Friday, June 24, 2011
"The Second Day" Screening and Panel Discussion
The event went well! Stay tuned for photos and a rundown of the event!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Mark Your Calendars for June 23rd!
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.
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!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Calls in Support of 9/11 Health Bill Needed!
The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (H.R. 847) will come back to the full House of Representatives for a vote in the next 7 days.
It is critical that EVERY U.S. Representative in the country hear from the people who live in their districts -- urging them to VOTE YES for HR 847, the 9/11 health bill. This bill will provide federal funding for desperately needed medical programs that treat 9/11-related illnesses for tens of thousands of 9/11 survivors and first responders.
If you live outside of NY State, please contact your US Representative to ask them to vote for the 9/11 Health bill.
Also, please send an email to your friends, relatives and contacts who live outside of NY, telling them about the bill and asking them to call their representatives with the same message.
__________
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE:
-Go to the House of Representatives website -- www.house.gov
-Look at the upper left hand corner of the home page, and you will see a "Find your Representative" search box, where you can type in your zip code and click "go" to get the name of your representative in the House.
-Please note, sometimes you may need the extra 4 digits behind your zip, because your zip code includes more than one House district. If so, and you do not know the extra 4 digits, please use this link, where you can type in your address and get the numbers:
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp
----------------------------------------------
SAMPLE SCRIPT that can be used in making calls to Representatives:
Hello, I’m (your name) and I'm a constituent of Representative _____________________. I'm a resident of (give your city, state and zip code)
I am calling to urge Representative ____ to VOTE YES ON HR 847, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, when it comes up for a vote on the House floor later this week. This bill will provide treatment for 9/11-related illnesses to survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks -- downtown Manhattan residents, students, workers and visitors -- as well as to the thousands of brave responders who came to their rescue. Many, including children, are sick from having breathed the toxic dust and smoke, and are struggling to regain their health. Those who who were harmed as a result of this attack on our nation need and deserve the right kind of medical help, help that this bill will provide. Thank you.
_______________________
We have also provided a “Dear Friends” letter below that you can paste into an email, along with a brief sample message for your contacts to use when they call their Representative.
-----------------------------------------------
Dear (name of your friend or relative in districts beyond NYC),
I am writing to you to ask for your help to gain passage of an important bill in Congress that will protect the health of tens of thousands of people affected by the worst act of terror in our nation's history.
As you know, 9/11 was an attack on our nation that killed nearly 3000. What you may not know is that tens of thousands are now sick as a result of the World Trade Center attacks from breathing in toxic fumes and dust that filled the air after the Twin Towers collapsed
Some were the brave responders who came to the rescue -- they came from every state in the country and risked their lives to help others. Some were the civilians targeted by the terrorists -- the many people who lived, worked or attended school in the area around the WTC. Many were caught in the toxic cloud when the towers collapsed. Many were encouraged to remain in or return to heavily contaminated neighborhoods, when their government falsely assured them that the air was safe.
As early as late this week, on Thursday, September 23rd or Friday, September 24th, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act will come up for a vote in the House of Representatives. I am appealing to you to please call your representative at his/her Washington DC office and urge him/her to VOTE YES. I have a sample message for you to use, below.
You can do this by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 TTY: (202) 225-1904. Ask to be connected to your representative's office. (If you do not know who your representative is, I have included instructions.)
Thank you for your much-needed help. If you want to call me for further details I can be reached at _____.
Best,
---------------------------------------------------
THANK YOU!!!
It is critical that EVERY U.S. Representative in the country hear from the people who live in their districts -- urging them to VOTE YES for HR 847, the 9/11 health bill. This bill will provide federal funding for desperately needed medical programs that treat 9/11-related illnesses for tens of thousands of 9/11 survivors and first responders.
If you live outside of NY State, please contact your US Representative to ask them to vote for the 9/11 Health bill.
Also, please send an email to your friends, relatives and contacts who live outside of NY, telling them about the bill and asking them to call their representatives with the same message.
__________
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE:
-Go to the House of Representatives website -- www.house.gov
-Look at the upper left hand corner of the home page, and you will see a "Find your Representative" search box, where you can type in your zip code and click "go" to get the name of your representative in the House.
-Please note, sometimes you may need the extra 4 digits behind your zip, because your zip code includes more than one House district. If so, and you do not know the extra 4 digits, please use this link, where you can type in your address and get the numbers:
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp
----------------------------------------------
SAMPLE SCRIPT that can be used in making calls to Representatives:
Hello, I’m (your name) and I'm a constituent of Representative _____________________. I'm a resident of (give your city, state and zip code)
I am calling to urge Representative ____ to VOTE YES ON HR 847, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, when it comes up for a vote on the House floor later this week. This bill will provide treatment for 9/11-related illnesses to survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks -- downtown Manhattan residents, students, workers and visitors -- as well as to the thousands of brave responders who came to their rescue. Many, including children, are sick from having breathed the toxic dust and smoke, and are struggling to regain their health. Those who who were harmed as a result of this attack on our nation need and deserve the right kind of medical help, help that this bill will provide. Thank you.
_______________________
We have also provided a “Dear Friends” letter below that you can paste into an email, along with a brief sample message for your contacts to use when they call their Representative.
-----------------------------------------------
Dear (name of your friend or relative in districts beyond NYC),
I am writing to you to ask for your help to gain passage of an important bill in Congress that will protect the health of tens of thousands of people affected by the worst act of terror in our nation's history.
As you know, 9/11 was an attack on our nation that killed nearly 3000. What you may not know is that tens of thousands are now sick as a result of the World Trade Center attacks from breathing in toxic fumes and dust that filled the air after the Twin Towers collapsed
Some were the brave responders who came to the rescue -- they came from every state in the country and risked their lives to help others. Some were the civilians targeted by the terrorists -- the many people who lived, worked or attended school in the area around the WTC. Many were caught in the toxic cloud when the towers collapsed. Many were encouraged to remain in or return to heavily contaminated neighborhoods, when their government falsely assured them that the air was safe.
As early as late this week, on Thursday, September 23rd or Friday, September 24th, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act will come up for a vote in the House of Representatives. I am appealing to you to please call your representative at his/her Washington DC office and urge him/her to VOTE YES. I have a sample message for you to use, below.
You can do this by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 TTY: (202) 225-1904. Ask to be connected to your representative's office. (If you do not know who your representative is, I have included instructions.)
Thank you for your much-needed help. If you want to call me for further details I can be reached at _____.
Best,
---------------------------------------------------
THANK YOU!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)