2010 Field Operations Self-assessment, Wendy Spanier and Blake Nordin, MDH (PDF: 324KB/21 pages)

Minnesota Department of Health
Environmental Health Services
2010
Field Operations
Self-assessment
Re-organization – 2008/2009
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Original study started in 2008
Growth in the field but not in
management
Reduce direct reports from 16+ to
3-8
Staffing Transitions - 3 Year History
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2 Supervisors left their positions
6 New Public Health Sanitarian
Supervisor positions were created
14 Field staff were hired
Shifting into new units – affected
every person in the section
New Structure
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Provides more support for field staff
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Increases consistency & accountability
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Provides better tracking and follow-up for
enforcement
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Better response to outbreaks and
emergencies
Self-assessment
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7 district offices
Approximately 40 field inspections
per office
Licensing/inspection reporting
system
Rochester District Office
County
Number of Est.
Goodhue
Steel
Dodge
Freeborn
Mower
Fillmore
Houston
223
152
65
138
170
165
107
Total
1,020
255 Est./FTE
Mankato District Office
County
Number of Est.
Lyon
McLeod
Sibley
Blue Earth
Jackson
Rice
Martin
Faribault
128
159
68
284
63
227
12
6
Total
947
344 Est./FTE
St. Cloud District Office
County
Number of Est.
Benton
Crow Wing
Kanabec
Mille Lacs
Wright
Meeker
Sherburne
99
472
71
141
379
101
173
Total
1,436
230 Est/FTE
Duluth District Office
County
Number of Est.
St. Louis
Cook
Carlton
Pine
Lake
1131
198
166
65
12
Total
1,572
217 Est./FTE
Bemidji District Office
County
Cass
Hubbard
Beltrami
Pennington
Red Lake
Marshall
Kittson
Roseau
Lake of the Woods
Itasca
Koochiching
Clearwater
Total
Number of Est.
362
215
283
80
30
58
39
90
94
367
97
58
1,773
337 Est./FTE
Fergus Falls District Office
County
Grant
Stevens
Traverse
Otter Tail
Becker
Norman
Mahnoman
Polk
Number of Est.
37
41
26
450
236
43
28
169
Total
1,030
294 Est./ FTE
Metro Office
County
Isanti
Pine
Chisago
Hennepin
Anoka
Scott
Carver
Dakota
Number of Est.
95
96
187
12
30
384
277
1137
Total
2,218
246 Est./ FTE
Goals
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Next year – below 250 est./FTE
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Future – below 200 est./FTE
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Allow for more follow-ups and education
about long term control of risk factors
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Budget consideration
Staff Statistics
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Total of 42 sanitarians
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32 Registered Sanitarians
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8 Preparing for exam
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10 FDA standardized
Self-assessment Results
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Not all staff are FDA standardized
for food inspections
There were instances of licensing or
risk category errors found during
the field inspections.
We do not have a central log or
data base for complaints
Inspections - 2009
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Food & Beverage
Lodging
MHP/RCA
Pools
Youth Camps
7,917
1,301
744
261
109
Inspection Frequency
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Three year frequency – not
acceptable
Current status – less than 10% past
due
Future goals – meet/exceed
statutory frequency
Recent Activities
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Re-organization
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Mobile food unit, seasonal temp stand &
food carts
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Transition of St. Louis & Goodhue
counties
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Training new staff
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Vacation home rentals
Lessons Learned
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Focus on program standards
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Continuous improvement
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Data base allows for continuous
monitoring of statistics such as frequency
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One program evaluation rather than per
district