World Trade Center (WTC) Health Studies and Information on Health Services
New York State Personnel Who Responded
The Department of Health in collaboration with the New York State Governor's Office of Employee Relations, the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, and the Department of Civil Service (Employee Health Services), offered New York State employees and National Guard personnel who were directed to respond to the WTC disaster a medical monitoring examination. Medical monitoring evaluations were conducted for 1,677 total personnel and consisted of completion of a health and exposure questionnaire, physical examination, laboratory tests, and pulmonary function tests. A related epidemiological study involved analysis of health outcome data collected during those evaluations. In addition, biological samples were collected and archived by the Wadsworth Center for approximately 1,300 responders. There are over 10,000 archived samples. A pilot study of potential markers of WTC exposures analyzed a subset of samples for analytes, such as metals, dibenzodioxins, dibenzofurans, perfluorinated compounds and others.
A separate cohort study is evaluating asthma and related symptoms among responders compared to a control group of similar, but unexposed state employees. This project involved data collection over a three-year period, since 2003. An additional study will evaluate clinical tests of respiratory status in a subgroup of the cohort study population. These tests will assess airway inflammation and respiratory function.
Questions on the WTC Medical Monitoring program or related studies boh@health.state.ny.us