Thursday, December 08, 2011

Updated Re-Enrollment Information for WTC EHC

I've heard from a few of you that your applications for re-enrollment to WTC EHC (necessary for anybody who enrolled after Jan. 1st, 2001) have been held up for weeks without any indication as to why.

[Note: Anybody who has not yet enrolled and wishes to can get the applications here: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/wtc/enroll.html]

Today I called the information line to find out why my application has been held up and discovered that I had, in fact, been accepted for re-enrollment a couple of weeks after I applied.  NIOSH, however, did not let me know.

Anybody who submitted their application and has not heard anything since should contact NIOSH at this number and check their status:

1 (888) 982-4748  [WTC-HP4U]

Getting Through the Menu:
Dial *1 for English
Dial *1 for information about eligibility and enrollment
Dial *3 to talk to a customer service rep


A NOTE ON ACCEPTABLE ITEMS OF PROOF FOR APPLICATION:


I've been getting a lot of questions about what kinds of documentation are being accepted as proof of exposure for Stuyvesant students.

I sent a copy of my high school diploma from 2002 (I was class of '02, not sure if this will work for later classes).  Other people have mentioned that they have sent copies of program cards and/or yearbooks.

For anybody who has re-enrolled with success, please let me know what types of proof you submitted! I'd like to compile a list for everybody else.  I am also trying to get this information from the application office itself, and will keep everyone updated.

-Lila

Monday, October 10, 2011

For those of you who signed up with WTC EHC after Jan. 1st, 2011:


***UPDATE***
I originally wrote that you'd need to reapply if you signed up after Jan. 1st, 2010.  That was incorrect.  The actual cut-off date is Jan. 1st, 2011.



Now that the program has changed over to being administered by the Zadroga bill, YOU WILL HAVE TO REAPPLY! 

You do not need to redo the introductory 5 hour appointment, but please look out in the mail for the application. It needs to be filled in and sent back before you'll be able to make follow-up appointments or refill your prescriptions. 

As a Stuyvesant alum from 2002-2005, YOU WILL DEFINITELY QUALIFY during the reapplication process.  But, while there is no danger that you'll be turned away, you will need to present proof of your presence at Stuyvesant in 2001/2002. I am compiling a list of acceptable documents, which I will pass along.

If you have any questions about it or do not receive an application to reapply, please email me at stuyhealth@gmail.com!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Article about StuyHealth in The Spectator


Check out this article about 9/11-related health issues in The Spectator.  Thanks for covering this, guys!

This issue contains some great essays by Stuy alums reflecting on their 9/11 experiences as well.  You can check out all of the articles at www.stuyspectator.com.

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Stuyvesant Alumni Commemorative Event


Alumni from Stuyvesant High School are planning at event for the tenth anniversary of 9/11!  If you are an alumni and would like to attend, please RSVP to the event on Facebook.  The link is: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104711142968346  

The battle to secure permission to use the school has been hard fought and as part of the compromise we'll be supply a list of guests beforehand, so if you on the fence, please still RSVP yes.

For coverage of the event so far, check out these articles on the difficulties we've encountered in getting permission to use space in the school:







And these articles discussing us finally getting permission to use the space:

New York Times

Wall Street Journal

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

New WTC Health Registry Survey Has Been Mailed Out!


Please remember to fill it out!  If it hasn't arrived, call your parents to make sure it hasn't arrived at their place.

If you need to update your address or want to request an online survey, email wtchr@health.NYC.gov or call 866.692.9827.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Yahoo! News Piece

Check out this piece by Lila from Yahoo! News about the aftermath of 9/11 and the beginnings of StuyHealth.

NYSUT United Article Mentions StuyHealth!




"I don't blame the faculty for the decisions they made that day, but I do blame their bosses for returning us to Stuy only a few weeks later. This was a poor decision, and our bodies are paying the price. Twenty-somethings shouldn't have cancer and respiratory illnesses, yet those who were Stuy students on Sept. 11 are falling victim to these conditions.

Luckily, we've got advocates, particularly Lila Nordstrom, founder of StuyHealth. Unluckily, nobody seems to care."

Thanks Laurence for plugging StuyHealth in your piece! Much appreciated! Find the full article here.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Stuyvesant Alumni NY1 Story


Check out this story on NY1 that ran Friday and discusses the impact of 9/11 of Stuyvesant alums and students in lower Manhattan! It provides a really good summary of why we organized and even includes some archived footage of a press conference we held in 2006 (we look so little!).



Friday, June 24, 2011

Friday, May 27, 2011

Mark Your Calendars for June 23rd!


On June 23rd, 9/11 Environmental Action, with the participation of StuyHealth, will be holding on event at the Museum of Jewish Heritage's auditorium in lower Manhattan (at Battery Place).

The event will include a screening from 'The Second Day," a film made by a now 14 year-old lower Manhattan resident about the aftermath of 9/11, and will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers, doctors from the WTC EHC pediatric program, and a member of StuyHealth. It should be an interesting event and a good opportunity to see "The Second Day," which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year! Information about the film can be found here.

RSVP information will follow, so stay tuned...

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The 9/11 Health Bill


With the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act about to go into effect, I thought it would be a good time to post a summary of the bill and the full text for anybody who is interested.

Here's a link to a good summary of the 9/11 health bill that was posted online by Rep. Maloney's office.

For the more motivated, here is the full text of the bill.

The provisions that cover members of StuyHealth are in Section 2.

One part of the bill that impacts StuyHealth specifically: This law does establish the need for Centers of Excellence outside of New York City, but primarily to treat First Responders. We are still finding out whether these will be accessible to people in the survivor program (the program that treats residents, students, and office workers), and how we can indicate a need for one should a lot of us be unable to regularly seek care at the program in New York City. As student survivors, we are some of the only people in the survivor program that have left New York City in large numbers, so this is largely our fight.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A Visit to WTC EHC


Hey all! I just had my first visit to WTC EHC, the health program for 9/11 survivors that I'm always directing people to. I wanted to go over what it entailed, who qualifies, and how you can get an appointment for yourself. Feel free to leave a question in the comments or email me directly at stuyhealth@gmail.com if you have any follow-up questions.

First off, there are a couple of reasons for signing up for WTC EHC if you have 9/11-related health concerns:
1. If you have any pulmonary issues, stomach problems like acid reflux, mental health issues, or others problems caused or related to 9/11, you can be treated for free at WTC EHC by doctors experienced in dealing with 9/11 victims. The medication the prescribe you to treat these problems is also free.
2. In signing up, you are contributing to research on what ails 9/11 victims and what treatments are effective in dealing with their specific health concerns.

The symptoms the WTC EHC treats include:
-Coughing
-Wheezing
-Shortness of breath
-Chronic Respiratory Infections
-Sinus congestion
-Stomach problems
-Depression
-Anxiety
* As of yet, treatment for cancers, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions is not provided by this program, but with the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, there is a system in place for us to petition to add conditions to the list of treated diseases.

Stuyvesant students of any grade level who attended the school in 2001 qualify for WTC EHC, as does anybody who met one of these criteria on 9/11:
-Lived in Lower Manhattan or areas of Brooklyn
-Were a student in a school in the area
-Worked in or around offices, stores, schools, or apartment buildings
-Commuted to Lower Manhattan during 9/11
-Helped in the clean-up of buildings in the affected area

CALLING THE PROGRAM:
When you make the initial call (the number is 877-982-0107), you'll answer a brief series of questions to determine if you qualify, after which they call you with an appointment date. It usually takes a couple of months to get an appointment, but for people from out of town, I can assist in contacting the program and making an appointment that is convenient for you.

WTC EHC has locations at -
Bellevue Hospital Center
462 First Avenue (27th St.)
New York, NY 10016
*The WTC Environmental Health Center's pediatric program is located here.

Gouverneur Healthcare Services
227 Madison Street (Clinton St.)
New York, NY 10002

Elmhurst Hospital Center
79-01 Broadway (79th St.)
Elmhurst, NY 11373

INITIAL APPOINTMENT:
They'll tell you that the initial appointment takes five hours, and they aren't lying. When you arrive, the front desk gives you a checklist of different people to see and tests you'll complete over the course of the day. The list of things to do includes: a vital sign check by a nurse, a 36-page nurse questionnaire that contributes to the program's research, a visit with a doctor, a social worker, and a psychologist, a blood test, a chest x-ray, a pulmonary function test (if you are there with breathing issues), and an EKG if it's indicated. From there, follow up plans are made with either the doctor or the psychologist, depending on what you're there for.

Any medications that you are prescribed are available at the hospital pharmacy for free. The medications the program covers include respiratory and GERD medicines, antibiotics, and medicines that treat depression and/or anxiety.

Overall, I had a great experience at WTC EHC and would highly recommend it to anybody suffering from the problems they treat. Again, anybody with questions should contact me at stuyhealth@gmail.com.

Check Out Our New Facebook Page

Come "like" us at www.facebook.com/stuyhealth! We'll be keeping everybody fully updated as the 9/11 Health Bill goes into effect and will have information about how to find services for 9/11 survivors!