NACCHO held a webinar on Oct. 8, 2019 focused on the process for updating the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC). Every three years, everyone across the country and around the world has an opportunity to participate in the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) process to update the MAHC by submitting recommendations for improvements. The official solicitation for the 2020 Change Request (CR) to update the MAHC 3rd Edition was launched in September 2019.
During the webinar, participants learned more about this process, including how to prepare and submit a CR, the role of the Technical Review and Technical Support Committees, the 2020 Vote on the Code Conference, voting on CRs, and opportunities to get involved.
Speaker Information
Doug Sackett is the Technical Director for the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) serving as the subject-matter expert on all aspects of the MAHC. He drives the CMAHC’s research agenda and committee work, provides interpretations of the MAHC code language for public health experts and members of the aquatic industry, and vets and approves product certification under the CMAHC Certification program. Doug built a strong record of aquatics leadership working for the New York State Department of Health for 38 years and retired as Assistant Director, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection in April 2013. Doug worked in the swimming pool and bathing beach programs in addition to numerous other environmental health regulatory programs, throughout his 38 years with the New York State Department of Health. Beginning in 1987, he was involved in the management of the statewide swimming pool and bathing beach regulatory program including the coordination of investigations of illnesses associated with recreational water and drowning at regulated swimming pools and beaches throughout the State and for the analysis of the data from the these epidemiological investigations. Doug was the Director and Steering Committee member for CDC’s project to develop the national Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) from its inception in 2007 until the MAHC 1st Edition, launched in August 2014. Doug was instrumental in setting up the CMAHC as the Vice President and Treasurer of the Interim CMAHC Board of Directors. He currently resides in New York State.
Instructions to Submit a Change Request
Anyone can submit a CR to the CMAHC to be considered for inclusion in the next edition of the MAHC. You do not have to be a member of the CMAHC to submit a CR. Just follow these steps:
- First, check the MAHC Scope, Principles and Style Guidancereference to ensure you are within the MAHC’s scope and are not requesting to change standard aspects of the MAHC that CDC has determined are necessary for long-term consistency.
- If you are a CMAHC member, make sure you’ve signed in on the website.
- Once you have the content of your change request ready, visit the Enter Change Request page on the CMAHC website at https://cmahc.org/enter-change-request.php.
- Click on the “Enter Change Request” button.
- The Change Request form will pop Read over the guidance on submitting CRs to the CMAHC before entering your content.
- If you are a CMAHC member and have signed in, the submitter information at the top of the form will be pre-populated with your information.
- Note that a text editor will appear that allows you to underline and strikethrough. Use underline on the text you are recommending adding to the MAHC and strikethrough for the text you are recommending deleting.
- Be sure to fill out all of the fields in the form. You must click “Save a Draft Copy” to save the working copy of your change request. If you click “Close” without saving first, the form will close and your information will not be saved.
- You must click “Submit” when you are finished entering your CR. Please note thata CR is not available for consideration until you press “Submit” once you are finished.
- You have the option to attach supporting documents and insert images.
- Once you have completed the form and submitted it to the CMAHC, CMAHC staff will review it for completeness and scope. They will contact you with questions if necessary.
- CMAHC staff will approve posting once any issues are addressed.
- Posted CRs will be available for viewing on CMAHC website https://cmahc.org/view-changerequests.php.
All change requests and supporting materials must be received by midnight EST January 6, 2020.
