Using the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System to Enhance Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigations in New York City Restaurants.

New York City (NYC) is home to over 24,000 restaurants, with each receiving a routine inspection of food safety practices by the NYC Depart­ ment of Health and Mental Hygiene at least once yearly. The department also investigates about 100 suspected restaurant-related foodborne illness outbreaks each year, and about 20–30 of these are confirmed and reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven­ tion’s (CDC) National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS). Within the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Office of Environmen­ tal Investigations is responsible for receiv­ ing, verifying, and investigating public com­ plaints of foodborne illness linked to NYC restaurants. Complainants are interviewed Bailey Matis, MPH Wendy McKelvey, PhD Dan O’Halloran, MPH Faina Stavinsky, MS Melissa Wong, MPH