CDC Awards $10 million to New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation to provide Health Services to Residents, Other Community Members Affected by 9/11 Attack

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today awarded $10 million to New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) for the first year of a three-year competitive grant to provide medical examinations, diagnostic testing, referral and treatment for residents, students, and others in the community that were directly affected by the dust and debris from the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings on Sept. 11, 2001.

The grant, which will be administered by CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), will provide up to $30 million over the next three years to New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. HHC operates public hospitals and clinics in New York City, including Bellevue Hospital.

"We look forward to working with HHC, particularly Bellevue Hospital, on this effort to expand health services and treatment to residents, students, and others who were in the vicinity of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001," said Christine Branche, Ph.D., acting director of NIOSH. "This funding ensures that more people will have access to health assessment examinations, diagnosis, and treatment for health conditions associated with the attack on the World Trade Center."

The services funded through the grant are intended to augment existing services provided by the City of New York and others for this population of affected people. The grant money is to be used to help cover gaps when individuals' public or private insurance is insufficient to fully cover the costs associated with care or treatment.

Since 2001, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has allocated $925 million for WTC -related efforts, with over $350 million allocated to CDC, including support for health assessment examinations, diagnosis, and treatment for first response WTC emergency responders who live in the New York City area and throughout the United States. HHS/CDC expects that sufficient funds will remain available for these purposes through fiscal year 2009 and potentially longer.

The Web site for HHS World Trade Center Health Services can be found at www.hhs.gov/wtc.

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES