight for the rest of his life.

BIGGER DREAMS Dr. Fitch didn’t stop with legislature.

He dreamt of forming a society to offer professionals a place where they could study optometry in its entirety, therefore he became a founding member of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). The purpose of the association was to create a non-profit college of optometry. Today, the association continues to be the academic leadership organization committed to promoting, advancing, and achieving excellence in optometric education. At a bill signing, Dr. Fitch overheard discouraging words from the Pennsylvania Governor that he thought optometrists of the State of Pennsylvania would not raise their educational standards and provide educational institutions to carry out the high standards that Dr. Fitch and others were proposing. It was then that Dr. Fitch forged full-steam ahead in the establishment of the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PSCO) in 1919.

True to his persistent nature, Dr. Fitch took his committee to view properties for the College — although they insisted he didn’t have enough money to buy a property. He spotted properties at 1809 and 1811 Spring Garden Street and bee-lined for them. While indeed he did

not have enough money, he used his charms and asked the real estate agent to work with him — as long as he was able to successfully fundraise. In the end, Dr. Fitch purchased the building for $17,500 — a $4,000 reduction on the original price.

The College first opened its doors on October 6, 1919. It was the largest freshman class to enroll in any school or college of optometry at that time. Thirty-three students enrolled in the three year night school course, tuition was set at $150 for the year, and there was a faculty of six. In the same year, 11 of the 33 students failed the examinations and were required to drop out.

What should have been an exciting time for the College was actually a time of upheaval. By the end of the second year, the administration started to fall apart and the College Association as well. Dr. Fitch found himself not only as president, but in the position of dean of the College — a combination he wasn’t fond of.

Pushing through these early troubles, the College held its first Commencement exercise in 1923. Every member of the first graduating class successfully passed the Pennsylvania Board of Examiners in Optometry.

Almost from the very opening, the institution and students conducted a clinic for the poor. By 1925, one of Dr. Fitch’s proudest accomplishments was to acquire a clinical building, in close proximity to the main campus. It gave the College the opportunity to establish the first fully equipped optometric clinic in the country, complete with an ophthalmological department.

Patients were examined every afternoon in 11 refracting rooms and one ophthalmological treatment room. Clinical faculty included a director, two chiefs and 11 unpaid assistant chiefs. Students in their final year completed all of the refracting and fitting under the direction of the faculty. And, patient referrals came from social welfare agencies. Optical manufacturers and laboratories donated

both lenses and frames and when a prescription was ordered; the glasses were fabricated on site by students and dispensed to the patient at no charge.

Due to the College’s growth during its initial lucky 13 years, it moved to a large, 32-acre campus in the Oak Lane section of Philadelphia in 1932. The Spring Garden Street building was then used solely as a clinical facility.

The College became a staple in the advancement of optometry and its research, clinical care practices, and the exchange of ideas among professionals.

As other optometry schools started to match PSCO’s entrance and graduation requirements, PSCO was again steps ahead. By 1935, the institution had increased the program length to four years — something that they were alone in doing so for many years and in 1941, the College was accredited by the Council on Optometric Education.

Just over 20 years after opening, PSCO grew substantially thanks to Dr. Fitch’s extraordinary vision and his determination.

LOOK FOR PART II IN THE FALL ISSUE OF THE SALUS UNIVERSIT Y ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients It takes a special community to ensure that Salus continues to be a leader in health science education. In 1995, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the University’s founding College, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), 76 people of note were awarded the Pennsylvania College of Optometry Presidential Medal. On Friday, April 26, 2019, another 35 will be awarded Presidential Medals to again commemorate milestones: 100 years of PCO and 10 years of Salus University.

TO READ THE FULL BIOGRAPHIES, PLEASE VISIT SALUS.EDU/CENTENNIAL-MEDALS

Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) Presidential Medals

Diane Adamczyk, OD ’85, FAAO Dr. Diane Adamczyk is a professor and director of Residency Education at SUNY College of Optometry. Dr. Adamczyk regularly lectures internationally on topics ranging from glaucoma to ocular pharmacology and has authored many articles and textbook chapters, as well as coauthored the text book Primary Eyecare in Systematic Disease. She is actively involved in the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education, a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).

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Derrick Artis, OD ’89, MBA

Sheree Aston, OD ’82, MA, PhD

Dr. Derrick Artis dedicated his career to the advancement of optometry.

He is the former chief operating officer of Vision Source, a network of over 3,500 independent optometrists.

He retired in 2018 after 10 years and a successful transition of ownership to Essilor of America. He served as chairman of the Washington D.C. Board of Optometry from 1996 to 2000 and was vice president of the state association for two terms. Dr. Artis and Michael Rosenblatt, OD ’89, led Washington D.C.’s efforts to secure therapeutic drug prescription privileges. He was selected as the National Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year in 2007.

Dr. Sheree Aston has been vice provost and professor of Optometry at Western University since 2007.

She planned, launched, and continues to oversee Western University’s three-phase Interprofessional Education Program (IPE). Dr. Aston is a trustee of the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative (AIHC). She served on the Executive Committee for Collaborating Across Borders (CAB) IV and is the current United States Chair of CABV conference. She is the director of the Geriatric IPE project and is a member of the Executive Committee of the California Geriatric Education Center (CGEC), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients

Felix M. Barker II, OD, Bernard H. Blaustein, MS, FAAO OD ’67, FAAO Dr. Felix Barker, professor emeritus and former PCO trustee, began his career at PCO in 1978 as the chief of Primary Care Services at The Eye Institute (TEI).

He served as the director of Residencies, Clinical Science department chair, and interim dean of Optometry before becoming dean of Research.

As the dean of Research, Dr. Barker made significant changes to how the institution structured the program in order to elevate PCO’s research profile and capacity. He is a Fellow of the AAO and a Distinguished Practitioner of the National Academies of Practice. An active advocate of community service, he founded the Salus Lions Club student chapter.

G. Richard Bennett, MS, OD ’79, Resident ’80, FAAO, FNAP Dr. G. Richard Bennett graduated PCO in 1979 and completed his residency in Primary Care at TEI in 1980. He is currently the director of the Glaucoma Center of Excellence at TEI, a lecturer in Retinal Disease and Glaucoma, a professor of Optometry, and a past PCO Trustee. He is a Fellow of the AAO, and serves as a referee for American Journal of Optometry and Physiological Optics and Journal of the American Optometric Association.

Dr. Bernard Blaustein was part of the PCO and Salus community for over 50 years first as a student and other capacities, including associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences and director of Residency Programs.

He retired in 2018 as professor emeritus.

Dr. Blaustein also served veterans through his long-term contributions as chief of Optometry Services at the VA Medical Center in Coatesville, Pa. He is a Fellow of the AAO and a member of the AOA.

Richard Brilliant, OD ’76, FAAO Dr. Richard Brilliant is recognized as one of the world’s foremost low vision specialists.

He has been involved in clinical investigations for low vision manufacturers and has designed and developed hundreds of low vision devices. Dr. Brilliant has served on the Medical Advisory Board of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

A Diplomate of the AAO, he has lectured and published extensively, including authoring a widely used textbook.

James M. Caldwell, OD ’89, Resident ’90, FAAO, EdM Dr. James Caldwell is currently the dean of Student Affairs. He was a contributing member of the institutional committee that obtained the approval of Salus University from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

He was also a PCO clinical educator and taught at TEI. He is a Fellow of the AAO.

Roger Cummings, OD ’76, FAAO Dr. Roger Cummings, who was a PCO faculty member for 22 years, left the College to provide services to the VA in North Carolina. He was also coinvestigator on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded grant on eye movement monitoring in the partially sighted. He is a Fellow of the AAO.

Edward Deglin, MD Dr. Edward Deglin is an ophthalmologist with a specialty in retinal and vitreous diseases and surgery.

The Consumer Research Council has recognized Dr. Deglin, a board-certified member of the American Board of Ophthalmology and a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, as one of “America’s Top Ophthalmologists.”

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Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients

Alexander Dizhoor, PhD

Bernard P. Lepri, OD ’79, MS, MEd

Dr. Alexander Dizhoor, who received his PhD in Molecular Biology from Moscow University, joined Salus when he moved his laboratory from Wayne State University in order to conduct studies in molecular biology, pharmacology and congenital diseases of photoreceptors.

Dr. Dizhoor and his team have since conducted groundbreaking research on signal transduction in retinal rods and cones and its link to congenital blinding disorders. Their work has been featured in many academic journals and professional publications, as they were the first to restore light sensitivity in retinas lacking photoreceptors and clarify various molecular mechanisms related to retinal blindness.

Dr. Bernard Lepri is a senior advisor for Global Regulatory and Clinical Affairs at Carl Zeiss Meditec. His specialties include medical device review; clinical trial design; FDA regulatory guidelines for ophthalmic medical devices indicated for treatment and/or correction of visual impairment resulting from macular degeneration; glaucoma; retinitis pigmentosa; stroke and other ocular diseases. Dr. Lepri is a former PCO assistant professor and director of External Clinical Programs.

Brien Holden, PhD POSTHUMOUS

Dr. Brien Holden’s contributions extended across research, education, public health and social enterprise and generated over $1.3 billion in research, education and humanitarian funds. In 2010, the Institute for Eye Research in Australia was renamed the Brien Holden Vision Institute in recognition of his contributions. In November 2018, 17 students began their studies at the first optometry program in Haiti thanks to the recent collaboration between l’Universite d’Etat d’Haiti (UEH), Brien Holden Vision Institute, Optometry Giving Sight, Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) International and Charity Vision with support from the University of Montreal.

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Kelly A. Malloy, OD ’96, Resident ’97, FAAO Dr. Kelly Malloy is an associate professor at PCO and chief of Neuro-Ophthalmic Disease at TEI. She is a founding officer of the AAO Neuro-Ophthalmic Disorders Special Interest Group, and is its Educational Programs sub-chair.

A Fellow of the AAO, she is also the only neuro-ophthalmic disorders diplomate.

Leonard Messner, OD ’84, Resident ’85, FAAO Dr. Leonard Messner is the vice president for Patient Care Services for the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO).

His areas of practice and publications

include vitreoretinal and neuro-ophthalmic disorders. He is the immediate past chair of the Neuro-Ophthalmic Disorders Special Interest Group of the AAO. Dr. Messner’s areas of research include optic neuritis, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.

Stephanie Messner, OD ’84, Resident ’85, FAAO Dr. Stephanie Messner joined the ICO faculty in 1985 and has served in a variety of administrative roles, primarily related to patient care education and residency programs. She currently serves as ICO’s vice president and dean for Academic Affairs. She is a Fellow of the AAO and is an active participant in the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, currently serving as chair of Leadership and Professional Development Implementation Task Force.

Marla Moon, OD ’82, Resident ’83, FAAO Dr. Marla Moon was awarded the Dr. W. David Sullins Award by the AOA, which recognizes an individual Doctor of Optometry who has made significant contributions to optometry and public service involving the InfantSEE™ program. Her most notable contribution to the Pennsylvania Optometric Association (POA) has been in the development of the POA’s Kids Welcome Here pediatric vision care campaign. She was also one of the founders of the annual Give Kids Vision for the Future program in cooperation with the Centre Volunteers in Medicine.

Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients

Jeffrey Nyman, OD, FAAO

Carlo Pelino, OD ’94, FAAO

Dr. Jeffrey Nyman joined PCO’s faculty in 1977.

He currently is an associate professor and director of Emergency Services at TEI. Dr. Nyman was twice named the Onofrey Rybachok Clinical Educator of the Year by PCO students. He also received the Annual Faculty Award from his PCO peers. He has published numerous articles and textbook chapters in the optometric literature, and he has lectured extensively nationally and internationally on topics related to vision, eye disease and public health. Dr. Nyman is a Fellow of the AAO.

Dr. Carlo Pelino is chief of TEI’s Chestnut Hill satellite location and also has a referral retinal practice. He is one of the chief optometric advisors to WebMD as well as an advisor to several ophthalmic industry companies. He is a Fellow of the AAO.

Susan Oleszewski, OD ’76, Resident ’78, MA, FAAO Dr. Susan Oleszewski’s roles in her four decade career at PCO and Salus included classroom and clinical educator; vice president for Patient Care Services, where she shepherded the $11-million dollar renovation of TEI; chief of staff for the University and vice president of Institutional Advancement and Community Relations. She founded the Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) initiative and was central to raising over $600,000 to support vision care and eyeglasses for economically disadvantaged children in Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Dr. Oleszewski received the University’s Alumni Association’s Special Recognition Award in 2018.

Leonard J. Press, OD ’77, Resident ’78, FAAO, FCOVD Dr. Leonard J. Press formerly served as chief of the Pediatric Service at TEI. He is recognized internationally for his work in the field of learning-related vision problems and currently serves as a consultant on visual disabilities for the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).

Christopher J. Quinn, OD ’85, FAAO Dr. Christopher Quinn is the founder, owner, and president of the optometric referral center Omni Eye Services in New Jersey. Dr. Quinn holds academic appointments at the New England College of Optometry, State University of New York College of Optometry, University of Houston College of Optometry, PCO, Southern College of Optometry and University of California Berkeley

School of Optometry. Dr. Quinn is the immediate past president of the AOA, a past president of the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians, and a member of the Vision Care Section of the American Public Health Association.

Joseph P. Shovlin, OD ’80, FAAO Dr. Joseph Shovlin joined Northeastern Eye Institute in 1985 and practices in their Clarks Summit and Scranton, Pa., offices. He is a board certified optometrist, a Fellow of the AAO, a Distinguished Practitioner of the National Academy of Practice in Optometry, and a member of the AOA and the POA. He serves as the associate clinical editor for the Review of Optometry, clinical editor for the Review of Cornea and Contact Lenses, and consulting editor for the Contact Lens Spectrum and Primary Care Optometry News. Dr. Shovlin has over 300 publications.

Joel Silbert, OD ’73, FAAO Dr. Joel Silbert is a nationally recognized expert in contact lens.

He joined PCO’s faculty in 1974.

He serves as a professor, director of the Contact Lens Programs and chief of the Cornea and Specialty Contact Lens Service, and chairman of the Credential Committee at TEI. He also maintains a private practice. He served as principal investigator at PCO for the CLEK Study on keratoconus, a national multi-center study funded by the NIH. Dr. Silbert has served as a Diplomate and Executive Committee member of the AAO’s

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Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients Cornea & Contact Lens Section and is Past Chair of the Association of Contact Lens Educators.

Salus University Presidential Medals

Satya Verma, OD ’75, FAAO

Pierrette DayhawBarker, PhD

Dr. Satya Verma had an optometric degree from India and had completed some graduate work in the United States when he came to PCO to join the faculty in 1971; he subsequently also became a student. Almost 50 years later, Dr. Verma, an associate professor, now holds the distinction of being the longest-serving PCO and Salus employee. Among his many accomplishments at Salus is conceiving and helping to launch the Low Vision Mobile Clinic. Dr. Verma has also held numerous local, state and national leadership positions and helped to facilitate the passage of the Medicare Act which allowed optometrists to be viewed as physicians.

Dr. Pierrette Dayhaw-Barker served both PCO and Salus for more than 35 years teaching within the Optometry, Audiology and Physician Assistant programs. Dr. Dayhaw-Barker also served as the assistant dean and then associate dean of Basic Science before serving as the associate dean for the Foundations of Optometric Medicine. She played an instrumental role in the development of Curriculum 2000, a major innovation to the optometry curriculum implemented in 2001, and she laid the foundation for University-wide interprofessional education and launched the University’s PhD in Biomedicine program.

Tomi Browne, AuD ’04 Dr. Tomi Browne is the founder and president of HEARt of the Village, Inc., which works with HIV+ children in Kenya.

Dr. Browne and her teams have identified and arranged treatment and surgery for dozens of children with ear disease and hearing loss. Dr. Browne is a founder of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), past recipient of the AAA President’s Award for her exceptional service and dedication to the Academy, the profession of audiology and to the individuals with hearing, tinnitus or balance disorders.

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Anthony F. Di Stefano, OD ’73, MPH, MEd, FAAO Dr. Anthony Di Stefano formally joined the PCO faculty in 1974 as an associate professor of Public Health.

President Dr. Norman Wallis appointed Dr. Di Stefano as a special assistant to the president for Strategic Planning in 1975. He developed PCO’s first five year strategic plan which would form the foundation for PCO’s future growth. He was the architect of many new degree programs and innovative program delivery methods, including the transformation of the optometry program through such initiatives as Curriculum 2000 and the three-year accelerated Scholars Program.

Gail Gudmundsen, AuD ’02 Dr. Gail Gudmundsen has devoted decades of service to the profession of audiology. Early in her career, she provided clinical audiology services at the two largest teaching hospitals in Chicago, Ill. She subsequently operated a multi-office audiology private practice for over 20 years. Dr. Gudmundsen has made important contributions to Salus, both as a former adjunct faculty member and as the first AuD to serve on the Board of Trustees. Dr. Gudmundsen was the first recipient of the Osborne College of Audiology’s Alumna of the Year award in 2012.

Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients

Thomas L. Lewis, OD ’70, PhD, FAAO Dr. Thomas Lewis joined the PCO faculty in 1972.

By 1979, Dr. Lewis was appointed vice president and dean of Academic Affairs prior to becoming PCO president in 1989 in which he served until 2013.

Under his leadership, the institution continued to earn a reputation for excellence in healthcare science. His vision also included many campus facility improvements, including the University’s move to Elkins Park, Pa., the development and building of the Hafter Student Community Center, and an $11 million renovation of TEI. He also spearheaded PCO to apply for University status with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, so that the newly integrated programs would work in unison under the new umbrella institution of Salus University.

serve as a combatant command surgeon in the U.S. Pacific Command; and the first non-medical doctor to serve as the command surgeon for the U.S. Joint Forces.

George Shepard Osborne, PhD, DDS POSTHUMOUS

Dr. George Osborne and PCO established the PCO School of Audiology in 2000.

He first created AuD online, a robust program designed specifically as a bridge for licensed and practicing audiologists and was the second largest program in the country. Just after the graduation of the first class of residential Audiology students, Dr. Osborne died unexpectedly. Shortly after Salus University was established on July 1, 2008, the PCO School of Audiology was renamed the George S. Osborne College of Audiology.

Michael H. Mittelman, OD ’80, MPH, FAAO, Fabiana Perla, EdD, MS ’93, COMS ’94 FACHE Dr. Michael H. Mittelman served with distinction for three decades in the United States Navy in a succession of increasingly responsible, mission-critical command positions, and achieving the rank of Rear Admiral (Upper Half) and serving as Deputy Surgeon General. He was a trailblazer for optometry in the military as the first Navy aerospace optometrist; the first optometrist to command a major naval hospital; the first and only clinician to lead the Navy Medical Service Corps; the first non-medical doctor to

Dr. Fabiana Perla is the chair of the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies within the University’s College of Education and Rehabilitation. She has worked extensively in providing direct services to individuals who are visually impaired, teaching, and securing federal and local grants to support graduate students and to enhance blindness and visual impairment. Dr. Perla has gained an international reputation through her publications and presentations in the profession of Orientation and Mobility and is currently involved in collaborative

research on emerging technologies in the areas of mobility and retinal implants.

Carl Polsky, JD Carl Polsky is a past chair of the Board of Trustees.

Polsky has been involved in many key initiatives, including the establishment of the Hafter Family Chair in Pharmacology, the Doctor of Audiology Program, and the establishment of the PCO Foundation. He played a pivotal role in the development of the Hafter Student Community Center. Polsky was a founding partner of the law firm of Diamond Polsky and Bauer and is a retired practice professor of Accounting at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Jo Surpin, MA Jo Surpin is a stellar figure in healthcare finance. Surpin’s pioneering work as president of Applied Medical Software (AMS) has led to the company becoming a national leader in gainsharing policy — the direct payment of incentives by hospitals to physicians based on performance — strategy and practical application. It’s reported that AMS system has saved 12 New Jersey demonstration hospitals $113 million.

Surpin serves as chair of the University’s Board of Trustees.

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Focus on Our Future: The Centennial Campaign

At the Pennsylvania College of Optometry’s founding a century ago, Dr. Albert Fitch believed we could be a leading institution of biomedical education and clinical care. A decade ago, we adopted the name “Salus” because we believed we could lead a movement toward better health and wellness across our community.

the 100th anniversary of the University’s founding College, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, we believe that our work has only just begun. With the necessary resources, we can build on our strong momentum and continue to provide financial aid to students who need it most; to enhance the experience students and faculty have on campus; and to expand outreach initiatives that improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities we serve.

AS WE CELEBRATE

When you support Focus on Our Future: The Centennial Campaign, you declare your belief in the promise of the University and in our potential to improve the health of every citizen. With your help, we can train providers who will alleviate suffering, increase vitality, and resolve today’s healthcare challenges — as well

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as tomorrow’s. We can advance care, enabling people to live fully and make the most of their lives.

It is on behalf of all who will benefit from your support, we invite you to give today.

With this campaign, we are committed to raising critical private support to ensure that the impact PCO and Salus have on our students, our region, and our world is even more powerful in the next 100 years. The future is larger than the University.

A gift to the Centennial Campaign is an investment in the future of our region

and of our world. Together, we can effect change, advance care, and put health and wellness within reach for everyone whose lives we touch.

Our accomplishments over the past century are many, but there is so much potential that we haven’t yet tapped.

Focus on Our Future: The Centennial Campaign seeks to raise $5 million in funding to:

ENHANCE our endowment, increasing support for student scholarships, key faculty and administrative roles IMPROVE educational facilities across campus, guaranteeing our students a cutting-edge learning environment

BOLSTER our community service programs, giving individuals and families with limited resources access to high-quality care and support

Financial need is a barrier for many of the most promising students who seek an education in the health sciences.

You Have the Power to Shape a Student’s Future By establishing a new endowed scholarship fund — or by adding to an existing endowment — you make an investment that benefits not only the future leaders who are being educated at PCO and Salus, but also the countless individuals and families they will treat, counsel, and serve over the course of their careers.

Endowment Funds Endowment funds also support the efforts of our outstanding faculty, advancing their work as teachers, scholars, researchers, and clinicians.

Our excellence rests on our ability to attract and retain the finest faculty members and academic leaders — and when you create an endowed deanship, chair, or professorship, you help us do just that.

Endowment gifts are invested by Salus.

A portion of the resulting income is spent each year for the designated purpose. Donors may choose to name an endowed scholarship, deanship, chair, or professorship for themselves or in honor or memory of someone else.

As we seek to improve our endowments and facilities and enhance our impact on the broader community, we must always ensure the fulfillment of the institution’s core mission.

Unrestricted Donations Unrestricted donations allow us to build on our foundation — the foundation that drives the school’s mission to impact and influence the future of healthcare delivery, education, and professional practice.

When you make an unrestricted gift, we apply it directly to where the need is greatest, doing so with the utmost care. We profoundly appreciate the trust that donors express by contributing unrestricted funding. The resulting combination of moral and financial support touches the PCO and Salus community in broader and deeper ways than numbers on a page could ever show.

As part of the Focus on Our Future campaign, unrestricted gifts will be considered campaign gifts and will be recognized as such.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN AT SALUS.EDU/CENTENNIAL-GIVING

These investments in our core mission are more than simple, practical contributions. They also reflect donors’ confidence in the validity of our goals and in our ability to move forward with efficiency and expertise.

SPRING 2019 — CENTENNIAL EDITION

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NONP R OFIT ORGAN I ZATI ON U.S. POSTAGE PAID P H IL A DELPHI A, PA P E R MIT N O. 773

Office of Institutional Advancement Salus University 8360 Old York Road Elkins Park, PA 19027-1516 ADDRE SS S E RV ICE REQUE S TE D

www.salus.edu