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Breach of Trust: World Trade Center
http://www.riskandinsurance.com/story.jsp?storyId=27076323
April 17, 2008
Peter Rousmaniere and Steve Yahn two columnists for Risk and Insurance an online magazine, have written a series of articles about how September 11 forever altered the workers' comp landscape and eroded the trust implicit between employer and employee. The editors of Risk and Insurance note that the "tragedy has underscored that the 20th century worker safety net is not designed for the catastrophic risks of the 21st century. Catastrophic risk no longer signifies immediate injuries or rapid death suffered within a small geographic perimeter, but rather a disease emerging over large organizational terrain."

Addressing the Health Impacts of 9/11: Report and Recommendations to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
In September 2006 Mayor Bloomberg convened a panel to examine the health impacts of 9/11 known to date and to develop recommendations to ensure (i) that WTC health resources are sufficient to ensure that everyone whose health was or may be affected by the WTC attacks and their aftermath gets the first-rate care they deserve; and (ii) that City policies regarding WTC-related health issues are coordinated, comprehensive, and responsive to current and emerging health care needs.
Report and Recommendations

American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition Focuses on Lessons Learned From WTC Rescue and Recovery
http://www.occupationalhazards.com/News/Article/80720/AIHce_Occupational_Health_Impact_of_the_World_Trade_Center_Disaster_Lessons_Learned.aspx
June 9, 2008
June 4 conference in Minneapolis focuses on the impact industrial hygienists and environmental health and safety professionals can make to prevent or minimize the health effects suffered by first responders during disasters or terrorist attacks.

Health Effects in the Aftermath of the World Trade Center Attack
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) report on the health effects that have been observed in the aftermath of the WTC attack and the efforts that are in place to monitor and understand these effects.
Health Effects of the WTC Attacks

September 11th Worker Protection Task Force Issues Report
June 19, 2009
The September 11th Worker Protection Task Force (“Task Force”) was created by the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force Act, which was enacted as part of the World Trade Center disability law. The World Trade Center disability law amended the New York State Retirement and Social Security Law and the New York City Administrative Code to provide that any public employee who suffered an injury or illness directly related to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, be presumptively eligible for an accidental disability. The 9/11 Worker Protection Task Force has issued its 2009 annual report. Click on link to read the report.
9/11 Worker Protection Task Force Report

Stanford Psychiatrist Shares Thoughts on Emotional Impact of 9/11
http://www.dentalplans.com/articles/Stanford%20Psychiatrist%20on/
May 6, 2008
David Spiegel, MD a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine discusses the impacts the 9/11 attacks had and continue to have on people's mental health.

Statement by John O. Agwunobi, M.D., .P.H., .B.A., Assistant Secretary for Health on 9/11 Health effects and HHS’s Monitoring and Treatment of Responders
http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/2007/02/t20070228a.html
Testimony given before Committee on Oversight and Government Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement United States House of Representatives February 28, 2007.

The Legacy of World Trade Center Dust
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/356/22/2233
A study reported on by the New England Journal of Medicine on what can and cannot be known with certainty about the toxic dust dust released when the wtc towers collapsed.

The World Trade Center Disaster and the Health of Workers: Five Year Assessment of a Unique Medical Screening Program
This is a report released in September 2006 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences on findings by the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program at Mount Sinai Hospital. It cites the need for long-term medical monitoring to track persistence of medical abnormalities including possible malignancies.
The WTC Five Year Health Assessment

U.S. Senate Committee Examines Response to WTC Environmental Risks
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=2acd0554-802a-23ad-4488-6423daa414dc
On June 19, 2007 Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health, convened hearings to examine the federal response to 9/11, including risk communication and EPA programs to test and clean indoor spaces in lower Manhattan. The hearing also examined lessons learned from 9-11 and federal readiness to respond to releases of hazardous substances in future emergencies. Among those testifying were officials from: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO); the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); the Agency for Toxic Substances (ATS); and the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH). To read the individual testimony of the participants click on the above link.

Worker Protection Task Force Makes Recommendations on 9/11 Disabilities
http://www.labor.state.ny.us/pressreleases/PDFs/911_WPTF_Interim_Report_March_4_2008.pdf#page=1
March 5, 2008
State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith announced today that the 9/11 Worker Protection Task Force has issued an Interim Report outlining their recommendations for evaluating disabilities related to the attack on the World Trade Center (WTC). The recommendations follow a year of testimony and evaluation of evidence relating to the terrorist attack and its aftermath. The 9/11 Worker Protection Task Force was created to assure that public employees who participated in rescue, recovery and cleanup operations and sustained injuries or illnesses directly related to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center would be eligible for accidental disability benefits if their injuries or illnesses prevented the safe performance of their essential job duties. To read the report, click on the link.

FDNY World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/insider/bhs/wtcmm/faq.shtml
The mission of the FDNY World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program (FDNY-WTC-MMTP) is to evaluate and treat individual FDNY members, both active and retired, who were involved in recovery work at the WTC sites. The FDNY-WTC-MMTP develops plans for current and future monitoring and treatment needs by analyzing patterns of illness. This information is then used to answer central questions about the health effects of WTC exposures. Monitoring and treatment are an outgrowth and expansion of what the FDNY Bureau of Health Services (BHS) does everyday, helping you to improve your health and wellness through annual medical evaluations, injury/illness evaluations, and treatment. Information about who is eligible and how to apply for services can be found at the website listed above.

Clinics Participating in Medical Screening Exams for WTC Related Illnesses
http://www.aoec.org/directory.htm
More than 800 people from 39 states and and two Canadian provinces underwent medical screening for Ground Zero-related symptoms at clinics affiliated with the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. The clinics, under a contract first with Mount Sinai and now with the American Red Cross, may pick up exam and treatment costs for certain illnesses if the patients meet a criteria set up by the World Trade Center Medical Screening Program. To view a national list of these clinics, click on the link above or contact the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics at 888-347-2632 or the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program at 888-702-0630.

New York City 9/11 Health Website
http://www.nyc.gov/9-11healthinfo
The latest information about 9/11 health and services
New York City has launched a comprehensive new website that offers the latest information about 9/11 health and services. The “one-stop shopping” website makes it much easier for New Yorkers who were exposed to the collapse of the World Trade Center find the free medical treatment and resources they need to get better. Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH speaks about what we know about 9/11 physical and mental health problems. The website also includes easily accessible health research findings about the different groups of people who were affected by the disaster: rescue and recovery workers, residents, children, city employees and others.

NYC Announces New 9/11 Mental Health Benefit
http://nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/downloads/pdf/mhb/9-11MentalHealthBenefitFactsheet.pdf
April 22, 2008
A new benefit program is being offered for people still struggling with the effects of the World Trade Center attack, the New York City Health Department said Monday. The program will reimburse out-of-pocket costs for mental health or substance-use treatment through a claims process similar to any insurance benefit
Click here to read the program fact sheet in Spanish
Click here to read the program fact sheet in Chinese
Click here to read the program fact sheet in Polish
Click here to read the program fact sheet

NYS Department of Health WTC Illness Fatality Registry
http://nydisnet.nydis.org/2007/download/050907_SEND_WTC_Fatality_Reporting_Flyer.pdf
The NYS Department of Health is collecting information to better understand possible deaths due to illnesses caused by the WTC disaster. If you know someone who worked in the rescue and recovery effort and later became ill and died (even if you are unsure about the circumstances surrounding the death) you are urged to contact the NYS DOH. To download information click on the link above.

Staten Island Hospital Partners With Mount Sinai Medical Center in Offering Treatment to 9/11 Responders
http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1229432419241540.xml&coll=1
December 17, 2008
Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island has entered a joint venture with the Mount Sinai WTC treatment program to provide more accessible services for rescue and recovery workers who are ill. Click on link to learn more.

WTC Environmental Health Center
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hhc/downloads/pdf/wtc-health-center-en.pdf
March 6, 2003
The World Trade Center Environmental Health Center is a Center of Excellence to treat people who have health problems as a result of 9/11. The Center has locations at Bellevue Hospital on the East Side of Manhattan, Gouverneur Healthcare Services in Lower Manhattan and Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. The Center works in partnership with community organizations and residents affected by 9/11. You can get treatment even if you cannot pay or don’t have health insurance. For more information call 1-877-WTC-0107 or visit the link above.

California Congressman Introduces Legislation to Provide 9/11 Health and Compensation Benefits
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1204&Itemid=1
April 15, 2008
Congressman Robert Filner is cosponsoring HR 3543, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. If enacted the legislation would provide medical monitoring for everyone who was exposed to toxins released by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, treatment for anyone who is sick as a result, and compensation for economic losses by reopening the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Under this bill, proper care would be guaranteed to the thousands of people who came from across the country to respond to the 9/11 attacks.

Deadline Extended for World Trade Center Responders and Volunteers to Register for Workers' Compensation Benefits
http://www.wcb.state.ny.us/content/main/forms/wtc-12.pdf
WTC responders now have until August 2008 to file the paperwork needed to claim workers' compensation benefits if they become ill in the future
The law (S.4067/A.4940), which went into effect July 3, 2007, allows people who worked or volunteered at the World Trade Center to register with the Workers' Compensation Board and reserve the right to claim benefits if they become ill at a later date. It amends workers' compensation law §162 by giving those who participated in the rescue, recovery and clean-up until Aug. 14, 2008, to file a WTC-12 form. Click on the link to download the claim form and instructions.

Doctors say more funding needed to treat 9/11 responders
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-liwtc155802043aug15,0,3260859.story
August 19, 2008
A bill pending in Congress to continue funding for these centers is named for James Zadroga, a New York City police detective who was at Ground Zero. Rep. Tim Bishop is co-author of a new bill that would permanently fund the Long Island World Trade Center Monitoring and Treatment Program at Stony Brook University Medical Center and its counterparts such as Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. "What that bill does is take the funding for monitoring and treatment out of the annual appropriations process and make it part of mandatory funding," he said yesterday. "A way to look at it is Medicare for people who were exposed to toxins as a result of the World Trade Center attacks, so it's an entitlement."

Florida Hospital Checks Up On Sept. 11 Responders
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/11/na-local-hospital-checks-up-on-sept-11-responders/news-breaking/
March 11, 2009
A federally-funded program, administered by Logistics Health Inc.,monitors and treats 9/11 responders who live outside the New York City and New Jersey metropolitan area.

Health Problems Linger for 9/11 Workers
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/16631550.htm
More than 800 people from 39 states, including Minnesota, and two Canadian provinces underwent medical screening for Ground Zero-related symptoms at clinics affiliated with the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics.

Mayor Bloomberg Accepts Panel Recommendations to Expand Response to Health Impacts of Attack on the World Trade Center
http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2007a%2Fpr050-07.html&cc=unused1978&rc=1194&ndi=1
February 13, 2007
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today accepted a comprehensive set of recommendations that will seek to ensure a sustained, high-quality public health response for individuals experiencing 9/11-related health conditions. Click on the link to read the full press release.
9-11 Health Impacts Full Report

NYPD Reports Large Increase in Respiratory Ailments Since 9/11 Reponse
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04162007/news/regionalnews/9_11_is_still_taking_cops_breath_away_regionalnews_carl_campanile.htm
The number of police responders who suffered from respiratory illnesses more than doubled a year and half after initial post-9/11 medical checkups. To read the aticle click on the link.

President Urged to Reappoint Coordinator For Federal 9/11 Health Programs
March 12, 2009
New York state and local labor leaders stood with Congressional representatives last week in calling for President Obama to return Dr. John Howard to his post as coordinator of the federal 9/11 health programs that treat and monitor victims of the World Trade Center disaster in 2001. Click below to read more.
President urged to reappoint Dr. John Howard

President's 2010 Budget Adds $70 Million for 9/11 Health Care
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/html/news/05082009a.shtml
May 8, 2009
President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2010 includes more than $70 million in new funding for the medical screening and treatment of people affected by 9/11. Click on link to learn more.

Proposed Legislation Would Assist NYPD and Other 9/11 Responders
http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/12444633033980.xml&coll=1
June 19, 2009
Legislation in Congress and City Council would help first responders by increasing medical coverage. Click on link to read article.

The New York Press Photographers Association is Conducting Survey to Determine Health Issues of Journalists Who Covered WTC Attacks
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Cmwse_2bA9MO5Ix4FOqYsCXg_3d_3d
November 24, 2008
The New York Press Photographers Association has launched a very important survey that will determine the level of exposure that journalists incurred while covering the attack at the World Trade Center and define the level of illnesses that jounalists face as a result of that exposure. If you spent any time at the World Trade Center covering the attack on 9.11 or after, or if you know a reporter, photographer, editor, producer, technician or any other journalist who covered the story, please consider participating in the survey. To participate click on the link below.

Trials on Ground Zero Health Claims Scheduled to Begin in 2010
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2008/12/lawsuits_brought_by_911_wtc_cl.html
December 11, 2008
Lawsuits alleging that recue and recovery workers were not issued proper safety equipment in the months following 9/11 will go to trial in early 2010.

US Senate Introduces Companion Bill to HR847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act
http://www.thestate.com/nationalpolitics/story/839421.html
June 25, 2009
The Senate bill, sponsored by New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, is similar in intent and content to a House bill authored in 2007 by Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler of New York City which never got out of committee. Click on link to read article.