Adult Day Health Care
Health Department News
April 16, 2018
The Fairfax County Health Department has launched a new voluntary enrollment program, Safety Through Actively Managing Practices (STAMP), for food service operations that meet a set of standards developed by the department.
STAMP requires that food service operations adopt a proactive approach to reduce foodborne illness risk factors through the use of Active Managerial Control (AMC). AMC includes having strong written policies, recurring employee trainings, and various monitoring activities such as the use of temperature logs. STAMP enrollees demonstrate AMC through a rigorous evaluation of their records and processes and by maintaining high performance on inspections.
The Health Department modeled the standards for STAMP after best practices outlined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the FDA Food Code, the national model for food service sanitation standards.
The FDA recognizes AMC practices as essential for controlling foodborne illness risk factors and encourages regulators to take an active role in assessing and facilitating the development of AMC in food service establishments. Through the STAMP Program, food establishments can partner with the Health Department to evaluate and strengthen their food safety management systems to make a positive impact on foodborne illness.
Two food service operations, Chick Fil-A and Joe’s Crab Shack in Fair Lakes, and two school pyramids, Westfield and Falls Church, are the first enrollees in the program. STAMP participants receive a certificate of enrollment, a window decal, and recognition on the Health Department’s website and Food for Thought newsletter.
“Dedication to AMC demonstrates that a food operator is meeting the standards of excellence in food safety,” says Environmental Health Director Pieter Sheehan. “We congratulate our newest participants and we hope more food operators will adopt AMC practices and enroll in STAMP.”
Food service operators can apply to the STAMP program at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/food/awards-programs/stamp. Environmental health specialists from the Fairfax County Health Department review the application and supporting documents and make a site visit before deciding if the facility is accepted into the program. STAMP participants must also fulfill certain maintenance activities to remain enrolled in the program.
The Health Department’s Environmental Health division conducts close to 8,500 site visits at more than 3,400 restaurant and food service establishments annually in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.
The division also reviews food establishment plans; responds to citizen complaints and inquiries; investigates foodborne illness outbreaks to determine the source and to minimize the spread of disease; provides food safety information; and holds trainings and workshops to help food service establishments achieve excellence in food safety.
For more information about the STAMP program or to learn more about food safety, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/food or call 703-246-2444, TTY 711.
March 23, 2018
Fairfax County health officials are warning residents about the serious health risks, including injury and infection, associated with dental procedures performed by unlicensed providers.
Recently the Health Department identified a person with a life-threatening blood-borne infection who received dental care by an unlicensed provider in the basement of a house in West Falls Church. Although the investigation is ongoing and it is not certain that the individual’s infection was the result of the unlicensed dental procedure, the Health Department would like to warn the public about the health risks associated with unlicensed dental procedures.
“In an unsanitary basement with unsterile tools, even the best-trained dentist can cause more harm than good,” says Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, Director of Epidemiology and Population Health. “People who undergo these unlicensed procedures are risking their health and safety.”
Out of an abundance of caution, the Health Department is recommending anyone who received dental care in this manner see a healthcare provider to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, which are all spread through blood exposure.
“These are serious infections that may not have outwards symptoms for many years so even those who feel well now should be tested as a precaution,” Dr. Schwartz said.
The Health Department is working with law enforcement to investigate and stop the unlicensed dentist from practicing. At the same time, the Department understands that many people do not have dental insurance and that affordable dental care is not readily available to everyone in the community. Therefore, some people may seek other avenues of care out of necessity.
For all persons in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, it is important to be aware of the risks associated with unlicensed dental practices and how to recognize unsafe practices. These signs include:
If the dental provider operates out of their home instead of an office;
If the dental provider does not wash his/her hands before putting on gloves and touching your mouth;
If the dental provider uses a needle and syringe that was not taken from a new sealed, single use package;
If the dental provider uses damaged, dirty, or rusting equipment during your dental procedure; and
If the dental provider does not give you information on how to take care of your wound after the dental procedure, the signs and symptoms of an infection, and what to do if an infection occurs.
By law, all dentists must be licensed to practice in the state of Virginia. You can look up your dentist to make sure he or she has a current Virginia dental license at the Department of Health Professions website.
Fairfax County Health Department provides dental services to children whose families are income eligible and/or to whom treatment is not available in the private sector. A list of other clinics in northern Virginia that offer low-cost, preventative and emergency dental care can be found below.
The Health Department also provides a list of confidential HIV testing locations on its website.
Contact Name
John Silcox, Public Safety Information Officer
Contact Information
Fairfax County Health Department
John.Silcox@fairfaxcounty.gov
703-246-8635, TTY 711
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Dental Clinics
Name
Phone Number
Address
Routine Care
Emergency Care
Cost / Eligibility
Spanish Language
HealthWorks
703-481-8160
1141 3rd floor, Elden St., Herndon, VA 20170
Yes
No
Sliding Scale fee-must enroll as a HealthWorks member
YES
Medstar Washington Hospital Center
202-877-6737
110 Irving Street NW
Washington, D.C.
NO.
YES.
No sliding scale. DC Medicaid accepted. $125 for consultation & $100-$125 for extraction
YES
Northern Virginia Community College
703-822-6655
6699 Springfield Dr., Springfield, VA 22150
YES. 7-10 day wait list.
NO. Only pain management care.
No insurance accepted. First visit $125. All cleanings after first visit $35. Sliding scale fee for all other procedures.
YES
Northern Virginia Dental Clinic
703-820-7170
8221 Willow Oak Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031
YES.
NO.
Referrals through social services. No cost.
YES
Neighborhood Health
703-535-5568
Four locations:
*4480 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302
*6677 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22306
*7501 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
*2120 Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22204
YES. Wait list varies, but usually within 2 weeks
NO. Provides referrals.
Accepts Medicaid and other insurance. Patients meet with staff prior to visit to determine
YES
Smiles for Children
888-912-3456
Service will link you to care with a provider in your area.
Service will link to care.
Service will link to care.
Medicaid for persons aged 20 years and younger or currently pregnant women with Medicaid. Some necessary oral surgeries for adults.
YES
Smiles Change Lives
888-900-3554
Service will link you to care with a provider in your area.
Service will link to care.
Service will link to care.
YES
February 8, 2018
Environmental health specialists from Fairfax County are among those being deployed to the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist with the long-term recovery efforts from hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Virginia will send two Environmental Health strike teams to the islands this weekend. The teams, deployed through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), also include specialists from Virginia Department of Health and Henrico, Roanoke, Three Rivers and Alexandria health districts. The group from Fairfax includes five environmental health specialists, including one who is also a registered nurse.
The deployment is in response to an EMAC request from the Virgin Islands for strike teams to assist with identifying, monitoring, assessing and mitigating environmental health hazards. Members of the teams are expected to depart for the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix on Feb. 11 and return on Feb. 27.
Working with local officials, the teams will conduct inspections of food service establishments and other regulated facilities and provide education on environmental health and sanitation issues on the islands.
Environmental health specialists have been deployed before to assist with critical public health issues like food and water safety during emergencies, but this is the first time a team from Fairfax has been activated.
“We are excited and honored to be able to provide assistance to areas affected by those devastating storms,” said Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, Fairfax Health Director. “I want to thank the members of our team for their compassionate service. I know they will provide to the residents and visitors of the U.S. Virgin Islands the same professionalism and high quality service to which the citizens of the Fairfax have come to expect.
“We wish them a safe and successful journey.”
More information on this deployment can be found at the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
Team Composition, with Fairfax County members highlighted:
Environmental Health Specialists Isaac Robertson, Ron Campbell, John Yetman and Lois Maisel from Fairfax. Not pictured: Ebonie Miller.
St. Thomas/St. John District Team
John Yetman (Fairfax County Environmental Health Supervisor)
Lois Maisel (Fairfax County Environmental Health Specialist)
Ebonie Miller (Fairfax County Environmental Health Specialist)
David Geeson (Office of Environmental Health Services Environmental Health Manager)
Monae Holifield (Chesapeake Health District Environmental Health Specialist Sr.)
Kirsten Dobson (Richmond City Health District Environmental Health Specialist Sr.)
Todd Grubbs (Office of Environmental Health Services Environmental Heath Coordinator)
St. Croix District Team
Deborah Hoy (Office of Drinking Water Environmental Health Consultant)
Jerene Beyer (Henrico Health District Environmental Health Specialist Sr.)
Isaac Robertson (Fairfax County Environmental Heath Specialist)
Ron Campbell (Fairfax County Environmental Health Specialist Sr.)
Kendra Washington (Alexandria Health District Environmental Health Specialist Sr.)
Tiffany Johnson (Alexandria Health District Environmental Health Specialist)
