Serving Businesses

To help support businesses in Northern Michigan, we provide many different services. Choose a category below to find programs to meet your needs. Not finding what you're looking for, or could use some guidance? Our Central Intake operators are happy to help: 1-800-432-4121.

Food

The Food Safety Program provides a number of services to ensure the proper handling and distribution of food served to the general public. This includes:

  • Conducting inspections of restaurants, festival food booths, and mobile food vehicles
  • Conducting investigations of food-borne illness complaints and outbreaks
  • Providing Food Safety Education
  • Conducting plan review for new facilities or the remodeling of an existing establishment

If you are a current food operator or need more information, our food inspectors can be very helpful in guiding you through the process.

Rhiannon Pomerville, CP-FS
Antrim Office : 231-533-1004
r.pomerville@nwhealth.org

Jennifer Wiegand, BS
Charlevoix Office: 231-308-7801
j.wiegand@nwhealth.org

Michele Mapes, CP-FS
Emmet Office: 2313474694
m.delves@nwhealth.org

Linda Smith
Emmet Office: 231-347-4102
l.smith@nwhealth.org

Holly Brindley
Otsego Office: 989-732-6867
h.brindley@nwhealth.org

Food Establishment Inspection Reports

Food Service License Application 2023/2024
Plan Review Packet
SOP Packet
STFU Intent to Operate form

These licenses are issued to events where a temporary food operation is established to prepare and serve food to the public for a limited time. The operation must adhere to all food safety principals and inspections are required to assure safety of the public and issuance of a temporary license for a specific location and length of operation. Applications for a temporary food license must be made 5 business days prior to the event, or a late fee will be assessed.

Temporary Application Form

Water

The safe operation and maintenance of public swimming pools and spas are regulated and licensed by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Annual inspections are conducted by the health department to assure these facilities are safe for the public and are meeting state requirements for proper operation.

For more information, visit Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) website.

The Health Department's Beach Monitoring Program evaluates and reports on the water quality at approximately 50 Great Lakes and Inland Lakes beaches annually, throughout Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego Counties.

Learn More

A Noncommunity Water Supply (otherwise known as a "Type II"), consists of a water system that provides water for drinking or household purposes to 25 or more persons at least 60 days per year or has 15 or more service connections. A few examples are schools, restaurants, churches, campgrounds, industries and highway rest stops with their own water supply.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of man-made chemicals that include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). PFAS have been used globally during the past century in manufacturing, firefighting and thousands of common household and other consumer products. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and in the human body - meaning they don't break down and they can accumulate over time. In recent years, experts have become increasingly concerned by the potential effects of high concentrations of PFAS on human health.

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Air

Indoor air quality can have a significant effect on your health. Studies show that people spend 65 to 90 percent of their time indoors, and indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. The young, elderly, chronically ill, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular disease are often the most impacted by poor indoor air quality.

Mold
A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home
Molds in Your Home
Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments
Testing for Mold
Mercury
Cleaning Up Small Mercury Spills
CDC ATSDR ToxFAQ™ - Mercury
Lead
Lead Poisoning: Is Your Home Safe?
11 Steps to Protect Your Child from Lead Poisoning
Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home (EPA)
CDC ATSDR ToxFAQ™ - Lead

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil. rock, and water. It is formed by natural breakdown of radium, which is a radioactive product of decaying uranium.

As radon decays into radioactive particles and is inhaled into the lungs, energy is released that can damage sensitive lung tissue and lead to lung cancer. The small bursts of energy released from particles trapped in the lungs are like being exposed to hundreds of chest x-rays every year.

The longer your exposure or the higher the level of radon in your home, the greater the risk.

Learn More

Other

Body art is becoming increasingly popular and the implementation of statewide requirements for body art facilities aims at decreasing the risk of transmission of bloodborne diseases such as hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Licenses are issued by MDHHS after a satisfactory inspection by local health department environmental health staff.

Information about Michigan's Body Art regulations, lists of approved facilities, licensing process or how to file a complaint may be found at Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) website..

Michigan's Public Health Code and the administrative rules establish the requirements for building and operating a campground. A license from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is required to operate a campground in the State of Michigan, which requires annual inspection by the local health department. The health department conducts campground inspections for permanent campground facilities and issues temporary campground licenses, operating less than two weeks.

For information relating to the state campground program, visit Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) website.

HDNW sanitarians conduct environmental health Inspections for a variety of care facilities including; foster homes, family and group day care homes, child care centers and children's camps. Inspections are part of an overall licensing process administered by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS). Requests for inspections can be made through our branch offices or by referral from LARA, depending on facility inspection required.

Employee Health

Our Worksite Wellness staff provide support to local businesses who are looking for ways to encourage their employees to make healthy food, physical activity and stress reduction choices. When grant-funding is available we are able to provide a stipend toward implementing changes that support health in the workplace. These changes could include designating a mother's lactation space, exercise equipment, refrigerators for a break room, educational materials and more. We also connect businesses with other community partners to provide lunch and learns, ergonomic evaluations and other wellness activities. A great resource to get started includes taking the wellness assessment at https://www.mihealthtools.org/work/.