WTC Health Program

Following sustained pressure from the 9/11 community, HHS Secretary Kennedy has agreed to lift the NIOSH hiring freeze and bring on 37 new staff members to the World Trade Center Health Program. While this is a massive step toward fixing delays in care, our work is far from over. As Secretary Kennedy prepares to testify […]

“I was a New York City Union Laborer during the 9/11 attacks. We were the guys down there working in that smoke-infested pile of rubble trying to clean it up. I kept at it for a few years after, but the PTSD made it hard to even be in Manhattan. Medically, things changed at the […]

This month marks a historic and hard-fought victory for the 9/11 community, an achievement that will save lives. Congress has finally passed a bill that assures long-term funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, ensuring continued access to free monitoring, treatment, and cancer screenings for years to come. Had this funding not been secured, […]

Every January, we recognize Cervical Cancer Awareness Month — a time to highlight a significant health risk facing women in the 9/11 community and to celebrate a major milestone in our ongoing fight for health equity. More than two decades after the attacks, thousands of responders, survivors, and downtown residents continue to face serious health […]

Every November, we recognize Lung Cancer Awareness Month — a time to highlight one of the most common cancers affecting the 9/11 community. More than two decades after the attacks, thousands of responders, survivors, and downtown residents continue to face serious health consequences from exposure to World Trade Center toxins. Among the 69 cancers linked […]

September is Lymphoma Awareness Month. The half a million first responders and survivors who were working, living, and studying in Lower Manhattan on and after 9/11 have a higher risk of developing respiratory illness and 69 different types of cancer from their exposure to Ground Zero toxins, including lymphoma. Barasch & McGarry represents nearly 1,500 members […]