MEHA Forum: Recent Posts

MEHA Forum: Recent Posts http://meha.net/bbpress/ MEHA Forum: Recent Posts en Sat, 31 Jul 2010 06:25:13 +0000 johns560 on "Your first topic" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=1#post-64 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:58:47 +0000 johns560 64@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Jim, The law is clear that local health depts. are going to be enforcing the smoking ban. MDCH met with the EH Directors recently and told us that there will be some guidance forthcoming. The MALEHA food committee is working with MDCH. genepaez on "MEHA NEEDS YOU" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=28#post-63 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:00:52 +0000 genepaez 63@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Hello all, its that time of year, MEHA board is looking for enthusiastic, energetic volunteers to help fill next years committees. I know many of us in the past have signed up for various committees and never heard back from anyone. I was in that same boat myself,I think what happened is most of that information was sent to MEHA office data collection center and forgotten it was even there. Lynn Madison, your incoming President and I will make sure this coming years committee will be more active than ever and anyone interested will be contacted. So please make it know to Board and Committee's that you are interested in serving. Now that email is prevalent its much easier to meet and contribute. Thanks for helping out, MEHA needs you. Gene Paez James LaFleur on "Your first topic" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=1#post-62 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:46:59 +0000 James LaFleur 62@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Who will enforce the new smoking law in licensed food service establishments including all of the bars? Will there be guidance on this matter? bowlingd on "MEHA Awards" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=27#post-61 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:41:24 +0000 bowlingd 61@http://meha.net/bbpress/ The MEHA Awards Committee is soliciting nominations for this year's MEHA awards. If you know of a worthy and deserving candidate for one of these prestigious awards, please consider nominating them. Nomination forms are available on the MEHA website at <a href="http://www.meha.net" rel="nofollow">www.meha.net</a> under the membership section. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. Nominations can be submitted to Larry Johnson (ljohnson@shiawassee.net), Eric Pessell (epessell@bedhd.org) or Dick Fleece (fleecer@ewashtenaw.org). bowlingd on "MEHA Awards" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=26#post-60 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:40:36 +0000 bowlingd 60@http://meha.net/bbpress/ The MEHA Awards Committee is soliciting nominations for this year's MEHA awards. If you know of a worthy and deserving candidate for one of these prestigious awards, please consider nominating them. Nomination forms are available on the MEHA website at <a href="http://www.meha.net" rel="nofollow">www.meha.net</a> under the membership section. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. Nominations can be submitted to Larry Johnson (ljohnson@shiawassee.net), Eric Pessell (epessell@bedhd.org) or Dick Fleece (fleecer@ewashtenaw.org). KSchweighoefer on "Inspections" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=25#post-59 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:43:01 +0000 KSchweighoefer 59@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Posting on behalf of Mike Kucab: Requesting of local health departments currently doing Body Art Facility inspections if they are willing to allow another local health department to shadow and observe their inspection process. Local health departments who are willing to share in their inspection process, please contact Michael Kucab at 517-335-8165 or <a href="mailto:kucabm@michigan.gov">kucabm@michigan.gov</a> Thank you. Janet Phelps on "Adopt-A-Highway" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=21#post-58 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:55:53 +0000 Janet Phelps 58@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Our premier Adopt-A-Highway project was a huge success! We had 15 members and assorted family and friends helping to collect a whopping 61 bags of trash!!!! We came to the consensus that this area had NEVER been done before as there were many items that appeared to have been there for quite some time. The area is close to my home so it was convenient for members to go back to my place for lunch or a break. Even though it was cooler than usual day in July, that worked to our advantage. It gets hot out there! We had a bit of rain in the afternoon, but then worked again later in the day. We provided a lunch (chicken, my homemade potato salad, watermelon, assorted munchies) and everyone participating received a certificate. My family finished it all up on Sunday and did a final "bag" count. We couldn't fit everything into the bags (old tires, fenders, windshield, signs, metal and aluminum piping). We encountered a few critters too, one even found it's way to my kitchen (call me to find out the details of that story!!!). I have one group picture that my youngest took on my camera phone. I will get the rest developed soon and will have Kristen post them. Our next collection will be in September (the 12th or 19th). bowlingd on "Environmental Sanitarian Job" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=24#post-57 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:41:47 +0000 bowlingd 57@http://meha.net/bbpress/ It really kinda depends on what duties will be required of the hired sanitarian. Some sanitarians focus on food, others on on-site water supplies, others on on-site wastewater disposal, others focus on special programs such as lead, mold, recreational waters, etc. Some sanitarians work in all of those programs. I'd try and figure out what duties you'd be expected to perform (assuming you were hired), and study up on those programs. Another good idea would be to stop by the office and pick up a copy of the local sanitary code (assuming it's a local health department you're interviewing with). Other suggested places to check for information are: <a href="http://meha.net/pdf/factsheetlinks.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://meha.net/pdf/factsheetlinks.pdf</a> And any of the study guides listed here would probably be a great deal of help: <a href="https://www.neha-ecommerce.org/imispublic/Core/Orders/category.aspx?catid=61" rel="nofollow">https://www.neha-ecommerce.org/imispublic/Core/Orders/category.aspx?catid=61</a> If you are a MEHA member, you may even be able to contact the MEHA Professional Development Committee and inquire about checking out one of the REHS study guides in the MEHA library. <a href="http://meha.net/pdf/MEHA%202009-10%20Committee%20Chairs%20Liaisons%20063009.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://meha.net/pdf/MEHA%202009-10%20Committee%20Chairs%20Liaisons%20063009.pdf</a> Good luck. -Darren Bowling wingsfan629 on "Environmental Sanitarian Job" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=24#post-56 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:18:25 +0000 wingsfan629 56@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Hey everyone. I have an environmental science degree and am interviewing for an environmental sanitarian position. I have no idea how to prepare for this. Can anyone tell me what I need to study, what information I will be asked and what I should know? Any help is appreciated! Thanks. KSchweighoefer on "Facebook!" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=23#post-55 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:37:48 +0000 KSchweighoefer 55@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Hello, MEHA has has a facebook page that you can become a fan of! Search for "MEHA - Michigan Environmental Health Association" & become a fan! Our facebook page has environmental health related stories from the news, information on conference, fundraisers and events, and other items of interest. Have a suggestion for our facebook page? Let me know! Kristen KSchweighoefer on "Food Safety Photos" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=22#post-54 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:08:21 +0000 KSchweighoefer 54@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Hi there, I'm looking for your best (or worst) food safety photos. I am putting together a temporary food training that I will be sharing with all Michigan local health depts, and need some photos! If the photos are related to a temporary food event, that would be even better, but anything that illustrating food safety would be great! Send to: schweigk (at) ewashtenaw (dot) org Thanks! Janet Phelps on "Adopt-A-Highway" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=21#post-53 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:16:41 +0000 Janet Phelps 53@http://meha.net/bbpress/ The application has been approved! The scheduled clean-up date for our Adopt-A-Highway project is Saturday, July 11th in Grand Blanc (exit 109 off I-75 and then north on M-54 for two miles). Picnic and pool party afterwards at our home (Janet and Mike Phelps). If you are interested in helping, contact Janet Phelps at (810) 257-3199. In case of inclement weather, the back-up date is Saturday, July 19th. Janet Phelps on "Adopt-A-Highway" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=21#post-52 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:19:15 +0000 Janet Phelps 52@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Is anyone interested in participating in an Adopt-A-Highway project on behalf of MEHA? I would like to adopt a section of I-75 that is currently available (near my home in Grand Blanc). corey opsis on ""The Health Inspector Man"" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=9#post-51 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:02:39 +0000 corey opsis 51@http://meha.net/bbpress/ What a great poem, its says it all in times like these....especially the poverty part. Its so great I decided to use it on my blogs! KSchweighoefer on "Forgot your username or password?" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=20#post-50 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:32:49 +0000 KSchweighoefer 50@http://meha.net/bbpress/ If you no longer remember your username, you either need to create a new one, or call/email me to look it up. If you forgot your password, you will need to have it reset & then log in with a new random password generated by the system. Unfortunately, I don't have your password nor can I reset it for you. You need to do the following: To reset your password, try to log in with only your username. You will have the option to reset your password. Choose this and you will receive an email to the email address that you registered with the site. The email will be from "meha.net" and will have a link to reset your password. Click on this link, or copy it and place it in your browser window. This will generate a new, random password which will be emailed to you, again, from "meha.net". Copy and paste this password (which is case sensitive) along with your username to log in. Then, click "View your profile" and change your password to something easy to remember. See "Changing Your Password" for details. KSchweighoefer on "Pub Crawl T Shirts" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=19#post-49 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:21:50 +0000 KSchweighoefer 49@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Tee shirts are being ordered for the pub crawl Thursday night at the ACE In Traverse City. The tee shirts will cost $10.00 this year. Please send an e-mail Diane C. Griswold with your size and contact information should you wish to purchase a shirt. Diane C. Griswold, R.S. Plan Review Specialist District Health Dept. #10 385 Third Street Manistee, MI 49660 (231) 309-8948 fax: (231) 723-1477 <a href="mailto:dgriswold@dhd10.org">dgriswold@dhd10.org</a> Orders must be placed by March 9, 2009. KSchweighoefer on "AEC Agenda" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=18#post-48 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:00:29 +0000 KSchweighoefer 48@http://meha.net/bbpress/ The AEC trifold & registration form have just been posted to the meha website. Go to <a href="http://www.meha.net" rel="nofollow">www.meha.net</a> for the information. It's on both the home page & the conference page. I'll try to post it here as well, but I'm not sure if it will work. <a href="http://www.meha.net/pdf/2009%20AEC%20Trifold%20&%20Registration%20Form.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.meha.net/pdf/2009%20AEC%20Trifold%20&%20Registration%20Form.pdf</a> AParsons on "AEC Agenda" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=18#post-47 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:52:32 +0000 AParsons 47@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Does anyone have a copy of the AEC Agenda - even a preliminary agenda? Also, what about registrations forms??? The conference is only 5 weeks away! rrpaulus on "Background Info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=6#post-46 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:03:44 +0000 rrpaulus 46@http://meha.net/bbpress/ As we approach the March AEC Conference, I am pleased to report the Licensure Joint Committee has voted to accept a Scope of Practice and Definition of the profession. It has been a complex process of critique and review of many ideas. A Scope of Practice that includes public and private sector practitioners has been agreed upon. The MEHA Committee and MALEHA Committee are poised to pursue this two decade long goal of our profession. I would like to thank all of the Joint Committee members for their work on this. It is refreshing to have moved through the debating process in order that we have a defendable measure of what it means to be a licensed environmental health professional. Best regards, Bob Paulus MEHA President KSchweighoefer on "Monroe County Food Safety Article" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=17#post-45 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:26:32 +0000 KSchweighoefer 45@http://meha.net/bbpress/ In case you missed it, Rodney Blanchard from Monroe County Health Dept. was featured as part of an article titled "On the Menu: Food Safety" about understanding health inspections. You can view the article here: <a href="http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=125F796A745487B8&p_docnum=6" rel="nofollow">http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=125F796A745487B8&p_docnum=6</a> KSchweighoefer on "2009 AEC" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=16#post-44 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:48:14 +0000 KSchweighoefer 44@http://meha.net/bbpress/ I think that could be a lot of fun!! I have rock star for the wii, but not rock band. And yes, I am a rock star! (at least in my own mind & on the "easy" level) :) rrpaulus on "2009 AEC" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=16#post-43 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:18:11 +0000 rrpaulus 43@http://meha.net/bbpress/ How about a "ROCK BAND" contest using the actual game for one of the evening activities? gohlkeh on "Wanted: Groundwater Conference Committee volunteers" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=15#post-42 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:13:42 +0000 gohlkeh 42@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Anyone out there want to volunteer to be on the Groundwater Conference Planning Committee? Let me know ASAP...Holly Gohlke. Contact me at <a href="mailto:gohlkeh@michigan.gov">gohlkeh@michigan.gov</a> or (989)705-3422 James LaFleur on "Best Practices" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=13#post-41 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:53:50 +0000 James LaFleur 41@http://meha.net/bbpress/ The MEHA 20th Annual Food Protection Conference held October 29-30, 2008 in Flint was excellent. The speakers and the length of the conference is what I liked the most. Future topic suggestions: 1. Performing risk based evaluations and demonstration of best practices in performing such evaluations. 2. Active managerial control by food service establishments and demonstration of some excellent programs out there. The conference met my expectations, it was worth the 504 mile ride. Thanks. My suggestion for improvement would be to have the conference at a more central location, for example, near the Mackinac Bridge. The location of the conference was average due to the long ride there. The food was excellent the first day and ok the second day. The accomodations were very nice, the conference rooms were nice and convenient, the chairs were somewhat hard. Overall the conference was very beneficial, it was great to be there with you all, thanks to all who put this conference together. Please forward this conference evaluation to the MEHA Executive Board of Directors, the 2009 MEHA-AEC planning committee, and the 2009 MEHA-FPC planning committee. Adam London on "Background Info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=6#post-40 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:22:48 +0000 Adam London 40@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Colleagues, As President of the Michigan Association for Local Environmental Health Administrators (MALEHA), and as a member of MEHA, I want to give you every assurance that our two organizations are both working productively towards sanitarian licensure. Despite “rumors” of friction between our respective committees, please know that we are all dedicated professionals working toward a common goal. We have agreed on much and disagreed on some, but that is how the process is supposed to work. This endeavor has not, and will not, deteriorate into anything less than a cooperative effort by our organizations for the betterment of environmental health. I have spoken personally with President Paulus and I am very confident that he shares my desire to move forward with a united front. For that matter, all of the individuals involved thus far including: the MEHA Licensure Committee and Chairman Pat Donovan, President Bob Paulus, and the MALEHA Licensure Committee (Eric Pessell, Steve Hall, Bruce DuHamel, Dick Fleece, and myself) are committed to seeing this through to a successful and amicable conclusion. I have worked with all of the aforementioned sanitarians on numerous other issues and I can personally attest to their professionalism and commitment to environmental health. Every single person involved in this process has contributed positively to the progress we’ve made so far. Therefore, on behalf of MALEHA and as a MEHA member, I sincerely request that you dispel of any rumors and be patient with the process. President Paulus has kindly invited me to attend this Friday’s MEHA meeting in Cadillac. I, along with a couple other members of the MALEHA Licensure Committee, will be making the trip. It is our desire to merely enter into an open discussion with the MEHA Board regarding the pros and cons of our various options. Both of our organizations have rules, bylaws, and parliamentary procedures to handle decision-making when the time comes. President Paulus is doing an admirable job for MEHA, he and I – and both committees - will not tolerate to see this historic opportunity for licensure fail. Sincerely, Adam London MALEHA President KSchweighoefer on "Best Practices" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=13#post-39 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:25:38 +0000 KSchweighoefer 39@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Perhaps at the food conference we do a program on best practices for quality assurance, which is of increasing importance to local health, mda & our accreditation. I envision a panel discussion. (rumor has it Kalamazoo has a really good QA program) :) I'd be happy to speak about our foodborne illness investigation program as I think we have a few best practices that meet MPRs and aid in investigation and would think another panel discussion might be good on that. Perhaps a topic on swimming pools - such as programmatic stuff on how inspections are handled, water sampling, education and training, etc. I remember that Jeff Reichert got an award a few years back on some work he had done with the swimming pool program. Please feel free to contact me at any time. KSchweighoefer on "Background info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=14#post-38 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:05:51 +0000 KSchweighoefer 38@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Hi there, I agree that rumors have no place in the discussion of this imporant topic, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I do think it's important to acknowledge if there are rumors out there and to try and address those rumors/inaccuracies whenever possible. I realize this is a dynamic process and want to thank the committee members (MEHA & MALEHA) that have been working very hard on this topic. I also want to thank everyone for their discussions on the forum. This venue was designed to get people communicating, and this is a topic that will impact each and every one of us. I'm glad to see that people are communicating. The point was made that the Board as a whole has not heard the proposal from the MEHA ad hoc committee yet. So, it helps to keep in mind that we are still in the preliminary stages of this licensure conversation. Nothing you have seen or heard to date is a done deal. In the meantime, I urge you to keep the conversation going - I think the more we share our opinions, the more we will learn from each other! rrpaulus on "Best Practices" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=13#post-37 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:45:57 +0000 rrpaulus 37@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Kristen: I am currently on conference call with the AEC Conference Planning Committee. I have read your suggestion to the committee. The committee would like specific program topics and ideas for speakers. Could you be more specific? BOB PAULUS bowlingd on "Background info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=14#post-36 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:43:47 +0000 bowlingd 36@http://meha.net/bbpress/ The MEHA Board minutes, through the June meeting, are available on this website. 1) According to MEHA Board minutes, the MEHA Licensure Ad Hoc committee was formed by motion on April 25. The motion was ONLY for formation of the committee. 2) According to MEHA Board minutes, on May 16, the Ad Hoc committee gave its first report to the board. There were no motions to create charges for the Ad Hoc committee, nor were any decisions made in regards to giving direction to the Ad Hoc committee. 3) According to MEHA Board minutes, by the time of the June board meeting, the Ad Hoc Committee charges had already been disseminated. According to "Attachment 1" of the June minutes, the Ad Hoc committee "charges have been identified and approved by the MEHA President". The motion voted on by the board that day (roll call vote) did not include anything having to do with the charges to the committee. 4) The July MEHA meeting was cancelled. (not enough participants) 5) The August MEHA meeting took place on August 15, 2008. 6) The September MEHA meeting was cancelled, and therefore the minutes from the August MEHA meeting have not yet been approved, and therefore I cannot refer to them here. Given all of the above, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that until this week, the MEHA Board had not been formally presented with any deliverables by the Ad Hoc committee. I think it's misleading to say that the Ad Hoc committee has been working under the "direct supervision of the MEHA Executive Board" and certainly it's misleading to say that "charges were delivered to the committee by Executive Board Role Call Vote". The MEHA Board (as a whole) has had minimal contact with the Ad Hoc committee, as that committee is not supposed to present its findings to the board until October (this month's meeting is next Friday, October 31, at the DEQ Cadillac District office). Finally, I am alarmed when I read statements implying that the opinions of the MEHA Ad Hoc committee and the MEHA President, are also the opinions of the MEHA Board. On my count, the board has voted twice: Once to create the committee, and once to direct the committee to move forward on the licensure issue. Opinions regarding the "definition of EH" and any "scope of practice" are opinions only. The MEHA board hasn't voted to adopt any such opinions. At this point, anyone who attempts to speak for the MEHA board (regarding this topic) is disseminating false information. It is a fact that in the past few days, emails that inappropriately speak on behalf of MEHA have been sent (I've received them myself). As a board member I resent this fact, and I caution against continuing such actions until the board has actually had a chance to hear what the Ad Hoc committee has accomplished. With that being said, I encourage anyone who has an opinion on this issue to contact your MEHA Board representative(s) and make your opinion known prior to the October 31 meeting. -Darren Bowling bowlingd on "Background Info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=6#post-35 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:39:49 +0000 bowlingd 35@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Ok...I welcome any corrections to the following. I am a member of the MEHA Board, and therefore I think I can speak to some of the points posted both here and on Pat's other post located elsewhere in this forum. The MEHA Board minutes, through the June meeting, are available on this website. 1) According to MEHA Board minutes, the MEHA Licensure Ad Hoc committee was formed by motion on April 25. The motion was ONLY for formation of the committee. 2) According to MEHA Board minutes, on May 16, the Ad Hoc committee gave its first report to the board. There were no motions to create charges for the Ad Hoc committee, nor were any decisions made in regards to giving direction to the Ad Hoc committee. 3) According to MEHA Board minutes, by the time of the June board meeting, the Ad Hoc Committee charges had already been disseminated. According to "Attachment 1" of the June minutes, the Ad Hoc committee "charges have been identified and approved by the MEHA President". The motion voted on by the board that day (roll call vote) did not include anything having to do with the charges to the committee. 4) The July MEHA meeting was cancelled. (not enough participants) 5) The August MEHA meeting took place on August 15, 2008. 6) The September MEHA meeting was cancelled, and therefore the minutes from the August MEHA meeting have not yet been approved, and therefore I cannot refer to them here. Given all of the above, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that until this week, the MEHA Board had not been formally presented with any deliverables (other than brief monthly reports) by the Ad Hoc committee. I think it's misleading to say that the Ad Hoc committee has been working under the "direct supervision of the MEHA Executive Board" and certainly it's misleading to say that "charges were delivered to the committee by Executive Board Role Call Vote". The MEHA Board (as a whole) has had minimal contact with the Ad Hoc committee, as that committee is not supposed to present its "deliverables" to the board until October (this month's meeting is next Friday, October 31, at the DEQ Cadillac District office). Finally, I am alarmed when I read statements implying that the opinions of the MEHA Ad Hoc committee and the MEHA President, are also the opinions of the MEHA Board. On my count, the board has voted twice: Once to create the committee, and once to direct the committee to move forward on the licensure issue. Opinions regarding the "definition of EH" and any "scope of practice" are opinions only. The MEHA board hasn't voted to adopt any such opinions. At this point, anyone who attempts to speak for the MEHA board (regarding this topic) is disseminating false information. It is a fact that in the past few days, emails that inappropriately speak on behalf of MEHA have been sent (I've received them myself). As a board member I resent this fact, and I would caution against further similar actions until the board has actually had a chance to hear what the Ad Hoc committee has accomplished, and the board has a chance to discuss the issue at its scheduled meeting. With that being said, I encourage anyone who has an opinion on this issue to contact your MEHA Board representative(s) and make your opinion known prior to the October 31 meeting. -Darren Bowling rrpaulus on "Background Info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=6#post-34 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:07:50 +0000 rrpaulus 34@http://meha.net/bbpress/ I disagree with Larry's ideology. Anyone making a decision that affects the overall health of the environment or a professional decision that may potentially affect the transmission generation or promotion of the spread of disease for pay....(public or private) should carry a license. Scope of practice can be easily narrowed down to those factors or programs in which one can practice. The place of employment should not matter. Furthermore, a licensure mandate must include a clause for grandfathering those who have been working in this field for a period of time. This was a commitment made to the membership during the Board meeting when the licensure committee was formed. It must be part of language supported by MEHA. I find it very inappropriate for anyone to infer or to suggest gossip based statements regarding the actions of the MEHA Board, especially on this site. This site is intended to support factual information if there are any such questions regarding Board Direction, feel free to contact myself or any Board member. There are two separate committees trying to work together to achieve a common goal. There is no official "joint committee". BOB PAULUS - MEHA PRESIDENT Pat Donovan on "Background info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=14#post-33 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:05:53 +0000 Pat Donovan 33@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Every members opinion needs to be heard and considered as we proceed with the effort toward licensure. I suggest interested parties read the committee charges that are assigned by the MEHA Board. You may read them in the first entry in the thread of this topic. That is what the committee is tasked to accomplish. We have an overt, orderly and participant based process, and we are proceeding under the direct supervision of the MEHA Executive Board. Those charges were delivered to the committee by Executive Board Role Call Vote. Rumor and innuendo, shadow references and 'what about this or that' items have no place in the discourse of this important topic. Fact and data and challenging questions of substance need to be asked and then addressed. It serves no purpose to read about allegations or unsubstantiated rumor. We are a profession, we deliver Health Care Service to protect the public health by management of the environment. We cannot ignore certain sectors of the profession because the task of their inclusion may be difficult. We are engaged in an effort to license a profession for the benefit of the citizens of Michigan. We are attempting to license an already recognized, regulated, registered profession and accomodate ALL of the MEHA membership as we proceed. We are not trying to re-invent anything or build something from scratch. Everyone needs to state their case and speak their mind. The discourse needs to reamin on topic. johns560 on "Background Info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=6#post-32 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:37:13 +0000 johns560 32@http://meha.net/bbpress/ I totally agree with what Kristen said. There is absolutely NO WAY that we are going to be able to get a law through that requires mandatory licensure for every professional that is directly or indirectly related to environmental health. I think the overall theory behind the argument is good BUT, practically speaking, it is a nonstarter. We need to require that those making regulatory decisions are licensed and at a future date, the scope of practice can be revisited. We have a great opportunity to get this done for the first time in a very long time and we should grab it and move forward. There is a legislator willing to sponsor this bill and we need to do it! I have heard "rumblings" through the "rumor mill" that MEHA is prepared to fight this progress using MEHA resources. As a member of MEHA, I am personally OFFENDED by this and hope it is not true. I believe the majority of the MEHA membership and the MEHA executive board support the efforts of the joint committee to move forward with licensure. Larry Johnson KSchweighoefer on "Background Info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=6#post-31 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:52:18 +0000 KSchweighoefer 31@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Hi there, I wanted to put my two cents into this discussion. I think that sanitarian licensure is a tough issue and what first needs to be understood is that licensure means that unlicensed individuals are prohibited from doing whatever activities are covered under the licensure/scope of practice. I'm in favor of requiring only those in a regulatory position to be licensed. To me, it seems far too broad to try and license anyone who does any type of environmental health work. Does this mean that a professor at a university can't teach a course on toxicology without being a licensed sanitarian? What about an eighth grade teacher who wants to do a science unit on environmental health? Can the private companies who collect water samples for swimming pools still do this without a license? Could home owners still take their own water samples for analysis, or does this need to be done by a licensed sanitarian? I'm using some really outrageous examples, because I've heard the opinion that "everyone who is involved in environmental health should be licensed", and I'm just not sure that is necessary, practical or possible. 1. Necessary: Let's use food safety consultants and time/point of sale inspectors as an example. Food safety consultants offer, for a fee, food safety evaluations/audits. If these consultants are not providing accurate information, and a restaurant is written up by the local health department for numerous violations that were not addressed by the consultant, do you think that the restaurant will continue to employee that consultant? I think it is not likely. As for the time of sale inspectors, it's my understanding that these individuals are trained and certified by local health departments. However, they are not required to be licensed sanitarians now, and I don't see that as necessary to do their jobs in the future. If a time of sale inspector is not providing accurate information on reports, the local health department can de-certify him/her. I can tell you that we've done that in the past. 2. Practical: The current model for licensure is to qualify & pass the REHS exam. Does the time of sale inspector need to know what temperature to cook chicken to and what pathogens that cooking temperature is based on? Conversely, does a food safety consultant need to know how to calculate breakpoint chlorination for a swimming pool? Probably not, but if you require licensure, and we use the NEHA REHS as the licensure track, that is what would need to happen. I see that as important in our field, because in regulatory positions, we often have to have a complex knowledge of environmental health issues. Also, I keep hearing how there are fewer & fewer EH programs & students. I'm not sure what is going to happen when we have a big wave of retirement and now need to fill public sector positions and private sector positions with licensed sanitarians who have an EH background. 3. Possible: In today's economy, I feel that it is very unlikely that a legislature is going to pass something that will make it much more difficult to get a job in the future. What MEHA wants is one thing, but what legislators are willing to pass is another. MEHA is made up almost entirely of local & state regulatory groups. There are hundreds of individuals (many of whom are non-MEHA members) out there that would need to be licensed under an all-encompassing scope of practice. I think they will speak out loudly against it, and there is a real possibility that the bill would never see the light of day. I want to know who has talked to these groups (NSF, Bed & Breakfast Associations, swimming pool companies who open/manage pools, time of sale inspectors, etc). What are their thoughts are on licensure? Additionally, I haven't heard any arguments that make me think that there is a need to license all individuals involved in Environmental Health. Are there that many problems out there? I also know I've heard that states that require licensure do not do any enforcement on those individuals who are "practicing" without a license. I think that just cheapens the license if there is no enforcement. Who's realistically going to report these people and put them out of a job? In closing, I do feel that those folks in a regulatory role should be required to be licensed. That does not mean that it is limited to local health departments, as there are certainly those in the state and other agencies that have regulatory roles. It also does not mean that any person meeting the qualifications would be excluded from being licensed. I think that defining the scope of practice to regulatory roles would protect our profession by keeping our boards/legislators from replacing retired sanitarians with high school grads for less pay. I would like to hear your opinion on this topic. Please post your thoughts, whether you agree, disagree, or are undecided. If you have questions, I'm sure others do as well. Post them so they can be answered. You can also come talk to me at the upcoming MEHA food conference. If we want to come to a consensus on this topic and move forward with sanitarian licensure I think we need to try to better understand our differences. Thanks for your time. bowlingd on "Background Info" http://meha.net/bbpress/topic.php?id=6#post-30 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:18:03 +0000 bowlingd 30@http://meha.net/bbpress/ Recently, I’ve become aware of discussion centered on two licensure-related issues: 1) Scope of practice 2) Definition of “Environmental Health” These two issues are relevant, because in combination they essentially assign which “EH practitioners” would be held to licensure, and therefore also who would potentially be “grandfathered” into licensure if licensure was to become mandated by law for certain practitioners. There are different opinions on this issue - some believe that a broader scope of practice should be applied to licensure – one which would require mandatory licensure for investigators, inspectors, monitors, consultants, educators, etc. This scope of practice could include corporate inspectors, serv-safe instructors, private consultants, LHD sanitarians, certain state and federal regulators, etc. Some believe that a more narrow scope of practice should be applied – basically that mandatory licensure should be limited to regulatory practitioners. This scope of practice could include LHD sanitarians, certain administrators, and certain state and federal regulators as well. Under this scenario, licensure would also be available to other EH practitioners – but the license would not be mandatory. I’m interested to hear some thoughts on these issues.