I want to make you aware of a situation that developed yesterday with our food service provider, Sodexo.
A temporary Sodexo employee reported to Sodexo supervisors on Wednesday about a positive test for Hepatitis A. Per policy, the employee immediately left campus and is no longer working at A-State. I became aware of the situation late Wednesday afternoon. During the afternoon and evening, my leadership team and I conferred with Sodexo to review its food handling procedures. I was reassured by Sodexo that all appropriate food-safety procedures were in place to limit exposure, and to remove any potential future exposure. These procedures include continuous wearing of gloves, the appropriate hand-washing technique, and regular sanitization of the food-preparation area by the Sodexo employees as a part of their regular procedures.
In coordination with the state and county Health Department, we will be following established protocol by providing a time and on-campus location for a vaccination clinic for our students, faculty and staff. After the Health Department releases its information later today, we will communicate directly with you about our specific plans for dealing with this situation. I have been reassured that following these procedures will significantly reduce the risk of illness related to this incident. There are no other reported cases on campus at this time.
I want to assure you that it is safe to eat in the Acansa Dining Hall. I ate breakfast there this morning, and I will be eating lunch there today.
