Maloney Asks CDC to Bring 9/11 First Responder Clinical Center to Hudson Valley

Newburgh, NY – Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) has requested that the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allow Mount Sinai Health System to establish a clinical care center in the Hudson Valley to treat 9/11 first responders nearer to their homes. Many of these heroes live in the region, but have to travel up to two hours to the closest health care facility in Manhattan. 
 
“The heroes of 9/11 who live in the Hudson Valley didn’t think twice about answering the call to help their fellow Americans and neither should we,” said Rep. Maloney. “These guys literally risked everything to save lives on America’s darkest day and now that many of them have gotten sick, we have a shared responsibility to make sure they can get the high-quality care they deserve without having to spend an entire day traveling across the state.” 
 
“How many more 9/11 first responders will we have to lose before action is taken? We must give our first responders more choices to ensure they have access to the care they have earned,” said State Senator Bill Larkin. “Working with Congressman Maloney and in collaboration with Mount Sinai’s clinical care center, we must establish a clinical care location in the Hudson Valley to better serve our first responders.”
 
Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan currently provides health care to 9/11 first responders who have health problems as the result of their service on that fateful day. Recent studies, including those authored by Mount Sinai researchers, have documented ongoing health problems experienced by 9/11 responders and volunteers, including: upper and lower respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, musculoskeletal disorders, mental health conditions, as well as various types of cancer. It’s estimated that as many as 1,700 first responders have developed cancer as the result of exposure to contamination at the World Trade Center site. 9/11 first responders who live in the Hudson Valley have to travel to Manhattan to receive necessary ongoing care through the program. 
 
The first line of duty death for a law enforcement officer in 2018 was Michael Anson, who died of cancer he developed after 9/11. Trooper Anson lived in Albany, and died on January 2, 2018, after serving 31 years in the New York State Police. 
 
The World Trade Center Health Program, authorized by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, is administered by the NIOSH. Rep. Maloney cosponsored a bill to reauthorize the program, which passed in 2015. Rep. Maloney and Senator Larkin have collaborated on this project for years in an attempt to bring care closer to 9/11 heroes who live in the Hudson Valley. 
 
The full text of the letter is below and an original copy is available here. 
 
Dear Dr. Howard,
 
I write today to express my support for the establishment of the World Trade Center Clinical Center in the Hudson Valley. 
 
As you know, the tragedies of September 11th devastated millions of Americans and their families. Among those victims are the first responders who so selflessly risked their lives to save others. Their bravery resulted in the ultimate sacrifice and left too many of our heroes physically and psychologically wounded without access to the treatment and services necessary for holistic rehabilitation. With the closest clinical center located in New York City, first responders seeking treatment must travel two hours or more in order to access the professional expertise and resources found in clinical care centers. 
 
With the partnership of Senator Larkin, and the collaboration of Mount Sinai’s clinical care center, I respectfully request consideration be given to providing Mount Sinai with the necessary approval to establish a similar center here in the Hudson Valley.  With your support, I am hopeful that the Mount Sinai model can be brought to our communities in an effort to streamline both the accessibility and quality of service available to the first responders.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter as both are greatly appreciated.