732: New Wellness Campaign, FDA Keeps Restaurants Healthy

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Tuesday, August, 20, 2024 I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

UMAIR SHAH: 

We wanted to focus on four pillars of health and well being for all community members across all communities in the state of Washington.

JOHNSON: 

Washington State taking the initiative to encourage residents to do whatever they can to get and stay healthy. Secretary of Health and ASTHO Member, Dr Umair Shah says the Be Well Washington Campaign is just what the doctor ordered.

SHAH: 

There are four pillars. And the four pillars are one, movement, whatever you do, move, do some active activity every single day, nourishment, number two, and that nourishment is a broad look at not just our oral intake, hydration, but really think about vitamins and sleep and all the things that we do to nourish our body, our minds, our souls.

JOHNSON: 

Shah adds emotional well being and social connection. Round out the four pillars of the campaign.

SHAH: 

That social connection is also key. So we've seen right that oftentimes we're also seeing violence. That is the way that people are approaching solving issues, and we want people to really approach it with more stability and dialog.

JOHNSON: 

The campaign wants to remind people to find their apple, a nod to the old saying that suggests an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

SHAH: 

The key message is that we've all got a way to do something every single day, right? This is like, whether it's a small step or a big step, if it's a it's a big run, or we are, you know, in a chair or at our desk and doing something. There's so many things that all of us can do.

JOHNSON: 

The Be Well Washington Campaign has a website. There's a link in the show notes.

Also today, the conditions needed to promote generational health, well-being, and justice are discussed in a conversation now available on the ASTHO website. Hear from two leaders with the organization we in the world. They share how collaborations help create the conditions that lead to better public health. There's a link in the show notes.

The FDA has a new tool designed to help restaurant operators know how to address illness among their staff with the goal of keeping customers and employees healthy. This is Andre Pierce at the FDA.

ANDRE PIERCE: 

The new FDA employee health reporting tool is basically a decision tree that boils down pretty complicated information in the code to help the operator come up with reliable results each time they look at it.

JOHNSON: 

Pierce says the tool allows a supervisor to easily evaluate an employee's symptoms.

PIERCE: 

There's five symptoms that are really important to think about when you're thinking if this could be a foodborne illness, or if the person has been diagnosed, to determine whether it's best for that person to stay out today, or if they could come in and maybe work in a different area.

JOHNSON: 

Pierce admits restaurant managers have a lot going on. The tool is meant to simplify an important decision.

PIERCE: 

We really hope that this tool helps us all have those difficult discussions in a way that's going to give us real simple solutions and give us the confidence that we are making those right decisions to protect the public and to protect the brand of the restaurant at the end of the day.

JOHNSON: 

The tool is an interactive PDF document designed to work on any device. You can download it now using the link in the show notes.

A new CDC Health Advisory warns about an increasing number of cases of the oropouche virus reported across the Americas. U.S. cases have been identified in travelers returning from Cuba and Brazil. Read more about the threat and get provider recommendations by clicking the link in the show notes.

Finally, this morning, as we continue to celebrate three years of the daily newscast, we offer this feedback from South Carolina's Director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control, Astho Member, Dr Edward Simmer.

EDWARD SIMMER: 

Well, I think one of the great things about the podcast, because I learn what's being done elsewhere, what's working well elsewhere.

JOHNSON: 

Before we go, a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player and connect with ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X. That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.