In this short clip from the full episode - real health inspectors discuss footwear choices and how some restaurants are so gross they can literally ruin your shoes.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this short clip from our full episode discussing real life stories from health inspectors - Kristen Geary recounts the time a restaurant owner tried to convince her mouse droppings were sesame seeds.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this Spotlight segment from our full converation with Chirag Bhatt, he discuss how he got into public health and became a health inspector.  He discusses the progression of his journey from new inspector to Bureau Chief in the City of Houston before going into industry leading the food safety team for Outback Steakhouse (Bloomin Brands) and Buc-ees.

You can reach Chirag at Chirag.Bhatt@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this episode we have a fascinating conversation with HS GovTech's own Chirag Bhatt to discuss his 40+ years of service to public health.

Chirag started as an inspector, before rising to Bureau Chief in the City of Houston EH Department before ultimately working in leadership at Bloomin Brands (Outback Steakhouse) and Buc-ees, ultimately finding himself working with EH departments all over that nation as the Director of Regulatory Affairs for HS GovTech.

Chirag discuses numerous topics including:
-How inspections today are different from 40 years ago 
-Political battles with powerful interests and elected leaders over transparency to the public
-The impact of social media on departments and on industry
-How the food code is made and modified (overview of the Conference for Food Protection)
-The time he - while the bureau chief with the health department had a fingernail clipping in his iced tea.
-Managing budgets in uncertain times

There is something for everyone in any position in this hour long conversation.

You can reach Chirag at Chirag.Bhatt@hscloudsuite.com and can reach us here at the Beyond Data Management Podcast with feedback, ideas, or whatever is on your mind at Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Today we have a wide ranging conversation with Steve Mandernach - the Executive Director of AFDO (Association of Food and Drug Officials).  Steve takes us through the many pressing issues facing health departments today.  Including:

-Daily cuts and rumors of cuts and how your agency can built capacity and resilience in spite of what the federal picture may be
-Reframing the relationship between regulating agencies and industry in service of public health
-Candid conversation about the current public health framework around cannabis, including discussing where federal leadership has failed
-Explanation of what happened to SAFHER project
-Data and AI and the new world it brings to Environmental and Public Health
-Some of the best, real world, advice on finding your passion and how it changes everything
-As one of the most experienced people in the Iowa primaries, Steve reflects on his relationship with several presidents and discusses what he's learned from them about leadership and durable relationships.

We want to thank Steve for taking the time to have this impactful conversation.  You can reach him at  smandernach@afdo.org and you can reach us here at the Beyond Podcast at Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this episode we have a conversation with Chris Lewis the COO of COREBT.  A former professional football player who has spent the last 20 years on a personal mission to change the way governments collect payments from constituents, and in the process change the efficiency of their operations while providing a far better experience to the citizens they serve.

Chris talks about the journey from cash and checks - which are still all too common - to the emerging modern agency of the future that interacts with constituents in the same one-click method as modern e-commerce giants like Amazon.

Regardless of where your agency is in their payment modernization journey today's conversation has information you can use.

You can reach Chris at clewis@corebt.com, and as always you can reach us here at the Beyond Data Management Podcast at Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

An estimated 48 million Americans are hit by food borne illness cases every year, many of which go unreported.  When it comes to preventing food borne illness more information is important, and environmental health departments play a pivotal role.  

Today's conversation is with Patrick Quade founder and CEO of Dine Safe www.iwaspoisoned.com.  Patrick has spent the last 15+ years helping departments get more information on illness outbreaks, along with tools to help departments manage this important responsibility more thoroughly and easily.  You can reach Patrick at patrick@dinesafe.org 

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Food trucks have become a big part of our modern food culture.  However, from a regulatory perspective, they present unique challenges for environmental health departments.  From the rate of un-permitted vendors, to keeping up with trucks and being able to find them quickly when you need to inspect them, the need for better communication, tools, and cooperation with this growing part of the food service industry has never been more pressing.

In this episode we talk to Matt Gellar; founder of the national food truck association, Best Food Truck and Revolution Carts.

Matt's passion for food trucks has led him to partner with health departments to make safe, legal, permitted, mobile vending more broadly available.  We also discuss his new tools that helps health departments find where food trucks are quickly and easily when it's time for inspection.

You can reach Matt at: matt@bestfoodtrucks.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Today we chat with Caitlin Gappa about the challenges of starting up a new environmental health department, with the added complexity of doing so during the pandemic.  

You can reach Caitlin at caitlin.gappa@hscloudsuite.com

If you have any questions, comments, feedback, or you have an idea for an episode topic or guest, we would love to hear from you:  Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Van is the director of the Marion County Ohio Environmental Health Department.  Until 8 years ago Van was completely in the private sector, running his family winery - Shamrock Vineyards - in Ohio.  https://shamrockvineyard.com.  

Van has taken a passion for public service combined with his experience building and running a business to bring a new energy and perspective to his department.

You can reach Van at vcreasap@marionpublichealth.org

If you have comments, suggestions, or ideas for future episode topics, guests etc we'd love to hear from you: Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

The first episode of the new Beyond Data Management Podcast.  Today we chat with CEO of HS GovTech Silas Garrison about innovating for Environmental Health public servants.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this short clip from our extended conversation with Dr. David Dyjack - CEO and Director of NEHA (National Environmental Health Association) - shares the creepiest thing he experienced in an inspection, and he also introduces us to the Mole Cricket

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this segment from our full conversation with Dr. David Dyjack - CEO and Director of NEHA (National Environmental Health Association) - he discusses concerning new public health threats that are here in the US now, but are not getting media attention or headlines.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In Episode 12 we have a fun conversation with 4 former health inspectors and discuss some of the most memorable things they have experienced first hand in the field performing health inspections.

You can reach us here at the Beyond Data Management Podcast in the comments or by email Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this wide ranging conversation, we talk with the CEO and Director of NEHA (National Environmental Health Association), and he offers a fascinating glimpse into his career and work worldwide and discusses the core mission and principals of EH including:

-EH is intimate and local

-The importance of working in the field and how it serves you when in leadership

-Current state of federal leadership, budgets and navigating uncertainty

-Eye opening conversation of some of the emerging public health threats that are real but not in the news

-Preview of what's coming up at the 2025 NEHA AEC in Phoenix (July 14-17) 

-Shares stories from his time - literally around the world - in the field (stay tuned for the truly chilling rat story)

You can reach Dr. Dyjack at ddyjack@neha.org and NEHA's website is:  www.Neha.org

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this spotlight segment from our full conversation with Sarah Jensen - Director of Environmental Health Franklin County Ohio - she discusses the data proving that requiring a certified food safety manager at restaurants leads to measurable improvements in inspection outcomes.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this Episode we have an in depth conversation with Dr. David McSwane the Executive Director of the Conference for Food Protection (CFP)

We discuss how the CFP works, and how the food code is updated and changed over time.  He also discusses the need to attract more professionals to the Environmental Health profession, and gives his input on managing in uncertain budget times.


About Dr. McSwane:
Dr. David McSwane, is the Executive Director of the Conference for Food Protection. He is also Professor Emeritus in Environmental Health Sciences at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University.

Prior to joining the faculty at Indiana University, Dr. McSwane was Administrator of the Monroe County Health Department in Bloomington, Indiana and a Public Health Sanitarian with the Indiana State Department of Health. He is Past-President of the Indiana Environmental Health Association and the Indiana Public Health Association.

He teaches courses in environmental health, food science and sanitation, epidemiology, environmental health policy, and environmental science. His research is of an applied nature and involves such diverse issues as food safety, drinking water safety, cancer prevention and control, asbestos abatement, and the health effects of homelessness.

Dr. McSwane has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of environmental health, food protection, and public health. He is co-author of Essentials of Food Safety and Sanitation and the SuperSafeMark Retail Best Practices and Guide to Food Safety and Sanitation training series. These textbooks and their supplemental training materials are rapidly becoming the preferred tools for training retail food establishment managers about food safety and sanitation. Dr. McSwane also created a drinking water handbook for public officials that explains the fundamentals of water treatment and distribution and emphasizes the importance of proper operation, maintenance and administration of public drinking water systems. This publication has been widely disseminated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

You can reach Dr. McSwane at dmcswane.cfp@gmail.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this segment from the full interview with Sarah Jensen, the Director of the Franklin County Environmental Health Department, she discusses some of the craziest things she's seen inspecting restaurants in Ohio.

From cook peeing in the floor drain in the kitchen, to fornication on prep surfaces, to goats being slaughtered on-site, restaurant inspectors see a LOT.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this episode we talk with Sarah Jensen - Director and Assistant Health Commissioner of the Franklin County Ohio Environmental Health Department - and discuss many interesting topics including:

-The future new hire gap in environmental health
-Study of inspection data results showing predictable seasonality of violations and highlighting the need for situation based resource allocation in inspections
-Study showing a definitive improvement in outcomes when a food safety manager rule is applied to restaurants
-Some of the crazier things she's observed on inspections in her time in environmental health 

You can reach Sarah at SarahJensen@franklincountyohio.gov - we will also - in "posts" - post a link to the material from the studies discussed in this episode.

Please remember to like and subscribe - and send us feedback in the comments or to Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

On this episode, Cameron chats with HS's very own Kristen Geary about her life as an environmental health professional and restaurant inspector.

A former Environmental Health Inspector and supervisor for Jackson County, Missouri, and still currently the manager of the State of Missouri Environmental Health Association.  Kristen dives into her story of working at the county office as an admin, she took a leap of faith and tells us more about how she fell in love with EH even after the Field Training, Inspections, Science, and so much more! 

Kristen also shares some of the unbelievable stories of situations she's encountered as a health inspector.

The BEST PART?! Kristen, is one of HSGT's Senior Project Managers, using her real work EH experience, including implementing HS as a client at her FORMER agency client, Kristen is paying it forward helping EH agencies around the country take their agency and data BEYOND! As not just a Vendor, we are a Partner!

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this special segment, live from NEHA AEC 2025 in Phoenix, we chat with Shelly Wallingford the Director of Food Safety at Sprouts Farmers Market, a supermarket chain with 443 locations in 24 states.  Shelly has enjoyed a long career in environmental health, working for years with agencies on the regulatory side - as an inspector - before going to the private sector.

Shelly shares her journey and discusses the criticality of industry and regulators working as partners in the interest of public health and safety.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this special live segment from Phoenix, we chat with Randall Barnes the director of the Ashtabula County Ohio Environmental Health Department about his EH journey and his thoughts on the 2025 AEC.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this special segment of the Beyond Data Management Podcast LIVE from NEHA AEC 2025 in Phoenix we visit with Toni Ousley from Pueblo County Colorado Environmental Health Department.  Toni discusses the never ending adventure of being an EH professional and also talks about the importance of properly managing your agency's data.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this segment live from Phoenix we talk to NEHA's own Evan Suttell - Entreprenurial Zone Assistant with NEHA.  We discuss ab exciting new self assessment tool NEHA released for agencies at the 2025 AEC.  We also talk about his experience as a Jeopardy champion, earning $20,200, and he gives us a fascinating peak behind the scenes on how the process of being on Jeopardy works .  Evan is a real asset to the EH community and we enjoyed chatting with him in the exhibit hall.

You can see Evan's Jeopardy stats, including the questions board for each episode at:
https://j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=9003
https://j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=9004

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this special segment live from the NEHA AEC 2025 conference in Phoenix, NEHA CEO Dr. David Dyjack sits down with us to discuss the importance of the AEC and the pressing issues facing the EH community that/ NEHA is helping the community deal with.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this episode we have a fascinating conversation with Jorge Hernandez from Wendy's, Eric Martin from Texas Roadhouse, and HS GovTech's own Chirag Bhatt about the critical role, and partnership with regulatory EH agencies, in food safety and safety culture.

Jorge with Wendy's (7,242 locations in 30 countries), and Eric with Texas Roadhouse (792 locations in 11 countries) have vast experience in the food safety and regulatory field and have been doing exciting things in their large complex organizations that make a profound difference for food safety and food safety culture.  Chirag, currently the Director of Regulatory Affairs with HS GovTech, also has a tremendous amount of experience on the industry side, including with Bloomin Brands (Outback), and Bucee's.

Thanks to Eric, Jorge, and Chirag for taking the time to have a candid conversation, and for sharing their knowledge and experience with the broader EH community.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

What if a tiny parasite could destroy the U.S. livestock industry?
In this episode of the Beyond Data Podcast, we talk with Dr. David Dyjack (who called this threat out back in May as being real but not in the news - during a conversation on this podcast.) and he breaks down the shocking threat posed by the New World Screwworm—a flesh-eating parasite making a dangerous comeback. Discover how it spreads, why it’s so deadly to cattle, and what’s being done to stop it.

📌 Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:15 What is the New World Screwworm?
04:30 Why It’s a Threat to U.S. Livestock
08:10 Historical Outbreaks & Eradication Efforts
12:20 Current Status & Prevention Measures
18:00 The Big Question: Are We Ready?

👉 Subscribe for more science, tech, and data-driven insights!

#NewWorldScrewworm #Livestock #Agriculture #BeyondDataPodcast #FleshEatingParasite #AnimalHealth #ScienceExplained

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this Spotlight segment from the Beyond Data Management Podcast we talk about a health inspector viewer submission of a video of the nastiest thing they came across in a restaurant - McDonald's"  kitchen during a health inspection.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

In this segment from the full episode.  We discuss a side bet between two health inspectors as to whether observing an employee in a restaurant kitchen using a pocket knife to cut potato's is a health code violations.

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Today's episode features a panel of EH professionals, and former health inspectors, answering viewer questions about health inspection scenario's including:

"I observed someone in restaurant kitchen cutting a potato with a pocket knife - is it a violation?" 

Also, check out the video at the end - of a violation an inspector ranks as one of the top 3 nastiest all time violations they've seen.

The panel includes:
Caitlin Gappa the founding director of the Douglas County Colorado Environmental Health Department.  You can reach Caitlin at caitlin.gappa@hscloudsuite.com 

Melissa Rogerson, former supervisor at the El Paso County Colorado Environmental Health Department.  You can reach Melissa at melissa.rogerson@hscloudsuite.com

Send us a text

Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com