Being discharged from the hospital is a major achievement and starts a new phase where the patient can continue recovery on home terrain.
Before you leave the hospital, you’ll receive information on medication and a care plan for follow-up medical appointments. This is an opportunity to ask any questions and talk over any concerns you have about leaving hospital care.
You will also likely meet with the hospital financial department.
A day or two before discharge, go to the Medical Records department and ask them to prepare a copy of the complete medical record including imaging studies, operative reports, etc. Especially if you are from out of town, DO NOT LEAVE the hospital without this packet. You will need this medical record in your own files.
Some patients don’t go directly home after discharge, but are instead sent to an in-patient rehabilitation facility to further recover and regain strength and skills before going home. Also, some patients may need ongoing outpatient kidney dialysis. Arrangements for these kinds of programs will be made by your medical team with your close involvement.
Transportation will be coordinated, and in most cases, you and the patient are finally going home. This is something you’ve dreamt about, prayed for, sometimes didn’t dare to imagine.
Many family members feel elation and gratitude as their doctors and nurses wave their patient off. There is great excitement about bringing the patient back home to their family, friends, to a community of people who’ve been supportive and loving during this difficult time.
There is also deep nervousness about being on your own now, away from all the life support and intense medical care it took to get you this far.
"I told the discharge nurse I would have a lot of questions and asked her if she could make time for them before we left. All the new medicines were a little overwhelming.
I wanted to be sure I understood what they were all for, and how they should be administered. After we went over everything, I set up my own system for keeping track. She looked over it before we left, and I felt a lot more confident that we could handle everything.
It helped that my husband became familiar with the meds too. I got a contact name and phone number in case we had any questions after we got home. And we needed it!"⁕ Mother of HUS survivor
I was so anxious in the kitchen when we got home! We didn't know what caused my daughter's illness and every meal felt risky. I did make some changes to what I served my family, to make myself more comfortable. In time, my fears settled down.
⁕ Mother of HUS survivor
You have been in survival mode and have not had the time to process everything that has happened. The acute phase is over, but the long haul begins, particularly if your loved one endured a long, complicated hospitalization.
However, you have gotten through all the most difficult regions. You’ve gotten through the obstacle course leading up to hospitalization.
You inched your way along life threatening precipices during intensive care. Then, you descended into the smoother landscape of in-patient care and the beginnings of recovery.
Now you’ll be on home territory and may find that it feels like a new plateau, very different from what home felt like before the the patient got sick.
There will challenges ahead, but you’ve already gone through hell and back and proven that you’re up for this.
Patients who survive their voyage of foodborne disease almost always return home with “souvenirs”.
Your doctors will call these “souvenirs” sequelae. Sequelae are conditions that are consequences to a disease or injury.
Depending on the complications (organ system, severity, length) suffered during the acute phase of the disease, these sequelae can range from temporary and minor to permanent and debilitating.
After hospital discharge, as a family caregiver you will continue the process of helping the patient to recover. An awful lot has happened in the past weeks, perhaps months. There has been the obvious physical impact to the patient.
There has also been a very profound emotional impact on the patient and entire family. Now begins the time to sort all that out.
But for the moment, celebrate bringing your loved one home. Savor the victory of homecoming. Immerse yourselves in your own surroundings, your own space, rhythms, and routines.
Congratulations to you.
Bigger congratulations to the survivor!
During your first weeks home you will adjust to the new reality of bringing the patient back to health and a recreating a rewarding life.
Every patient’s experience is different, and you as family member care giver(s) will have to respond to your own unique situations. However, there are general things that most people experience that they can share as advice to you during your first weeks with the patient back home.
Start slowly and continue to conserve your energy and that of the patient.
Give thought to how to discuss a child’s illness with siblings.
The first weeks may be consumed with follow up visits to the sub-specialist physicians you’ve gotten to know during hospitalization. If you were hospitalized far from your home, you’ll be referred to local physicians for followup testing and medical care.
You may encounter medical setbacks that require re-hospitalizations or more procedures in the following months. Although these can be very discouraging, most likely these reversals will be minor and can be seen as a continuation of this “mopping up” recovery phase the patient is still in.
Rebuilding the patient’s physical strength and immune system, and regaining lost weight are of prime importance in the first weeks back home.
"Those first few weeks at home were hard. I was missing 'our people' who took care of us in the hospital. Family and friends were happy for us to be home, and many thought we were 'back to normal.'
We weren't.
Of course I was happy we were home, but there was a lot to navigate with doctors' appointments, medicines, tracking symptoms, finding the right therapists, helping the rest of the family adjust.
Feeding the family was particularly hard. I wanted to provide nutritious meals to help my daughter heal, but she still didn't have much of an appetite and we had new dietary restrictions to consider. It was a lot.
We got through it though, a day at a time.
Each week was a little easier than the last. I think it's normal to have complicated emotions around all of this. At the time, it didn't really feel normal."⁕ Mother of an adolescent HUS survivor
Ask your family doctor or pediatrician about adequate sleep, increased physical activity, supplemental nutrition, and probiotics which can all play supporting roles in restoring health.
If the recovering patient is a child or teen, you and your doctor(s) will know when they are strong enough to return to school.
Beforehand you should request a meeting with the principal, nurse, psychologist, and anyone else who will be interacting with your child. You’ll want to bring the team up to date on current medical concerns and treatment. →
Most school systems will work with the family and allow resuming school with a partial schedule, perhaps half days until your child is strong enough.
Teachers can be flexible with deadlines and due dates for assignments. Bring work home and tutors can help your child catch up with missed work.
If your child needs special help educationally as a result of their illness, there are resources available.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), every child is entitled to educational support and your child might qualify for free services like tutoring.
Children who have had long hospitalizations can have Individual Education Programs (IEPs).
According to the Kid’s Health website, “These are customized goals and learning strategies created by the teachers, school psychologists (or other specialists), and counselors. IEPs consider a child’s individual academic needs. Under the IDEA, kids who qualify for an IEP will receive one at no cost, and get free support services (such as a tutor) to help them reach educational milestones. Your child might be entitled to a 504 Plan, which will specify physical accommodations to help them navigate school grounds, access classrooms and bathrooms, find an aide, or qualify for special transportation.”
“You and anyone on your child’s education team can ask for an IEP and 504 Plan. To create an IEP, you’ll meet with support staff from your school and the school district. Contact the Special Services Office in your school district as soon as the doctor says it’s time to plan for your child’s hospital discharge and return to school.” (Kid’s Health website)
“My teenaged daughter was feeling some pressure to get back to her regular routine at school. Not all of her teachers understood how sick she had been. While we generally liked to let her work things out with her teachers on her own, this was a time we needed to be directly involved.
Our daughter needed to hear from us that her health and recovery were the priorities and our expectations for her academically were different now. Her school counselor was helpful getting all her teachers on board.”⁕ Mother of an HUS survivor
Putting your life back together, constructing a new one for a severely impacted victim of foodborne illness is a process that may take months or years. Most families who have gone through close encounters with life threatening diseases feel that they are forever changed in their outlook.
It is completely normal to begin viewing life as “before and after” the illness, experiencing the feeling that the life you had before is gone and now this new life is filled with so many new physical and emotional challenges. You may find yourself grieving the loss of the life you had prior to the illness. There are many emotional challenges along the way, but ultimately to become a true survivor, one must over time develop a sense of victory and empowerment.
Thankfully there is increasing awareness and there are many resources along the way to help you. The transformation from being a wounded victim to a person who has overcome tragedy and goes on to build an important life is an achievable goal. Do not be surprised if looking back, you find that your inner strength, courage, and commitment to others are qualities that were forged by this horrible experience.
Although unique to parents who have endured watching their child suffer from HUS, this research article about the emotional and behavioral changes in parents of children affected by HUS, applies to any parents who had a child suffer from a serious foodborne illness. It describes in detail some of the distressing consequences on parents who have watched their child suffer in the hospital and the fears that occur once back at home. This is all a normal reaction for the severe trauma you have been through.
Whether you were the person who experienced a foodborne illness or it was your child, medical trauma for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) is a new field. There is still a lot to learn and implement in the hospital setting. And when patients are discharged, not only will they have to continue with physical healing but they and their families will often have to focus on emotional and psychological healing.
Most families of patients who suffered severe foodborne illness experience longterm emotional distress and disruption to family and everyday life. Mental health experts conduct research about this impact and call it “Health Related Quality of Life” or (HRQoL) in the medical literature. HRQoL and PTSD for both recovering patients and their families are well described for diseases such as HUS. In fact, exposure to actual or threatened death and serious injury was included in the description of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (2013, DSM-5), which acknowledged that medical trauma can cause PTSD.
“Honestly, it was the financial consequences of my illness that surprised me and impacted me the most.
When I was sickened with E.coli, I was young reporter still trying to get on my own two feet. I had health insurance, but it basically only covered catastrophic events – of which this more or less qualified.
Still, the illness cost me a lot of money. Foodborne illness can not only ruin someone’s health, it can also cause significant financial distress.”⁕ Joe, E.coli survivor
My experience with E. coli has also caused me to develop irrational fears of certain foods.
For example, I never order salads or produce at fast food places, even though I’ve never had a bad experience having one. (Produce, however, has been increasingly the cause of E. coli breakouts.)
I have developed a phobia of undercooked meat. This is particularly a problem because my girlfriend is a food and drink writer, and so we eat at upscale restaurants constantly.
So, I have to look away when the table orders beef tartare or a similar raw-meat food item. These places usually scoff at serving steaks well done, and it is embarrassing at times.⁕ Joe, E. coli survivor
Also recognized are Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), and Post Intensive Care Syndrome Family Member (PICS-F). These diagnoses describe a collection of physical, mental and emotional symptoms that continue to persist after a patient leaves the Intensive care unit. Parents watching as children endure medical interventions, many feeling helpless to protect a child from suffering, are at high risk.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network reports that 20% to 30% of parents in such situations experience lasting traumatic stress reactions.
Families of foodborne illness patients often are the ones to help raise awareness about the need for greater care and attention to the psychological component of healing. It is important that you raise the issue when meeting with the medical care givers continuing to follow your recovering patient’s progress.
“After 58 days in the hospital, we were so excited to come home!
However, I did not realize how difficult the transition would be. Even though my son was doing well, he was still weak and could not return to school. It was the middle of flu season and we had to be cautious. My husband had more sick days remaining than I did, so within four days, I had to return to work and my husband stayed home with our son for two more months. My son did all of his school work from home. Each day for me was a struggle. As a mother, I felt guilty that I could not stay home with him during this transition phase.
I cried every day in the car on my way to work.
I have no idea how I functioned at work, but somehow I did. I was also struggling with how vulnerable the world felt. I had thoughts I had never experienced before. Raw food scared me. What if E.coli was on it? I couldn’t bring myself to cook hamburgers, even using a food thermometer. I tried once, but felt too anxious. What if the meat had been contaminated? I threw them away.
Petting zoos, water parks, fun normal things were now viewed as dangerous. I even felt vulnerable driving in the car with just my husband and I. What if we got in an accident and both died? Who would raise our only child? A few months after we were back home, Chris had a stiff neck and a very bad headache. I started obsessing that it may be meningitis.
Looking back, I realize these were all anxiety symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress. It took a few years for life to go back to normal worries.”⁕ Mary McGonigle, mother of HUS survivor
“As I continued to work on my physical self, I began to experience triggers that would bring about flashbacks followed by panic attacks.
The first flashback/panic attack happened at the local swimming pool. I was trying out a snorkel and face mask to help me breathe while floating on my stomach. I remembered the sound of the air going through the snorkel triggering a memory of being tethered to the ventilator I’d been dependent upon for three months.
Eventually, various memories, smells and sounds began to surface. The flashbacks were more than just a memory; they would put me back into the traumatic event.”⁕ Mari, Campylobacter induced Guillain-Barré quadriplegia survivor who decided it was time to see a therapist that specialized in PTSD
We only had one doctor tell us that he was seriously worried that we would all develop PTSD after what Chris went through. After care for Chris all focused on Medical Care.
Not one doctor (GI, nephrologist, primary) ever asked how he was emotionally doing or asked us how we were.
My husband and I went to marriage counseling post HUS because we handled the hospital crisis so differently. The therapist missed the seriousness of the medical trauma and how really damaged we were.
A few years ago, I was telling Chris's pediatric nephrologist about our HUS Moms group. Explaining how many of both the kids and parents suffer from PTSD. He said we never think about the psychological consequences when treating an HUS patient. We just focus on saving their lives.⁕ Mary McGonigle, Mother of an HUS survivor
“Months after bringing our son home, I was stopped at a stoplight. When the red flashed to green, it somehow triggered a memory of vital signs colorfully blinking on the monitor over his PICU bed. I found myself weeping in the intersection and had to explain to my younger children in the back seat, ‘Mommy’s okay. I just has a bad memory of when brother was sick.”
⁕ Mother of an HUS survivor
Normal temporary reactions to expect are:
• Young children: Clinging to parents, bed wetting, being afraid of the dark
• Older children: Changes in sleep and eating, agitation, complaints of minor illness
• Parents: Constant worry, over-protectiveness, anxiety about caring for the patient’s medical needs, getting very upset at reminders of your child’s illness and hospitalization.
These are all common reactions and will improve on their own with time, patience, understanding, and support.
Signs that your child or you may need extra help:
• New fears, watching out for danger all the time
• Anxiety about school, usual activities
• Avoiding time with friends
• Arguing a lot with friends or family
• Feeling sad and lacking energy
Often family members are the ones who have to ask for help during the process of regaining their balance in the weeks and months following hospitalization.
Some of the resources available to you are:
• Mental health experts such as counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists
• School counselors sometimes run groups and can be a safe person for your child at school if they have a bad day
• Requesting a 504 Plan or Individual Health plan at your child’s school
• Specific to HUS: Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) Support Group located on Facebook
Talk to your pediatrician or primary care doctor on how best to find the right person to help you over this hump.
There are many therapies available to help your child with PTSD. These might include :
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Neurofeedback
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
• Emotional Freedom Technique
• Play Therapy for younger children
• Post-traumatic growth (PTG)
Instead of an importable ravine to pass, EMDR gave me a bridge to the other side.
⁕ Chris Martin, HUS survivor
“My son became ill with Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome when he was 7 years old.
We spent two months in the hospital.
For three years Chris would get these crying spells when something would trigger a bad memory in the hospital. Sometimes he would lay in my arms for hours and cry it out.
When he was 10, he came to me and asked if I could find someone to hypnotize him to make him forget all the bad memories. He started having panic attacks in 5th grade. I started doing research on trauma therapy and found a psychologist who did EMDR therapy.
In 2010, this was still a new therapy. I contacted the psychologist and he was willing to meet Chris to see if he had the cognitive ability to do this type of therapy. After the assessment, he was willing to try this with Chris, the youngest patient he had ever treated. After five 2 hour sessions, Chris was a changed child.
He went back a lighter-hearted personality and all the crying spells stopped. The only reminder of the hospital was his fear of needles. EMDR therapy was life changing for Chris.”⁕ Mary McGonigle, mother of an HUS survivor
Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) was developed by psychologists Richard Tedeschi, PhD, and Lawrence Calhoun, PhD, in the mid-1990s, and holds that people who endure psychological struggle following adversity can often see positive growth afterward.
As a parent, you will have to balance the approach you take toward your child as he or she continues to emotionally recover from the experience of suffering a life threatening, life altering disease. Naturally you need to seek help and solutions to help them process what has happened to them and find strategies to adapt to the lasting challenges their illness has caused.
On the other hand, you want to liberate them from being a victim, and empower them to become whole and healthy again, maximizing the internal strength they showed just through surviving a devastating illness.
Your child or loved one is a survivor, and ultimately you want them to feel and live as victors.
My experience of what E. coli poisoning left in its wake? I wear my scars with pride. They are outward signs of my life of Purpose, Gratitude, and Faith.
⁕ Damion Heersink, HUS/TTP survivor
“The EMDR session transported me back to the ICU. When the therapist asked what I was witnessing, I answered ‘My husband, sons and mother are at my bedside crying.’
The therapist then asked me what I was feeling, and I replied ‘guilt for the pain my decision to drink the raw milk caused’. Then I said ‘I’m not in ICU anymore’ and with that my therapist told me to open my eyes and continue to repeat and imprint that I was no longer in the ICU.
EMDR proved to be a major turning point. Now that my subconscious is established in the present, I no longer experience PTSD episodes.”⁕ Mari Tardiff, Campylobacter jejuni/Guillain-Barré survivor
“Looking back 25 years ago, I believe the best advice his doctor gave us as parents was ‘Throw him back in the water”, as if he were some fish that narrowly escaped being caught.
At the time this seemed harsh to me and my husband was better at following this advice than I was. As soon as our boy was strong enough, he was thrown back into all the activities, responsibilities, and opportunities he had before he was sick.
Even though it took another decade before his gastrointestinal issues were surgically resolved, he soldiered on. That’s what’s made him the resilient person he is today.”⁕ Mary Heersink, mother of HUS/TTP survivor
Find links for multiple articles on Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) and TTP, as well as Dealing with Medical Trauma, Emotional and Behavioral Changes, Welcome to EMDR and more.
Some recovering patients will have medical problems that require long-term follow-up care. Your doctors and caregivers will design a care plan and direct you to helpful resources going forward.
Every year in the United States one in six Americans in infected with a foodborne pathogen. These illnesses come with a price tag of $15.5 billion in economic burden. The true impact is not limited to medical costs and loss of productivity during the critical stages.
The damage continues on for years of chronic illnesses and disabilities. It’s conservatively estimated that 200,000 Americans develop long-term ailments from food poisoning. Infections with Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Shigella and other pathogens can result in long-term sequelae to various organ systems. These chronic illnesses include chronic kidney disease (CKD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), reactive arthritis (Reiter’s Syndrome), Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), insulin-dependent diabetes, seizures, visual disabilities, cognitive and developmental deficits.
“For me, it was just a case of the runs but I was much more scared for my unborn child when I learned that listeria likes to take up residence in the placenta and can cause stillbirth. I had spent my pregnancy eating organic foods, doing prenatal yoga, and practicing hypo-birthing techniques.
After consulting with my own ob/gyn and two others, I decided that the risk of still birth was too great and allowed myself to be admitted to the hospital for 4 days to receive intravenous antibiotics four times a day to kill the bacteria but save the baby. Several weeks later I was relieved to give birth to a baby that was alive.
However, the foodborne illness and the resulting treatment ended up affecting my baby. I had flooded my body and the placenta with antibiotics during his final weeks of development so that he would live past his birth, but in the process the drugs had ravaged his digestive system so that he suffered terribly from colic, stomach pain, constant vomiting, and dysfunctional bowels. After taking him to many medical specialists, looking at his abdominal x-rays, and even mapping his DNA, the medical community realized they couldn’t help him.
When he was 6-and-a-half years old, we found a naturopath who suggested using the Mediator Release Test (MRT) to design a customized anti-inflammatory diet for him. And it worked!
Finally, he began growing and sleeping and feeling well. It had taken more than six years to be able to move beyond that foodborne illness in my pregnancy.”⁕ Elizabeth, Listeria survivor
When I returned to school that fall, my endurance was so low I had to take a period off around lunch to go home and nap before returning to finish my school day. I was a dancer, but I couldn’t go full on like I had in the past. It made me so sad that I couldn’t participate with my team, doing something I absolutely loved, because I wasn’t healthy enough.
Another thing that bothered me was all the attention poured on me. I’m not one for all of that, so I was frustrated by the seemingly constant stream of questions regarding how I was feeling and what happened.
Although I knew people were simply showing concern and care for me, I really only wanted one thing: To be normal again.⁕ Angela, an adolescent E. coli O157:H7 survivor
“Ruby was nine months old when she first got sick. We don’t know what the long-term consequences are or will be — I will say it makes me wonder. Ruby gets sick more frequently than I, or my husband, ever did growing up. She seems to get every bug she comes in contact with, and she has much higher fevers when she gets sick. We can’t say for sure that the salmonella poisoning caused that, but I suspect it did.”
⁕ Melissa, mother of Salmonella survivor
Those recovering from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) need regular follow-up care. During the acute stage of the disease, 50-70% require kidney dialysis. Between 30%-40% of HUS patients are discharged with some injury to their kidneys, even if they don’t experience obvious symptoms. They remain at risk for developing protein in their urine (proteinuria), high blood pressure (hypertension), and chronic kidney disease.
This risk only increases over time. At 1- and 5- year follow-ups, proteinuria and hypertension decrease. But after 10 years the number of patients with symptoms renal injury starts to increase. At 20 years post HUS, 25-30% of patients showed persistent renal impairment, putting them at lifelong risk of chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure.
Because kidney problems can appear at any time interval after the acute stages of the disease, all HUS patients need lifelong follow-up to detect early signs of chronic kidney disease.
For at least the first five years, recovered HUS patients need an annual follow-up examination of signs of hypertension, proteinuria, and renal insufficiency. Each visit should include blood pressure measurement and laboratory evaluation of renal function including urinalysis and serum creatinine concentration. For patients who become pregnant, it is also recommended that follow-up care includes assessment for elevated blood pressure and proteinuria.
"We were thrilled to be home, but were just beginning to learn how Dana’s Salmonella Poona would become a debilitating and lifelong challenge for her, and our family.
Ten days after ingesting the cantaloupe, Dana started complaining of joint pain. She continued to complain of joint pain and soreness at ages 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and at age 10.
Pediatricians and orthopedists continually dismissed it as “growing pains”. A day at Disney World, shopping, or playing with her beloved dog would turn into sleepless night of pain for Dana because her knees and ankles were sore.
Not many people think that joint pain can be associated with foodborne illness, but it can, and more often than one might think. At age 11, Dana was diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis, a condition that affects Dana’s life every day.⁕ Colette, mother of Salmonella Poona survivor
Every year an estimated 164,000 foodborne illness patients develop Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The acute bacterial gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella, Campylobacter and Shigella can trigger IBS symptoms in 10% of those infected by these pathogens.
The defining features of IBS are recurring abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation. The duration and severity of symptoms vary. IBS severity can range from inconvenient to incapacitating, and can prevent individuals from participating in everyday activities. One half of IBS patients recover without treatment, but some take years to recover, especially those with untreated anxiety or depression.
Guillain-Barré (Ghee-yan Bah-ray) syndrome (GBS) is an auto-immune disorder in which the myelin sheath covering the nerves is attacked, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. The most common trigger for GBS is Campylobacter, with as many as 40% of GBS cases in the United States thought to be caused by this pathogen.
During the acute stages hospitalized GBS patients are usually treated with plasma exchange and high dose immunoglobulin therapy (infusion of antibodies). Afterwards it can take as little as weeks to as long as years to recover. Eventually, 70% patients recover with physical therapy and conditioning programs. Between 60-80% are able to walk again within six months.
Some patients have permanent nerve damage and lifelong disability. Between 15-30% of GBS patients continue to have weakness, numbness and fatigue, limiting their function at work, home, and leisure activities.
Children who develop diabetes (Type 1) as a result of pancreatic damage during the acute stages of HUS will start multiple daily insulin injections and glucose monitoring during their critical care and hospitalization on the ward. After hospital discharge, they will initially see their diabetes care team every three months.
There are 33,000 new cases each year of reactive arthritis caused by acute infections of Salmonella and Campylobacter.
2-10% of salmonellosis patients develop reactive arthritis.
The usual symptoms of this auto-immune dysfunction are joint swelling and pain; painful eye inflammation and cloudy vision (Uveitis); painful urination due to inflammation of the urethra (Urethritis); and psoriasis.
Reactive Arthritis (sometimes called Reiter’s Syndrome) is a difficult condition to treat, and can take months or years to resolve. Patients often relapse after the 4 year post-foodborne infection; and for some patients symptoms of reactive arthritis become permanent.
I would say my greatest struggle from my foodborne illness is that I still have some neurological issues. I get these little jolts through my body and no one has been able to erase those.
Initially, I lost the ability to understand the lyrics in music, but I did many sessions of neurofeedback and I have recovered my ability to hear lyrics. It has been a long road.⁕ Ines, schistosomiasis survivor
Due to the nature of acquired brain injury at such a young age, Noah’s cognitive problems have emerged slowly over time as he is required to utilize more of his brain.
Noah felt the effect of his illness the most when he woke up and lost his ability to speak fluently. For an advanced child that is almost 4, this was extremely stressful.⁕ Amanda, mother of Salmonella Heidelberg survivor
In some studies up to 30% of HUS patients experience central nervous system (CNS) involvement while they are critically ill. This neurological dysfunction can include seizures, coma, stroke, weakness on one side (hemiparesis), and blindness.
After 5 years, 4% of HUS patients show continued neurological impact. Depending of the severity of CNS involvement during HUS, rehabilitation, special education, or occupational therapy may be required.
At this stage when you and your family are contending with followup care for your loved one, as well as self care, you may want to investigate the numerous resources on social media. For many, these community groups can provide personal support, medical and practical information, and deeper awareness.
Mentors understand how chaotic, emotional, and overwhelming your world has become and they are available to offer a listening ear.
You do not need to struggle on your own.
We’ll connect you and/or a family member who is currently managing the impacts and persistent effects of foodborne illness with a mentor who has been similarly impacted and can share her/his unique perspective.
Here are several Facebook Groups/Support Pages that you may want to access, if for no other reason than to know that you are not alone.
• Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) Support Group
• HUS Fighters
• Survivors Of Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
• HUS Moms: Join by invitation⁕
⁕ Let us know at info@stopfoodborneillness.org if you are interested in this group. We know moms who will gladly extend an invitation to you.
• GBS Survivors
• GBS Learning Central
• Guillain-Barré Syndrome Survivors Network
• Guillain-Barré Syndrome Awareness
• GBS/CIDP Exercisers
• Reactive Arthritis Support: Join by request
• Reactive Arthritis/Reiter’s Syndrome
• Reactive Arthritis/Reiter’s Syndrome UK
• Coping With Inflammatory Arthritis and Life Stressors!
• Reiter’s Information & Support Group
• Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
• IBS Support Group for Women
• IBS Support Group
• IBS Support (Official)
• IBS Patient Support Group
• Colitis Support Group
• Ulcerative Colitis Support Group
• Girls with Guts Private Forum: Support for Women with IBD and/or Ostomies
The mission at Ben’s Friends is to ensure that patients living with rare diseases or chronic illnesses, as well as their caregivers, family, and friends, have a safe and supportive place to connect with others like them.
A financial assistance program for people living with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a rare kidney condition that occurs when damaged red blood cells form clots.
If you or your family member has suffered a severe foodborne illness, you’ve travelled a long and arduous path.
For some people, the impact of taking such a dramatic detour in their life’s plan is hard to measure until many months, and possibly even years, go by. Most survivors look back on their lives in terms of Before and After.
For one to transition from being a victim of foodborne illness to a foodborne illness survivor, even if you’ve endured the ultimate tragedy of losing your loved one, you will have to plot your own course of how to live a meaningful existence going forward.
Many survivors are empowered by helping others going through what they’ve experienced first-hand, fighting to bring awareness and reduce foodborne illness, or helping to create a safer food system by sharing their experience with other stakeholders.
If you change your mind later, the work will still be here when you’re ready.
If you come out of this journey relishing your health, being thankful for the treasure you have in your family, mindful of the beauty surrounding us on earth, aware that every moment you have is an opportunity to do good, you will be a better person for the voyage you’ve made.
"Besides the obvious concerns of being sick and finding a cure, most people don’t consider the problem of days and weeks of missing work and the burden on the pocketbook that results. Or the frustration and damage caused by the unintended neglect of people who are depending on us.
When you’re sick there are responsibilities that go abandoned to the detriment of everyone involved. And then there’s the possibility of it all happening again … my anxiety is palpable.
I am the legal guardian for my grandfather, Herman. Considering that I cook for him, I hate to even think about the outcome had he eaten the same meat that made me sick. I tear up just at the thought!!
It is for him that I want to be part of this movement to make food safer. Contaminated food and the poisoning that accompanies it doesn’t just hurt the individual who is sick, it hurts family as well as the wider community.
For me, caring about food safety is caring about my grandfather, my friends and neighbors."⁕ Danielle, antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium survivor
Before I got sick, I was a laid back, go with the flow kind of kid. When I was in the hospital, I constantly felt like I was running late to something. I didn’t know what it was I was late for, or where I needed to be specifically, but I always wanted to know what time it was.
Whether this newfound anxiety about time was due to the toxins in my brain, or the fact that my world was in utter chaos and time was the one thing I tried desperately to hold onto, I’m not sure, but to this day, I’m always early.⁕ Anne, E. coli O157:H7 survivor
KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE
Our mission:
As the voice of people affected by foodborne illness, we collaborate with partners in academia, the food industry, and government to prevent foodborne illness. We advocate for effective food safety policy and facilitate culture change to increase food safety.
Stop Foodborne Illness is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent the law allows.
Wyoming Department of Public Health
401 Hathaway Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Call 1-866-571-0944 (toll free) or (307) 777-7656
Wyoming Department of Health: Epidemiology Unit
Infectious Disease Epidemiology + Food Safety
Nevada HHS/ Division of Public and Behavioral Health
Environmental Health
4126 Technology Way 4150 Technology Way
Carson City, NV 89706 Carson City, NV 89706
http://dpbh.nv.gov/Reg/Food/Food_Establishments_Home/
Southern Nevada Health District Food Safety
https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/Health-Topics/food-safety/
Report a Foodborne Illness
https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/Health-Topics/foodborne-illness/
702-759-1300
South Dakota Department of Health
Office of Health Protection
600 E Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
605-773-4945
doh.sd.gov/food/
South Dakota Department of Agriculture
523 E Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
605-773-5425
Preventing Foodborne Illness
https://doh.sd.gov/food/prevention.aspx
Arkansas Department of Health
Office of Environmental Health
4815 West Markham Street, Slot 46
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-661-2171
www.healthy.arkansas.gov
Public Health Safety | Foodborne Disease
https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/foodborne-disease
Utah Department of Health/Report a Foodborne Illness
Cannon Health Building
288 North 1460 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
888-222-2542
Utah Association of Local Health Departments
Salt Lake County Health Department
Food Protection
Vermont Department of Health
Public Health Laboratory
108 Cherry Street, PO Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402
800-439-8550
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
Food Safety and Consumer Protection
116 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620
802-828-2430
Virginia Department of Health
Food Safety
109 Governor Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-864-7454
350 Capitol Street, Room 702
Charleston, WV 25301
304-558-2971
1 West Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703
608-266-1865
DC Department of Health Food Safety https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/division-food
DC Department of Health Foodborne Disease Surveillance https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/foodborne-illness-surveillance
National Resources
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA Center for Food Safety
888-SAFEFOOD (1-888-723-3366)
www.fda.gov
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline: 1-888-674-6854
USDA- Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS)
www.fsis.usda.gov
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
www.foodsafety.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
800-232-4636
www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/
Antibiotic Resistance Action Center
The Center for Food Safety
202-547-9359
International Food Information Council Foundation
202-296-6540
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
www.cste.org
770-458-3811
_________________________________________
Office on Women’s Health
womenshealth.gov/index.html
US National Library of Medicine
www.nlm.nih.gov/
Medline Plus
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
National Institutes of Health
www.nih.gov/
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Food and Water Safety for Travelers
https://www.iamat.org/food-and-water-safety
Puerto Rico Done
https://www.fns.usda.gov/contact/puerto-rico-department-health
Guam Dept of Health
Guam Department of Agriculture
US Virgin Islands
Connecticut Department of Public Health
Food Protection Program
410 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06134
860-509-7297
Hartford Health Department
131 Coventry Street
Hartford, CT 06112
860-757-4726 or 860-757-4729
New Haven Health Department
54 Meadow Street
New Haven, CT 06519
203-946-6999
Texas Department of State Health Services
Food Establishments Group
PO Box 149347
Austin, TX 78714
512- 834-6753
www.dshs.state.tx.us/foodestablishments/
Texas Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition
1700 N Congress, 11th Floor
Austin, TX 78701
512-463-7476
www.squaremeals.org/
http://www.squaremeals.org/FandNResources/FarmtoSchool/ToolsforSchools/FoodSafety.aspx
Texas Health Departments (by District)
www.dshs.state.tx.us/regions/lhds.shtm
www.dshs.state.tx.us/regions/nonlhd.shtm
Infectious Disease Control Unit
1100 West 49th Street, Suite T801
Austin, TX 78714
512-776-7676
www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/health/foodborne_illness/
Austin Food Establishment Inspections
https://data.austintexas.gov/dataset/Restaurant-Inspection-Scores/ecmv-9xxi
Dallas Food Establishment Inspections
http://www2.dallascityhall.com/FoodInspection/SearchScores.cfm
Fort Worth Food Establishment Inspections
www.fortworthgov.org/applications/Health/
Houston Food Establishment Inspections
http://houston.tx.gegov.com/media/search.cfm
San Antonio Food Establishment Inspections
www.sanantonio.gov/health/Food-Establishment-Inspection.html
Tennessee Department of Health
425 5th Avenue North
Cordell Hull Building, 3rd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-3111
http://tn.gov/health
Division of Foodborne Illness
615-741-7247
Foodborne Illness Complaint Hotline
800-293-8228 (toll free)
Tennessee Restaurant Inspections
http://tn.gov/health/topic/eh-inspections
Health Departments in Tennessee by County
http://tn.gov/health/topic/localdepartments
Shelby County Health Department
814 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38105
901-222-9243
www.shelbycountytn.gov/index.aspx?nid=1094
Metro Public Health Department of Nashville & Davidson County
311 23rd Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37203
615-340-5616
www.nashville.gov/Health-Department/Environmental-Health/Food-Protection-Services.aspx
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
Food Protection
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
803-898-3432
http://www.scdhec.gov/FoodSafety/
South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Compliance
State Capitol /Wade Hampton Building, 5th Floor
Columbia, SC 29211
803-734-2210
http://agriculture.sc.gov/divisions/consumer-protection/foodfeed-safety-compliance/
South Carolina Food Establishment Inspections
www.scdhec.gov/environment/envhealth/food/htm/inspection-rating/
Rhode Island Department of Health
Food Protection
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908
401-222-5960
401-272-5952 (emergency after hours)
http://www.health.ri.gov/programs/foodprotection/
Rhode Island Department of Environment
Agriculture Division
235 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02908
401-222-2781
http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/agricult/index.php
Rhode Island Food Establishment Inspections
http://www.health.ri.gov/food/
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Food Safety & Laboratory Services
2301 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
866-366-3723
www.agriculture.state.pa.us
Pennsylvania Department of Health
625 Forster Street, 8th Floor West
Harrisburg, PA 17120
877-PA-HEALTH
www.portal.health.state.pa.us
Pennsylvania Food Establishment Inspections
https://www.pafoodsafety.state.pa.us/web/inspection/publicinspectionsearch.aspx
Oregon Health Authority
Healthy Environments/Foodborne Illness
800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 640
Portland, OR 97232
971-673-0451
public.health.oregon.gov/HealthyEnvironments/FoodSafety/Pages/index.aspx
erica.vaness@state.or.us
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Food Safety Program
635 Capitol Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-4720
www.oregon.gov/ODA/fsd/Pages/index.aspx
Oregon Health Departments (by County)
public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/LocalHealthDepartmentResources/Pages/lhd.aspx
Multnomah County (Portland) Food Establishment Inspections
www3.multco.us/MCHealthInspect/ListSearch.aspx
Oklahoma Department of Health
Food Safety and Foodborne Diseases
1000 NE 10th Street, Room 605
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
405-271-4060
800-522-0203 (toll free)
www.ok.gov/health/Disease,_Prevention,_Preparedness/Acute_Disease_Service/Disease_Information/Food_Safety_and_Foodborne_Diseases/
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry
2800 N Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-3864
www.oda.state.ok.us/food/
Oklahoma Food Establishment Inspections
www.phin.state.ok.us/Inspections/
Ohio Department of Health
Food Safety Program
246 N High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614-466-1390
www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/eh/foods/food2.aspx
Find Your Local Health Department (Ohio)
odhgateway.odh.ohio.gov/lhdinformationsystem/Directory/GetMyLHD
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Food Safety Division
8995 E Main Street
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
614-728-6250
www.agri.ohio.gov/foodsafety
www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/meat/meat.aspx
Columbus Public Health
Food Protection Program
240 Parsons Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614-645-8191
publichealth.columbus.gov/food-protection.aspx
Columbus Food Establishment Inspections
www.decadeonline.com/main.phtml?agency=COL
Franklin County Food Establishment Inspections
www.myfcph.org/foodinspections.php
Cleveland Food Establishment Inspections
www.clevelandhealth.org/network/environment/review_inspection_report.php
Cincinnati Food Establishment Inspections
www.cincinnati-oh.gov/noncms/health/inspection/
Ohio Inspections by County
www.ohioinspections.org/category.php
North Dakota Department of Health
600 E Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505
701-328-2372
www.ndhealth.gov/disease/GI/default.aspx
North Dakota Division of Food and Lodging
www.ndhealth.gov/foodlodging
North Dakota Department of Agriculture
Meat Inspection
www.nd.gov/ndda/program/meat-inspection
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
NC Food Safety
4000 Reedy Creek Road
Raleigh, NC 27607
919-733-7366
http://www.ncfoodsafety.com/
North Carolina Department of Health
Food Protection Program
5605 Six Forks Road
Raleigh, NC 27609
919-707-5854
ehs.ncpublichealth.com/faf/food/index.htm
Report a Foodborne Illness
NCDPH Epidemiology
225 N McDowell Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603
919-733-3419 (24 hr access)
epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/report.html#who
North Carolina Health Department Directors (by County)
http://www.ncalhd.org/directors
Restaurant Inspections
www.wral.com/5onyourside/restaurants/page/1001540/
New York Department of Agriculture & Markets
Food Safety & Inspection
10B Airline Drive
Albany, NY 12235
518-457-4492
www.agriculture.ny.gov/FS/FSHome.html
New York Department of Health
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12237
800-458-1158 (toll free)
518-473-4436
www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/food_safety/index.htm
New York Health Departments (by Region, District and County)
www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/doh_pub_contacts_map.htm
New York City Restaurant Inspection
www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/restaurant-inspection.shtml
New Mexico Environment Department
Food Program
PO Box 5469
Santa Fe, NM 87502
505-476-9102
www.nmenv.state.nm.us/fod/Food_Program
New Mexico Department of Health
1190 South Saint Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87502
505-827-2613
www.health.state.nm.us
New Mexico Public Health Offices Map (by County)
http://nmhealth.org/location/public/
Albuquerque Food Inspection and Safety
www.cabq.gov/envhealth/inspections
New Jersey Department of Health
Food and Drug Safety Program
PO Box 360
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-826-4935
www.nj.gov/health/foodanddrugsafety/consumer.shtml
New Jersey Department of Agriculture
PO Box 330
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-588-7606
www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/hottopics/topics070319.html
New Jersey Departments of Health (by County or Municipality)
www.nj.gov/health/lh/directory/lhdselectcounty.shtml
Rutgers University/NJ Agricultural Experiment Station
88 Lipman Drive
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
njaes.rutgers.edu/health/
New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services
Public Health Services/Food Protection
129 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-4589
www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/fp
Foodborne Illness Surveillance
29 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-5300 (24 hr)
800-852-3345, x5300 (toll free 24 hr)
www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/surveillance/food.htm
Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
Epidemiology/Foodborne Illness
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, NE 68509
402-471-2937
dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/EPI/Pages/Foodborne.aspx
Nebraska Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Consumer Protection
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, NE 68509
402-471-3422
ttp://www.nda.nebraska.gov/fscp/index.html
Nebraska Health Departments (by County and Rural District)
dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Pages/puh_oph_lhd.aspx#Websites
Omaha-Douglas County Health Department
Disease Control/Foodborne Illness
1111 South 41st Street at Pacific
Omaha, NE 68105
402-444-7214
402-444-7000 (after hours)
www.douglascountyhealth.com/disease-a-immunization/food-borne-illness
Restaurant Inspections
www.douglascountyhealth.com/food-a-drink/food-facility-ratings?rname=all&submit=Search
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
3140 N Street
Lincoln, NE 68510
402-441-6280
www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/health/environ/consumer/food/foodsafety.htm
Food Establishment Inspections
logisrv01.lincoln.ne.gov/health/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=EPH.Default
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
Food & Consumer Safety
1400 Broadway
Helena, MT 59604
406-444-4542
www.dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/fcs/index.shtml
Montana Health Departments (by County or Tribal Agency)
www.dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/phep/countytribalhealthdepts.shtml
Montana Food Star Award Program
http://web.hhs.mt.gov/publichealth/fcs/foodstar.shtml
Montana DPHHS Food and Consumer Safety
http://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/FCSS
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
PO Box 570
Jefferson City, MO 65102
866-628-9891 (toll free)
www.health.mo.gov/safety/foodsafety
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Food Safety
1616 Missouri Boulevard
Jefferson City, MO 65102
573-751-4211
mda.mo.gov/connect/foodsafety.php
Kansas City Department of Healt
Food Protection Program
2400 Troost Ave, Suite 3000
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-513-6315
http://kcmo.gov/health/environmental-health-services/environmental-public-health-program/
Kansas City Food Establishment Inspections
www.inspectionsonline.us/foodsafety/mousakansascity/search.htm
St. Louis County Department of Health
Safe Food Center
www.stlouisco.com/HealthandWellness/FoodandRestaurants
St. Louis Restaurant Inspections
www.stlouisco.com/HealthandWellness/FoodandRestaurants/RestaurantInspections
Mississippi Department of Health
Food Safety, Restaurant Inspections
570 East Woodrow Wilson Drive
Jackson, MS 39216
866-458-4948
msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/43,0,377.html
Reporting a Foodborne Illness
800-556-0003
601-576-7400 (after hours/holidays)
Mississippi Public Health Laboratory
570 East Woodrow Wilson
Jackson, MS 39216
601- 576-7582
601-576-7725 (Office of Epidemiology)
msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/14,0,73.html
Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce
Consumer Protection
PO Box 1609
Jackson, MS 39215
601-359-1148
https://www.mdac.ms.gov/bureaus-departments/regulatory-services/consumer-protection/
Minnesota Department of Public Health
Food Safety
PO Box 64975
St Paul, MN 55164
651-201-5000
888-345-0823 (toll free from greater MN)
www.health.state.mn.us/foodsafety
Reporting a Suspected Foodborne Illness
877-366-3455
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/foodborne/reporting.html
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Food Safety
625 Robert Street North
St Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-201-6000
800-967-2474
www.mda.state.mn.us/food/safety
Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control (IDECP)
625 N Robert Street
PO Box 64975
St Paul, MN 55164
77-676-5414 (toll free from greater MN)
877-FOOD-ILL (877-366-3) Foodborne Illness Hotline
Minneapolis Department of Health
Food Safety Program
Public Service Center
250 S 4th Street, Room 510
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-673-2301
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/health/inspections/foodsafety
Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Food Safety
PO Box 30017
Lansing, MI 48909
800-292-3939
www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-50772—,00.html
www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1572_2875_31948-8257–,00.html
Michigan Department of Community Health
Bureau of Disease Control, Prevention, Epidemiology
Capitol View Building
201 Townsend Street
Lansing, MI 48913
517-373-3740
517-335-9030 (emergency after hours)
www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,4612,7-132-2945_5104—,00.html
Michigan Food Inspections
secure1.state.mi.us/misafe/Default.aspx
Kent County (Grand Rapids) Health Department
700 Fuller Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616- 632-6900
www.accesskent.com/Health/FoodServices/default.htm
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Food Protection Program
305 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-983-6700
617-522-3700 (emergency/after hours)
www.mass.gov/dph/fpp
Massachusetts Health Departments (by County)
www.healthguideusa.org/massachusetts_local_health_departments.htm
Massachusetts Partnership for Food Safety Education
www.mafoodsafetyeducation.info
City of Boston Department of Health
Inspectional Services Department/Health Division
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 4th floor
Boston, MA 02118
617-635-5300
www.cityofboston.gov/isd/health
Worcester Department of Public Health\
25 Meade Street
Worcester, MA 01610
508-799-8531
www.worcesterma.gov/ocm/public-health
Maryland Department of Health
Office of Food Protection; Center for Retail Food, Plan and Process Reviews
6 Saint Paul Street, Suite 1301
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-767-8400
phpa.dhmh.maryland.gov/OEHFP/OFPCHS/SitePages/Home.aspx
Foodborne Illness/Emerging Infections Program
phpa.dhmh.maryland.gov/OIDEOR/EIP/SitePages/Home.aspx
Baltimore City Health Department\
1001 E Fayette Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-396-4398
baltimorehealth.org/foodcontrol.html
http://health.baltimorecity.gov/environmental-health/food-facilities
Montgomery County (Germantown, Silver Spring) Department of Health
Disease Control and Epidemiology
Dennis Avenue Health Center
2000 Dennis Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20902
240-777-1755
www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS-Program/Program.aspx?id=PHS/PHSDControl-p270.html
Howard County (Columbia) Department of Health
Food Protection Program
7178 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
410-313-1772
866-313-6300 (toll free 24/7 access)
www.howardcountymd.gov/DisplayPrimary.aspx?id=4294969400
Food Establishment Inspection Program
howard.envhealth.info/
Maine Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Environmental Health
221 State Street
Augusta, ME 04333
207-287-8016
www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/el/postings.htm
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention
286 Water Street, State House Station 11
Augusta, ME 04333
800-606-0215
www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/food_safety_in_maine.html
Report a Foodborne Illness
800-821-5821 (24 hr access)
Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources
www.maine.gov/agriculture/qar/index.html
University of Maine Food Safety Program
5741 Libby Hall
Orono, ME 04469
207-581-3188
extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-safety/
Portland Health & Human Services
389 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
207-874-8633
http://www.portlandmaine.gov/610/Food-Safety
Portland Restaurant Inspections
www.pressherald.com/special/portland_maine_restaurant_inspection_report.html
Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals
Food and Drug Unit
PO Box 629
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0629
225-342-9500
dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/300
Louisiana Community Health Units (by Parish)
www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/394
Reporting Foodborne/Waterborne Disease
1450 Poydras Street, Suite 2146
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-568-8316
www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/535
Louisiana Restaurant Inspections
inspections.eatsafe.la.gov/default.aspx
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
Food Quality
PO Box 1951
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
225-925-3772
http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/food-safety/
New Orleans Health Department
1300 Perdido Street, Suite 8E18
New Orleans, LA 70112
311
www.nola.gov/health-department/
Kentucky Department Public Health
Cabinet for Health and Family Services
275 E Main Street, 1E-B
Frankfort, KY 40621
502-564-7181
www.chfs.ky.gov/dph/info/phps/food.htm
Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Consumer & Environmental Protection
107 Corporate Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-573-0282
www.kyagr.com/consumer/division-of-food-distribution.html
Louisville Health and Wellness
400 East Gray Street
Louisville, KY 40202
502-574-6520
http://louisvilleky.gov/government/health-wellness/food-safety
Restaurant Inspections
http://portal.louisvilleky.gov/applications/RestaurantInspectionScores
Lexington-Fayette County Health Department
Environmental Health
804A Newtown Circle
Lexington, KY 40511
859-231-9791
www.lexingtonhealthdepartment.org/ProgramsServices/FoodProtection/tabid/200/Default.aspx
Barren River District (Bowling Green) Health Department
1109 State Street
Bowling Green, KY 42102
270-781-8039
270-202-5785 (24 hr access)
www.barrenriverhealth.org/mx/hm.asp?id=RestaurantScores
Kansas Department of Agriculture
Food Safety
109 SW Ninth Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612
785-296-3556
https://agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/food-safety-lodging
Kansas Restaurant Inspections
https://agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/food-safety-lodging/inspection-results
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Curtis State Office Building
1000 SW Jackson
Topeka, Kansas 66612
785-296-1500
www.kdheks.gov/epi/foodborne.htm
Sedgwick County (Wichita) Health Department
1900 E Ninth Street
Wichita, KS 67214
316-660-7300
www.sedgwickcounty.org/healthdept/
Report a Foodborne Illness
316-660-5555 (24 hr access)
Johnson County (Overland Park) Health Department
http://www.jocogov.org/health
Wyandotte County (Kansas City) Health Department
619 Ann Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
913-321-4803
www.wycokck.org/dept.aspx?id=488
Iowa Department of Public Health
Bureau of Environmental Health
321 E 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-7689
www.idph.state.ia.us/eh/food_safety.asp
Iowa Food System Council
www.iowafoodsystemscouncil.org
Center for Acute Disease Epidemiology (CADE)
www.idph.state.ia.us/Cade/Foodborne.aspx
Iowa State University Food Safety Project
www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/
Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals
Food and Consumer Safety Bureau
www.state.ia.us/government/dia/page3.html
Polk County (Des Moines) Health Department
1907 Carpenter Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50314
515-286-3798
ms.polkcountyiowa.gov/health/
Linn County (Cedar Rapids) Health Department
935 2nd Street SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319-892-5000
http://ia-linncounty.civicplus.com/603/Food-Safety
Scott County (Davenport) Health Department
Food Protection Program
600 W Fourth Street
Davenport, Iowa 52801
563-326-8618
www.scottcountyiowa.com/health/food.php
Indiana Department of Health
Food Protection
100 North Senate Avenue, N855
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-234-8569
www.in.gov/isdh/20640.htm
Indiana Food Protection (by County)
www.in.gov/isdh/23962.htm
Report a Complaint to the Health Department
www.in.gov/isdh/20887.htm
Indiana Food Defense Program
317-233-8476
www.in.gov/isdh/20994.htm
Marion County (Indianapolis area) Department of Food Safety
3838 N Rural Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205
317-221-2222
www.mchd.com/fdp.htm
Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health
200 E Berry Street, Suite 360
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
260-449-7561
http://www.allencountyhealth.com/get-informed/environmental-health-hazards/consumer-alerts/
Evansville & Vanderburgh County Department of Health
Food Safety Program
420 Mulberry Street
Evansville, Indiana 47713-1231
812- 435-2400
www.evansville.in.gov/Index.aspx?page=623
Illinois Department of Public Health
535 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62761
217-782-4977
www.idph.state.il.us
Report Foodborne Illness (Health Departments by County)
www.idph.state.il.us/local/alpha.htm
Illinois Department of Agriculture
Food Inspection
PO Box 19281, State Fairgrounds
Springfield, IL 62794-9281
217- 782-2172
www.agr.state.il.us/programs/consumer/foodinsp.html
Restaurant Inspections (Chicago)
webapps.cityofchicago.org/healthinspection.jsp
Report Foodborne Illness
Chicago: 312-747-3663 | @foodbornechi (Twitter)
Suburban Cook County: @foodsafecookco (Twitter)
Cook County Department of Public Health
Food Safety Resources
15900 S Cicero Avenue – Building E
Oak Forest, IL 60452
708-633-4000
http://cookcountypublichealth.org/services/food-safety
Kane County Health Department
Environmental Health
1240 N Highland Avenue
Aurora, IL 60506
Or
1750 Grandstand Place
Elgin, IL 60123
630-444-3040
kanehealth.com/food_safety.htm
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Food Protection Program
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720
208-334-6996
www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Health/FoodProtection/tabid/96/Default.aspx
Questions/To Request Informational CD
208-334-5938
Idaho Health Districts (Reporting Illness, Restaurant Inspections, and More)
www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Health/HealthDistricts/tabid/97/Default.aspx
Idaho Department of Agriculture
Food Safety Program
2270 Old Penitentiary Road
Boise, Idaho 83712
208-332-8500
www.agri.idaho.gov/Categories/InspectionsExams/FoodSafety/indexfoodSafetyHome.php
Boise Area Food Establishment Inspection Records
secure.cdhd.idaho.gov/cdhpublic/LicenseBrowser.aspx
Hawaii Department of Health
591 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-586-8012
health.hawaii.gov/food-drug/for-consumers/
http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/ag-resources/food-safety-on-farm/
Reporting Foodborne Illness (District Health Offices)
Oahu 808-586-4586
Maui 808-984-8213
Kauai 808-241-3563
Hilo 808-933-0912
Kona 808-322-4877
808-566-5049 (after hours)
800-360-2575 (toll free)
Hawaii Food Education
www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/NEW/index.html
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
hdoa.hawaii.gov/agricultural-resources/
Georgia Department of Health
Office of Environmental Health
2 Peachtree Street NW, 13 Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-657-6534
dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health
Environmental Health Inspections
dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health-inspections
Digital Health Department
http://www.garrisonenterprises.com/
Fulton County Health & Wellness (Atlanta)
141 Pryor Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-612-4000
fultoncountyga.gov/dhw-home
Restaurant Inspections
fultoncountyga.gov/dhw-restaurant-inspections
Richmond County Health Department (Augusta)
950 Laney-Walker Boulevard
Augusta, Georgia 30901
706-721-5900
www.ecphd.com/common/content.asp?PAGE=661
Columbus Department of Public Health
Office of Environmental Health
2100 Comer Avenue
Columbus, GA 31904
888-810-4316 toll free
www.columbushealth.com/chd/columbusHealth/index.cfm/community/environmental-health/
Emergency/After Hours
1-800-PUB-HLTH (782-4584)
Florida Department of Health
Food and Waterborne Disease Program
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #A08
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-245-4401
doh.state.fl.us/environment/medicine/foodsurveillance/FoodandWaterborneDiseaseProgramFinalIndexPage.html
On Facebook
www.facebook.com/FLDepartmentofHealth
Reporting a Problem with Food in Florida
doh.state.fl.us/environment/medicine/foodsurveillance/HowtoReportaProblemwithFoodinFlorida.htm
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Division of Food Safety
3125 Conner Boulevard, Suite D
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
850-245-5595
University of Florida Food Safety and Quality
fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/foodsafety/
Florida Restaurant Inspections (All Counties)
www.ledgerdata.com/restaurant-inspections/alachua/
Hillsborough County Department of Health (Tampa)
1105 E Kennedy Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33602
813-307-8000
www.hillscountyhealth.org/
Dade County Department of Health (Miami)
Miami-Dade Service Sites
http://miamidade.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/clinical-and-nutrition-services/service-sites.htm
Contact 24/7
305-324-2400
www.dadehealth.org
Duval County Department of Health (Jacksonville)
900 University Boulevard, N
Jacksonville, FL 32211
904-253-1000
www.dchd.net/our-programs/epidemiology
Delaware Department of Health
Office of Food Protection
417 Federal Street
Dover, DE 19901
302-744-4546
www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/hsp/ofp.html
Food Establishment Inspection Reports
dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/hsp/Default.aspx
Colorado Department of Public Health
Division of Environmental Health
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South B-2
Denver, Colorado 80246=
303-692-3645
www.cdphe.state.co.us/cp/
Colorado Department of Agriculture
Fruit and Vegetable Section
PO Box 407
Monte Vista, CO 81144
719-852-4749
Reporting Foodborne Illness by County
www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-Main/CBON/1251588365684
Colorado Inspection & Consumer Services
www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/ag_ICS/CBON/1251599400393
Food Safety (Statewide)
www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/ag_Main/CBON/1251634013356
Tri-County (Denver area) Health Department
6162 South Willow Drive, Suite 100
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
303-220-9200
http://www.tchd.org/246/Restaurants-Grocery
http://www.tchd.org/171/Infectious-Diseases
Denver Restaurant Health Inspection Reports
www.denvergov.org/eh/tabid/435231
Denver Foodborne Illness Investigations
www.denvergov.org/?TabId=391974
El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Food Safety
www.elpasocountyhealth.org/service/food-safety
California Department of Public Health
Food and Drug Branch
1500 Capitol Avenue, MS 7602
Sacramento, CA 95899
916- 650-6500
www.cdph.ca.gov/programs (Follow link to Food, Drug, and Radiation Safety)
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Inspection Services Division
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-900-5020
inspection_services@cdfa.ca.gov
Consumer Complaints (Statewide)
800-495-3232
Restaurant Inspections by County
www.ca.gov/OnlineServices/OS_Consumers_inspections.html
Los Angeles Area Food Illness Report
https://www.visualcmr.net/webvcmr/pages/public/pub_FBI_Report.aspx
Los Angeles Area Restaurant/Market Ratings
publichealth.lacounty.gov/rating/
San Diego Food Complaints
http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/deh/fhd/food/foodcomplaints.html
San Diego Foodborne Epidemiology
http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/deh/fhd/food/foodborneepidemiology.html
Santa Clara County Food Facility Inspections
sccinspections.org/onlineinsp/
San Francisco Restaurant Safety Scores
www.sfdph.org/dph/EH/Food/score/default.asp
San Francisco Food Safety
www.sfdph.org/dph/EH/Food/default.asp
Arizona Department of Health Services
www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/food-safety-environmental-services/index.php
Office of Food Safety and Environmental Health
150 N 18th Avenue, #140
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-364-3118
Maricopa County Department of Public Health
4041 N Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85012
602-506-6900
www.maricopa.gov/publichealth/
Maricopa County Food Safety Inspections
www.azcentral.com/HealthInspectionMaps
Pima County Health Department
webcms.pima.gov/government/health_department
Pima County Consumer Health & Food Safety Administration
webcms.pima.gov/health/food-safety/
Pima County Restaurant Ratings
www.pima.gov/restaurantratings/
State of Alaska Food Safety and Sanitation Program
555 Cordova Street, 5th Floor
Anchorage, AK 99501
907- 269-7501 / 877-233-3663 (87 Safe Food – toll free)
www.dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/index.htm
Food Safety & Sanitation by Location
www.dec.state.ak.us/eh/fss/Food/sanstaff.htm
Food Safety Inspections (Statewide)
www.dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/Food/food_inspections.htm
Making a Complaint (Food and Sanitation)
http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/Food/Complaints.html
Food Safety for Consumers
dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/consumers/consumers.html
Foodborne & Waterborne Disease Information
www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/id/dod/foodwater/default.htm
Anchorage Area Food Safety Inspections
hhs.muni.org/fss/
Alabama Department of Public Health
201 Monroe Street, Suite 1250
Montgomery, AL 36104
334-206-5300 / 800-ALA-1818
www.adph.org
Division of Food, Milk, and Lodging
www.adph.org/foodsafety/
Food Establishment Scores
www.adph.org/foodscores
County Health Departments in Alabama
www.adph.org/administration/Default.asp?id=505
Jefferson County Department of Health
1400 Sixth Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35233
205-933-9110
www.jcdh.org
Mobile County Health Department
251 North Bayou Street
Mobile, AL 36603
251-690-8158
www.mobilecountyhealth.org
Mobile County Department of Food & Lodging
251-690-8116