Public Employee Press

Help for 9/11 workers, volunteers and residents

By LISA BAUM
Principal Program Coordinator
DC 37 Safety and Health Dept.

If you were involved in 9/11 rescue and recovery work, or you live or work downtown and are concerned about 9/11 health effects, the following programs may be helpful to you:

World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment programs: These programs provide medical testing and treatment for workers and volunteers involved in 9/11-related rescue, recovery, cleanup and restoration of essential services, etc. If you worked at or near the WTC site, Fresh Kills Landfill, barges or temporary morgues, you should contact the programs to determine if you are eligible for these free services.

The programs’ doctors, therapists and social workers are highly knowledgeable about the physical and psychological health issues experienced by many 9/11 workers as well as how to navigate the Workers’ Compensation system and other related programs and services.

Medical exams are available in Manhattan, Queens, Long Island and New Jersey. To find out if you are eligible and to make an appointment, call 888-702-0630. You may also get information on the programs at www.WTCexams.org.

Bellevue World Trade Center Healthcare Program: This program provides free medical testing and treatment for downtown residents and workers who were not involved in rescue/
recovery/cleanup/restoration of services work, but are suffering health effects from living or working near the WTC site.

The program recently received additional city funds to expand from its current 1,000 participants toward an expected 6,000. For further information or to make an appointment, call 212-562-1720.

World Trade Center Health Registry: The city Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene runs this survey of New Yorkers who were in lower Manhattan on 9/11/01 or were involved in WTC rescue, recovery or cleanup between 9/11/01 and 6/30/02. Those who enroll are interviewed by phone about their health status. The registry hopes to follow them for a period of 20 years. For more information go to www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/wtc. Please note: The registry is now closed to new participants.

New York State Workers’ Compensation: Workers and volunteers who have become physically or psychologically ill or injured as a result of 9/11-related work may be eligible to have their medical costs covered and/or some wage replacement for lost work time through the state Workers’ Compensation Board. For information on filing for Workers’ Comp benefits, call 800-877-1373 or go to www.wcb.state.ny.us.

Protect your rights: File now! To protect your right to file for Workers’ Compensation now or in the future, please file a WTC-12 form (Registration of Participation in World Trade Center Rescue,
Recovery, or Clean-Up Operations) by Aug. 14. For further information on the WTC-12, contact the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board or the DC 37 Safety and Health Dept. at 212-815-1685, or go to www.dc37.net.