Health District Updates Food Handler Card Training

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 25, 2012

LAS VEGAS – No more health card movie and just one trip to the health district. The Southern Nevada Health District is revamping its food handler card program this summer as it implements a new online food handler education course, eliminates temporary health cards and pares down the number of visits to the health district to receive a food handler or child care card.

Beginning Monday, July 2, the health district will kick off its new, online food handler training course for all child care or food handler card applicants. The new course is available by logging onto the health district website, www.SNHD.info. For clients without computer access, limited computer knowledge or limited English skills, the online training can be accessed by visiting one of the Las Vegas Urban League’s Nevada Public Computer Centers. Locations are listed on the Urban League’s website, www.nvpcc.org or by calling (702) 608-5245. Additional resources are available by contacting Vegas PBS (702) 799-1010 for information about its computer training lab availability. The health district’s online training is available in English and Spanish. Training must be completed prior to submitting an application for the food hander or child care card.

Clients who applied for their card prior to July 1 and currently hold a temporary card will be able to view the movie as an alternative, however, this option will only be available through Monday, Sept. 3. After that date, all training must be completed online. Food safety training is required for anyone applying for a food handler card or a child care card.

The new food handler program offers the most up-to-date food safety information and is designed to ensure that clients who go through the program are able to implement the safe food handling techniques health district regulations require to keep the public safe.

“The new program is designed so we can meet the needs of our clients and the businesses we regulate. We wanted to ensure the new education program is easily accessible and the content is relevant because just watching the movie might not translate into understanding or using appropriate food handling techniques, said Glenn Savage, director of environmental health. “The new program also allows us to incorporate the new food inspection regulations into the food handler training program and applicants can access the training at their convenience.”

The Southern Nevada Health District partnered with Vegas PBS’ Virtual Online Education to provide more flexibility to update the curriculum and to better measure what applicants are learning as well as what material people are having difficulty understanding.

This is the first major overhaul of the health card program in a decade; the program was introduced in the 1960s to ensure that food handlers learned safe practices to avoid foodborne illnesses for residents and visitors. Each year, the health district issues more than 100,000 health cards and there are more than 17,000 food establishment permits in the community.

Updated information about the Southern Nevada Health District can be found on Facebook www.facebook.com/SouthernNevadaHealthDistrict, on YouTube www.youtube.com/SNHealthDistrict or Twitter www.twitter.com/SNHDinfo The health district is now available in Spanish on Twitter www.twitter.com/TuSNHD. Don’t have a Twitter account? Follow the health district on your phone by texting “follow SNHDinfo” to 40404.

Visit the Media Contacts webpage for media related inquiries.

The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.