Environmental Health Continuous
Improvement Board
March 9, 2016 Meeting Take-Home Points and Action Items
Take-Home Points
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Volunteers needed: The Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board (EHCIB)
needs volunteers to serve on its Food, Pools, and Lodging Services (FPLS) Program
Evaluation Workgroup. Being involved in this workgroup will allow you to shape the
entire FPLS program evaluation process. If there is something you did not like about the
FPLS program evaluation process in the past, now is your chance to change it for the
better. Membership will include representatives from local delegated programs, MDH,
and MDA. A local delegated program member and MDH member will co-chair the
workgroup. There will be regular meetings beginning in May 2016 and assignments
between meetings. For more information, please contact your EHCIB representative.
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The Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board (EHCIB) made progress on its
goal to “establish a common understanding of a quality food, pools, and lodging services
(FPLS) program and develop corresponding metrics.” The EHCIB discussed the possibility
of a set of performance measures that would be collected by every FPLS program so
that we could say how well FPLS in MN is working and target improvement areas as
needed. Meeting participants identified the following four potential areas for
performance measurement and are seeking feedback to further refine the areas and
define specific performance measures.
o Inspection staff training/competencies – Are staff equipped to conduct a “good”
inspection?
o Timeliness of inspections – Are establishments being inspected when they
should be?
o “Customer”/establishment feedback – Do establishments have what they need
from the FPLS program to keep their customers safe from foodborne illness and
make changes if necessary?
o Frequency of risk factors observed in establishments – How often are we seeing
the things that are likely to cause foodborne illnesses?

The Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board (EHCIB) spent time at its
March meeting reflecting on its work over the past two years. Accomplishments include:
Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board
Minnesota Department of Health
Public Health Practice Section – Health Partnerships Division
P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
(651) 201-3880
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Completion of a Food, Pools, and Lodging Services Program Re-Evaluation
Process based on local program input.
A statement of support for Minnesota’s state-local environmental health
partnership.
Identification of areas for improvement in the Food, Pools, and Lodging Services
Program Evaluation process, recommendations to transform the evaluation
process, and initiation of a work group to develop the new evaluation process.
Increased communication and partnership between MDH Environmental Health
and local entities.
Initiated a process to develop performance measures for food, pools, and
lodging services in Minnesota.
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The Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board (EHCIB) spent its first two
years focusing on food, pools, and lodging services (FPLS) challenges. Meeting
participants took time brainstorming what the next area of focus could be. Ideas
included:
o Identification of non-delegated environmental health issues and improvement
of service delivery in those areas
o Water
o Public Health Nuisances
o Environmental health performance measures
o Better partnerships for non-FPLS environmental health issues

The Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board (EHCIB) would like to
recognize and thank its out-going members, Karen Swenson (Brown-Nicollet Counties)
and Jeff Travis (Washington County). They have voluntarily served on the EHCIB since its
inception two years ago and have been integral to its success. Thank you, Karen and
Jeff!

The Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board (EHCIB) would like to
welcome its two new members: Jeff Brown, City of Edina, and John Weidner, Lake
County. They began their two year terms in March 2016. The EHCIB looks forward to
their contributions.
Action Items
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MDH EH staff and EHCIB members will finalize the new FPLS program evaluation
workgroup charter and complete recruitment for the workgroup by the next EHCIB
meeting in May 2016.
EHCIB members will ask constituents for input on what they want the EHCIB to focus on
in the future.
Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board
Minnesota Department of Health
Public Health Practice Section – Health Partnerships Division
P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
(651) 201-3880
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EHCIB members will get constituent suggestions and feedback on the identified
performance measures and how to best define them.
Health Partnerships Division staff will reschedule the May 2016 meeting due to MEHA
happening on the same day.
Upcoming Meetings
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May 2016, date and location TBD
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Environmental Health Continuous Improvement Board
Minnesota Department of Health
Public Health Practice Section – Health Partnerships Division
P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
(651) 201-3880