July - August 2009
Online Food Establishment Inspections Now Available
Residents and visitors frequenting a local food establishment can now go online at www.sanantonio.gov/health to check out the facility's inspection scores. The online inspection system is part of Metro Health's Digital Health Department initiative aimed at improving service and efficiency.
The online reports detail the date of the facility's most recent inspection and the amount of demerits received in a 100-point system.
As additional data are entered into the system, visitors will have access to inspection results for the past three years for any establishment. Metro Health currently inspects restaurants, retail food outlets, day cares, schools, and mobile food vendors.
"Our goal is to eventually provide the entire inspection report online once the Digital Health Department system is completely implemented and sanitarians are filing reports electronically onsite," said Sanitarian Services Manager Stephen Barscewski. “This technology will allow our team to focus more attention on education efforts in the field, which, I believe, are as important as the regulatory aspect of what we do.”
Online visitors can set up a personalized profile that will enable them to keep track of their favorite establishments as well as receive notices via email when a new inspection report for their selected establishment has been completed. The user can then log into their account to view the report. Users have the option to search individual facilities by name, location, alphabetically and by zip code.
The Food and Environmental Health Services Division launched the system with input and collaboration from the San Antonio Restaurant Association (SARA) and other stakeholders.
"This online system is a tool for the consumer to evaluate restaurants and to motivate operators to maintain the highest level of proficiency and safety," said Louis Barrios, president of SARA.
The Digital Health Department, when completely enacted this fall, will fully automate business practices for the Food and Environmental Health Services Division. It will allow for advanced information retrieval, improved management tracking tools, and enhanced business management reporting.
To view the online inspections, visit www.sanantonio.gov/health and click on the Food Establishment Inspections quick link at the bottom of the page.
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In the Community
Metro Health team members joined other members of the City Volunteer Corp for the 2nd Annual Pet Spa Day at Animal Care Services this spring. The volunteers bathed dogs and prepared pets for adoption. They also planted trees, painted, and performed other 'home improvement' tasks for ACS' one-year old facility. Thanks team for your
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four-legged friends!
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Current ABOH members include...
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Congratulations to
Executive
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20-inch long Madeleine weighed
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Healthy Link
Join Metro Health for a two-day comprehensive conference.
The Changing Face of STIs, HIV & TB:
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September 17-18
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, 318 W. Durango
More info here...
The Health Collaborative, in
partnership with the San Antonio Zoo, will host a Fitness Safari on
Friday, July 17 from
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Children receive a token after completing each activity. Youngsters with five or more tokens can redeem them for a fitness-related toy.
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The Artwork
In 2007, the Steps to a Healthier San Antonio Program (Steps-SA), in collaboration with San Antonio ISD and the Southwest School of Art and Craft, presented "A Healthy Community Through the Eyes of a Child" in which children from local schools expressed their creative vision of health
concerns and issues affecting their community through the use of art.