Stony Brook 9/11 Treatment
According to an online news report posted on NewsDay.com, Stony Brook University’s World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program has received $147 million in federal funding. The new fund will support the program’s efforts to resume and expand its medical treatment of people who are suffering health issues related to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s World Trade Center Health Program affirmed the new federal funding.
The federal funding will finance more research and treat over 13,000 retired and active-duty law enforcement officers, rescue workers, and cleanup employees at clinics in Mineola and Commack for eight more years. According to Dr. Benjamin Luft, the funding will double the size of the Mineola clinic and grow its telehealth and data management.
Ground Zero victims like John Feal, a demolition supervisor who was harmed by the toxic plumes and advocates for 9/11 survivors, call the federal funding “vital.” Mr. Feal stated that these new funds will help make sure the victims of 9/11 in New York City continue to receive the “best health care by the best experts.” He believes the Stony Brook facility is vital in providing the medication and special care victims need, especially those suffering from rare cancers.
The news report and experts believe those first responders who served at Ground Zero may need special care and treatment now more than ever, especially as the victims grow older. For example, a patient in their 20s with cancer or respiratory problems has a far better chance of beating their illness than a 60-year-old. The average age of the affected Ground Zero first responders is 59.
Stony Brook’s program is now treating twice as patients as it did ten years ago, and these cases are far more complex. The patients at Stony Brook usually have illnesses affecting multiple systems. For example, many patients who worked on the pile present with acute respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. Twenty years after the attack, physicians are now diagnosing patients with many types of cancers and cognitive impairments. Doctors now believe that the dust particles at Ground Zero that workers inhaled contained dangerous neurotoxicants.
Recent studies show that there are new health consequences that show up later in life. For example, the cancer rate amongst Ground Zero workers and local residents doubled from 2019 to 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Moreover, first responders with 911-related medical conditions who also contracted COVID-19 could suffer more serious and long-term sickness from the virus.
The Stony Brook World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program will also use the $147 million in federal funding to conduct peer reviews, publish medical journals, and disseminate case studies concerning new illnesses that are beginning to show up. As patients continue to become ill, they will need continuous care and regular checkups.
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