Beyond Data Management Podcast

Cameron Garrison

The definitive podcast for government data management and stories from the field - with a special focus on Environment Health professionals.

  1. DEC 16

    Season Finale: Rats, Sewage, Mouse Baked in Bread, Bribery Stings & Holiday Violations | Ep. 32

    Happy holidays EH Nation! 🎄 It’s our Season 1 finale and year-end holiday extravaganza. We launched this show and channel in April with a simple goal: spotlight the “hidden profession” of Environmental Health (EH) with real stories, teachable moments, and some truly unforgettable clips. Eight months later, we’ve crossed 1,000,000+ views across all platforms — and it's all due to each of you.  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support in season one! Today’s holiday year end wrap up highlights show features some of the most memorable moments of our first 32 episodes:  🎄Early-warning signals that predicted the Chipotle outbreak before it happened: Patrick Quade (DineSafe / iwaspoisoned.com) on brand risk signals years before headlines  🎄NEHA AEC (Phoenix) on tour + Evan Satel, actual Jeopardy champion  🎄Dr. David Dyjack (NEHA) calling the screw worm resurgence (then it arrives), plus his crawl-space wall of rats story 😳  🎄Chirag Bhatt (Houston) runs a bribery sting with HPD & the 6pm news  🎄Graham Mitchell (UK): a mouse baked into a sliced loaf… and the guy who wanted a crocodile in his bathtub  🎄Van Craesap (OH): a basement sewage flood… hiding over 600 tires  🎄Steve Mandernach (AFDO): why indecision in government creates chaos (and the 25-year petition problem)  🎄Bob Custard: EH as problem-solvers first (the church, the privy, and real community fixes)  🎄Viral viewer clip: a McDonald’s fry hopper turned bio-brick (yikes) Holiday fun: name the “violations” in the movie scene game (A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, Home Alone 2) Bonus: Behind-the-scenes at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s synchronized holiday light show 👉 Send your photos/videos or questions (EH pros & public welcome): beyond@hscloudsuite.com 👉 Shorts, reels & polls weekly — subscribe so you don’t miss 2026’s new formats, on-the-road episodes, and deep dives. 🎄You can get more information on the Speedway Lights, including get tickets at:  https://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/events/speedway-christmas/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23277708479&gbraid=0AAAAA-nPOtWjzjgLs4hUSN8sKSxGZ0fJN&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo4TKBhDRARIsAGW29be2bEmYqPXe_grgOQE4d1Rgr82mJQ4rKahith-1f-vCcYAUk14YFTIaAqCkEALw_wcB From all of us at the Beyond Data Management Show and HS GovTech we wish you and yours the best holiday season and a happy 2026 - we look forward to more exciting conversations every Tuesday right here in the new year! Chapters 00:00 Cold open & holiday set reveal 02:00 Why we launched + 1M+ views milestone 05:30 Clip: Patrick Quade — Chipotle early warnings & brand risk 09:40 Clip: NEHA AEC live + Jeopardy champ Evan Satel 12:40 Clip: Screw worms prediction → reality (Dr. David Dyjack) 17:20 Clip: Dyjack’s crawl-space rats moment 19:55 Clip: Cherag Bhatt HPD sting (cash, cuffs, 6pm news) 23:10 Clip: Mouse baked in bread (Graham Mitchell, UK) 26:05 Clip: Viewer video — bleach on food & when product is destroyed 29:00 Clip: Basement sewage flood + 600 tires (Van Christup) 32:30 Clip: Government indecision & food chemicals (Steve Mandernach) 36:15 Clip: Problem-solver not just a regulator (Bob Custard) 40:10 Clip: Viral fry hopper bio-brick at McD’s 42:40 Holiday movie safety violations game 47:30 Speedway Christmas lights preview & sign-off Have a story, mystery photo, or temp-event head-scratcher? 📩 beyond@hscloudsuite.com  — say if you want to come on to discuss your picture or to remain anonymous. Send us a text Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

    1h 41m
  2. Why Inspectors Pour Bleach on Food (and Other Wild EH Stories) | Idaho’s Bonnie Waldemarson - Ep 31

    DEC 9

    Why Inspectors Pour Bleach on Food (and Other Wild EH Stories) | Idaho’s Bonnie Waldemarson - Ep 31

    Happy Tuesday, EH Nation! Today we head to the Pacific Northwest with Bonnie Waldemarson (Senior Environmental Specialist, Idaho North Central District). We dig into rural, multi-program Environmental Health: food safety, onsite septic, drinking water, and what happens when a caterer “cans” centerpieces (hello, botulism risk). We also break down that viral clip of an inspector pouring bleach on food—when and why that happens. You’ll hear about: How Idaho’s district model covers 5+ counties with tiny teams Wednesday coliform result sprints & rapid operator outreach Canning at a catering gig (and the rules operators miss) Mobile food trucks culture shift in rural towns Working across state lines (WA/ID) and tribal jurisdiction (Nez Perce) Childcare licensing changes and what parents should ask “Education first” enforcement—and the rare times product gets destroyed Boat-access inspections in Hells Canyon (yes, seriously) 👀 Have photos or videos for us to analyze on-air? Email: beyond@hscloudsuite.com  — note if you’d like to come on to tell the story. ⏭ Next week: our Season 1 highlight reel (final episode of the year). Subscribe now and make sure to not miss it! Chapters below ⬇️ Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 Cold open & holiday setup 00:40 Guest intro: Bonnie Waltmarson (Idaho North Central District) 02:05 Idaho’s district structure & small-team reality 04:10 On-call drinking water: lab pickups, coliform timelines 07:05 Rural distances, courier vs. long drives to labs 09:10 Multi-program life: food, septic, land division, solid waste 11:30 The “rustic wedding” canning jars story (botulism talk) 16:05 Why inspectors sometimes bleach and discard food at events 19:25 Temporary events: temperature control & realistic volumes 22:00 Mobile food trucks: culture shift and compliance 24:45 Border & tribal jurisdiction: WA/ID & Nez Perce Nation 28:10 What the public should ask vendors & daycares 31:00 Childcare licensing changes & media/PIO lessons 34:20 Photo contests, using pics for training & reports 37:15 Septic mis-installs, when photos beat words 39:30 Field perks: boat-in inspections in Hells Canyon 41:20 Wrap + how to submit your pics/videos to the show Send us a text Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

    1h 6m
  3. Tattoo Shop Fails Every Single Health Code Standard

    DEC 2

    Tattoo Shop Fails Every Single Health Code Standard

    Fresh off the holiday break, we’re back with a field-level masterclass. Cameron sits down with Zach Barr (Registered Sanitarian, Toledo-Lucas County, OH) — a next-gen EH generalist who inspects pools, beaches, body art studios, housing, campgrounds, solid waste and more. Zach walks us through his NEHA photo contest shocker: a so-called “clean room” in a piercing studio with visible growth in the sink and the wrong autoclave for hollow instruments — and exactly how a clean room should look (hint: hospital-esque). What you’ll learn -Body art safety: pre-enzymatic cleaning vs. scrubbing, autoclave basics (why a drying cycle matters for hollow instruments), records, and consumer tips (how to find inspection reports or use FOIA). -Pools without the spin: automatic chemical controllers (clean probes → replace probes → calibrate), combined chlorine, and the correct UV → filtration → chlorination order of operations. -Ventilation or chemistry experiment? Why poor pump-room ventilation + acid + chlorine = corrosive salt “snow” and potential chlorine gas hazards. -Beaches & rain: how total coliform sampling, rainfall timing, and advisories actually work. -Restaurant reality check: we review a viewer’s fry-station photo (open drink, glove misuse, grease build-up, uncovered food) and discuss what inspectors look for. Chapters 00:00 Welcome back, EH Nation 02:00 Zach’s path: exercise science → QC micro → EH generalist 08:30 Pool literacy: salt vs. chlorine, UV, controllers & maintenance 17:10 Pump-room ventilation & “crystalized” equipment (don’t gas your building) 24:00 Beach monitoring, rainfall windows & advisories 28:40 NEHA photo winner: the not-so-clean “clean room” (what right looks like) 39:10 Autoclaves for hollow instruments & documentation that matters 46:00 How the public can check inspection reports (and FOIA if needed) 51:30 Viewer photo: line-cook red flags & quick fixes 58:00 Takeaways + how to submit your photos Guest Zach Barr — Registered Sanitarian, Toledo-Lucas County (OH) Got a wild field photo or question? 📬 beyond@hscloudsuite.com — tell us if you want to come on and explain the story behind it. Programming note We’re sprinting to the end of the season, then quick holiday break. Back on Tuesdays! Hashtags #EnvironmentalHealth #BodyArtSafety #Autoclave #PoolInspection #Chlorine #UVDisinfection #BeachWater #FOIA #FoodSafety #EHNation #HSGovTech Send us a text Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

    58 min

  4. NOV 25

    Beyond Inspections: Bob Custard’s Playbook for Environmental Health Impact - Ep.29

    If “death by PowerPoint” training isn’t changing behavior, you’ll love this one. Cameron sits down with Bob Custard (past NEHA President; Environmental Health Leadership Partners) — a globe-trotting EH trainer who’s worked on everything from MLB clubhouse food safety to global water & sanitation projects, and even won NEHA’s photo contest with a shot of a 1st-century AD public toilet in Ephesus (hello, ancient graywater reuse!). We cover: Why hands-on, scenario-based training beats lecturing — and the “Andy Griffith vs. Barney Fife” approach to compliance Building local Food Safety Advisory Councils that actually help (industry + schools + hospitals + consumers) Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC) in the wild (farmers markets & rib promos) and how to make it work responsibly The MLB clubhouse story: virtual inspections, performance nutrition, and preventing team-wide outbreaks Karst groundwater reality: mapping private well contamination with free lab & rainfall data (what spikes 2–3 days after heavy rain) Low-cost global wins: biosand filters, color-coded buckets, and teaching WASH where it matters most The Ephesus latrine: marble seats, running water, vinegar sponges… and what today’s EH can learn from it Bigger vision, bigger impact: moving beyond “permits & inspections” to problem-solving and partnership Chapters (add timestamps after upload) 00:00 Cold open & intro 02:00 Bob’s path: geology → restaurants → EH → trainer/consultant 09:30 MLB clubhouse food safety & virtual walk-throughs 15:30 Training that sticks: hands-on, risk-factor focus, people skills 21:30 Advisory councils that actually collaborate (not another meeting) 27:30 Global work: low-tech WASH solutions that save lives 34:00 NEHA photo winner: the Ephesus public toilet & graywater reuse 40:00 Private wells & karst: using free data to map contamination 48:00 Viewer Q: ribs at room temp, TPHC the right way 56:00 Wild stories (colon hydrotherapy next to smoothies?!) 1:03:00 Takeaways, links & how to reach Bob Guest Bob Custard — Environmental Health Leadership Partners • Past President, NEHA • AFDO instructor • Global Environmental Health Partnership founder Contact: [Insert Bob’s preferred email/URL here] Callouts & Links (add final URLs) NEHA Environmental Health Leadership Academy AFDO Retail Program Standards resources TPHC guidance (holding, logs, discard times) Private well testing & rainfall timing one-pager Photos from the Field: submit your inspection pics for a future episode → [submission link] Housekeeping Keep Summer Stevens’ father, Bobby, and family in your thoughts. 💙 Thanksgiving break next week — back in two Tuesdays! Subscribe & share If you care about environmental health, food safety, retail standards, WASH, or just great stories with practical lessons, hit Subscribe and drop your biggest training win (or fail) in the comments. Hashtags #EnvironmentalHealth #FoodSafety #NEHA #AFDO #RetailProgramStandards #TPHC #PublicHealth #PrivateWells #Karst #WASH #EHNation #HSGovTech Send us a text Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

    1h 33m
  5. Blocked Hand Sink, Big Lessons — NEHA Photo Winner Talks Food Safety

    NOV 18

    Blocked Hand Sink, Big Lessons — NEHA Photo Winner Talks Food Safety

    A handwashing sink…used as a shelf?!  In this episode of Beyond Data Management - powered by HS GovTech, Cameron Garrison sits down with Marlene Johnson (City of Burlington, MA) - a NEHA Photo Contest winner and 20+ year Environmental Health pro. They unpack the viral photo, why handwashing still breaks systems, how Boston’s training pipeline launched her career, the unique “351 boards of health” reality in Massachusetts, and practical wins around CFPMs, food trucks, complaints, and consistent FDA Food Code adoption. What you’ll learn: -The photo: a blocked hand sink and the cascade of violations it revealed -Teacher not a cop: inspection philosophy that actually changes behavior -Massachusetts’ local Boards of Health model—benefits and headaches -CFPM coverage expectations, fines, and fair-but-firm enforcement -Mobile food pitfalls: hand sinks, hot water, hot/cold holding in motion -Complaint triage, FBDO follow-up (why 72-hour histories matter) -Training that sticks: 5 risk factors, multilingual materials, photo-based drills -Consistency gaps across jurisdictions & why operators get whiplash Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:05 Marlene’s path: restaurant manager → inspector 06:30 “Teacher not cop” & North End lessons 11:35 Programs beyond restaurants: pools, body art, animals 15:10 MA structure: 351 local boards & local regs 19:00 CFPM coverage, fines & compliance 24:45 Code enforcement cadence & frequent flyers 29:10 Foodborne illness complaints: last-meal bias & callbacks 33:00 Food trucks: sinks, temps, hot water reality 37:10 Training that works: the 5 risk factors 41:15 The hand sink as shelf photo - what went wrong & fixes 47:50 More field stories (Crown Royal tea bag, missing sinks) 53:40 Consistency & the Food Code adoption lag 58:10 Optimism vs. worries for EH’s future 1:02:00 Wrap & call for “Photos from the Field” Please Remember to Like and Subscribe: Subscribe for weekly EH stories + practical tech & training wins. Drop your wildest “What’s wrong with this picture?” in the comments - and send us photos for the upcoming Photos from the Field episode. -- Cameron Garrison | Executive Director of Growth and Operations Check out The Beyond Data Management Podcast Office:  704-317-2403 Mobile:  980-309-1749 Cameron@hscloudsuite.com hsgovtech.com Beyond Data Management Send us a text Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

    43 min
  6. Zombie Apocalypses & Green Funerals: Life as an EH Pro in the UK - Graeme Mitchell - Ep 27

    NOV 4

    Zombie Apocalypses & Green Funerals: Life as an EH Pro in the UK - Graeme Mitchell - Ep 27

    🌍 Ever wonder in what ways food safety rules differ wildly between the UK and US? In this eye-opening episode of Beyond Data Management, host Cameron Garrison sits down with Graeme Mitchell, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Health at Liverpool John Moores University, for a transatlantic deep dive. What You’ll Learn: Why the US is “50 little countries” when it comes to food codes (and why the UK isn’t)  The UK’s “Primary Authority” secret to consistent inspections nationwide Covid lessons: trust, hypocrisy, and the Boris Johnson party scandal From cholera pumps to mouse-in-bread nightmares: Graham’s wildest field stories Green funerals, AI in inspections, housing inequality, and the future of EH 🎙️ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro & UK vs US Food Law Chaos 5:12 Covid, Brexit & Political Trust 12:40 Graham’s Accidental EH Career 18:22 The Invisible Profession & Zombie Apocalypses 25:10 Mouse in Sliced Bread (Yes, Really) 32:15 AI: Friend or Job-Killer for Inspectors? 40:00 Green Burials & Death Avoidance 48:30 Housing, Life Expectancy & Einstein’s Definition of “Environment” 👉 Watch Next: “AI in Food Safety Inspections: The Future Is Here” “Green Funerals: Eco-Friendly or Regulatory Nightmare?” 💬 Comment Below: Would you rather enforce in the UK’s uniform system or the US’s wild west? 📌 Connect with Graham: Liverpool John Moores University | Search “Graham Mitchell Environmental Health” 📺 Subscribe for weekly EH deep dives every Tuesday! Powered by HS GovTech  www.hsgovttech.com  #EnvironmentalHealth #FoodSafety #PublicHealth #UKvsUSA #Podcast Send us a text Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

    1h 25m
  7. 👻"I came face to face with porcelain doll in a wheelchair" | Haunted Health Inspections - Ep. 26

    OCT 31

    👻"I came face to face with porcelain doll in a wheelchair" | Haunted Health Inspections - Ep. 26

    Happy Halloween! 🎃 In this spooky bonus episode of the Beyond Data Management Podcast (powered by HS GovTech), host Cameron Garrison and producer Christina Miller bring you real-life ghost stories straight from the Reddit health-inspector community — plus a very special guest: Vinny the Skeleton 🦴 (complete with a hot date named Audrey). Originally pitched in August by Tina (who knew inspectors had creepy tales), we asked the 6,000+ members of the r/EnvironmentalHealth subreddit: “Tell us your haunted restaurant or facility ghost stories!” You delivered — and we’re reading the best ones on air. 👻 Featured Chills: 🎃 A 1700s catering kitchen where a shadowy figure in black vanished into a storage room… 🎃 A bar basement with 3 confirmed deaths, a porcelain doll in a wheelchair that turned to face the inspector… 🎃 Utensils flying, cutting boards moving, and Ghost Hunters filming — with zero evidence… until the inspectors saw it themselves. 🎙️ On Set Today: 🦴 Cameron Garrison (Host) 🦴 Christina Miller (Producer & Halloween Mastermind) 🦴 Vinny the Skeleton - (Guest Co-Host, arthritis and all) 🦴 David Styles (Control Room Wizard behind the spooky graphics) From creaky wooden hatches leading to spider-infested basements to hidden daycare rooms behind fake walls, health inspectors see it all — including things that shouldn’t be there. “I saw the doll facing me… when I came back around the circle, it was facing me again.” 😱 🎃 Bonus Fun: Vinny gets a girlfriend (Audrey the carnivorous plant) Puns, full-size candy bars, and THC jello-shot neighbors Teaser: Next Tuesday — Graham Mitchell (EH thought leader and frequent BBC contributor) shares his story and brings some great pictures including a mouse baked into a loaf of bread 🐭🍞 Please remember to help us out and like, comment your own ghost story, and subscribe for weekly episodes every Tuesday!  Tag a health inspector who’s seen something spooky. 👇 #HealthInspector #GhostStories #HauntedRestaurant #HalloweenPodcast #EnvironmentalHealth #PublicHealthHeroes #BeyondDataManagement Send us a text Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

    24 min
  8. From Bribery Stings to Freezer Lock-Ins: Wild True Tales from 40 Years in Environmental Health Ep25

    OCT 14

    From Bribery Stings to Freezer Lock-Ins: Wild True Tales from 40 Years in Environmental Health Ep25

    Join host Cameron Garrison for a riveting return visit with HS GovTech's Chirag Bhatt, former Bureau Chief of the City of Houston's Environmental Health Department.  In this storytelling-packed episode of the Beyond Data Management Podcast we take an unfiltered dive into the chaotic underbelly of public health regulation, Chirag shares jaw-dropping anecdotes from his 40+ years on the front lines, including: Bribery gone wrong: From low-key "free dinners for the family" offers to a full-blown sting operation where Chirag channeled his inner Chris Hansen, wiring up with Houston PD to bust a shady operator—flipping the script on a scandalous news cycle. Internal drama: The overtime fraud saga that sparked a rogue employee group called "Concerned Sanitarians for Change," complete with media smears, OIG investigations, and accusations of favoritism (cricket games included?). Extreme encounters: An inspector literally locked in a walk-in freezer by a belligerent seafood wholesaler—and why firing "bad apples" in government is a bureaucratic nightmare. High-stakes VIP duty: Chirag's surreal gig as the food safety "Secret Service agent" for a VP George H.W. Bush luncheon with India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, complete with sealed trays, canine sweeps, and non-stop monitoring. Timeless wisdom: Gaps in EH education (no classes on media or conflict?), the power of data-driven inspections via HSCloud Suite, AI's game-changing role in smarter regulation, budget battles vs. fire departments, and building media alliances for transparency. Whether you're an EH pro, policymaker, or just love true-crime vibes in public service, this episode uncovers why EH is equal parts science, drama, and detective work. Laugh, cringe, and learn how to navigate the madness. Watch/listen now and subscribe for more stories from the field!  Reach Chirag at: chirag.bhatt@hscloudsuite.com  or email us at: beyond@hscloudsuite.com with your thoughts. #EnvironmentalHealth #FoodSafety #PublicHealth #Podcast #HSGovTech #HSCloudSuite Send us a text Please remember to like and subscribe - and reach out to us with your stories and show ideas Beyond@hscloudsuite.com

    48 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The definitive podcast for government data management and stories from the field - with a special focus on Environment Health professionals.

Information

  • Creator
    Cameron Garrison
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Beyond Data Management Podcast
  • Show Website
    Beyond Data Management Podcast