Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Public Health ServicesAdvancing Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food RegulatoryProgram Standards (OHA-PH-12-10)The funding received from this grant will be used to improve our data collection software so wecan better prevent foodborne outbreaks and come closer to meeting the criteria set forth inFDA Voluntary Program Standards #1 and #5. OHA currently maintains a software system fortracking restaurant inspections by local health departments across the state. This grant wouldenhance that software by providing funding to build a complaint tracking component in oursoftware as well as an improved inspection report for restaurant operators. These softwareupdates will improve the data that health departments have available when working withrestaurants; will streamline the work of local health departments; and will allow quickeridentification and response to suspected food borne illnesses. This grant will also bring Oregoncloser to meeting the national Voluntary Program Standards that are a measure of excellence forfoodborne illness prevention programs.There are two parts of the statewide licensing and inspection software that will be improvedwith these grant funds. The first is to add a 'checklist' form that will be automatically filled outby the inspector electronically at the time of inspection to tie violations to risk factor items. Thesecond is to build a comprehensive complaint module that will better track foodborne illnesscomplaints and be able to tie them to information needed by our epidemiologists and countypartners during outbreak investigations.At this time, Oregon's inspection software is tracking only out of compliance observations. Byenhancing the software to include a 'checklist' form that mimics the FDA Food EstablishmentInspection Report, we will be able to expand our inspection data to include in compliance, notobserved and not applicable observations as well. This 'checklist' will print out as the first pageof each inspection report to provide restaurant operators with more information about theirfacility in addition to allowing the counties throughout Oregon to tie food service violations tothe five CDC Risk Factors. Oregon would like to incorporate this checklist in conjunction withthe adoption of the 2009 FDA Food Code, which adds provisions such as Consumer Advisory inan effort to come closer to meeting Standard #1 for the State of Oregon as well as its 36jurisdictions within the state.Since the statewide licensing software support is funded directly by license fees, this project willbe able to be maintained indefinitely once the initial improvements are built and implemented.
Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Services Advancing Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (OHA-PH-12-10) The intent of the grant is to improve our data collection software so we can better prevent foodborne outbreaks and come closer to meeting the criteria set forth in FDA Voluntary Program Standards #1 and #5. The enhancements provided by grant funding will help give our program more real-time data and will be used to track complaints of illness so we can link them to inspection information. By improving our inspection software, we will be able to provide meaningful data for the public as well as regulators about Oregon's food safety system.
