World Trade Center Health Program and Medscape Launch Education Initiative to Help Healthcare Professionals Understand the Eligibility, Screening and Treatment Benefits for 9/11 Responders and Survivors

WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to help improve care and support for first responders and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Medscape Education and the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program have introduced a new specialized continuing medical education (CME) curriculum for healthcare professionals called, Advances in Screening and Treatment for WTC Responders and Survivors. This new curriculum will equip participants with critical knowledge needed to recognize and address long-term health effects associated with hazardous exposures at 9/11 sites.

The Medscape and WTC Health Program curriculum provides accredited, valuable training to both physicians unfamiliar with the program and other healthcare professionals who actively participate in the program but are in need of updated information. The Advances in Screening and Treatment for WTC Responders and Survivors curriculum includes four modules:

• A detailed introduction to the WTC Health Program that includes information regarding patient eligibility, screening, conditions covered, and available services nationwide.
• A Clinical Practice Assessment to identify current knowledge among healthcare providers on the known toxins at the sites and common health conditions associated with exposure.
• A video lecture delivered by Jacqueline Moline, MD, chair of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Hofstra University, in Hempstead, NY. The lecture covers the various aspects of disaster response, including recommendations for medical and psychological surveillance, patient screening and treatment for WTC disaster-related conditions, as well as appropriate data collection techniques for the WTC Health Registry.
• A roundtable discussion led by Nomi Levy-Carrick, MD, MPhil, mental health director of the HHC WTC Environmental Health Center, and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine. The discussion includes a panel of experts addressing the most common illnesses associated with WTC exposure, including lung disease, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, mental health conditions and various cancers, as well as best practices for evaluation and treatment within the WTC Health Program.

Medscape and the WTC Health Program will continue to evolve and expand on this important educational effort to help physicians provide improved care and support to first responders and survivors from the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

To view the Medscape/WTC Health Program CME courses, Advances in Screening and Treatment for WTC Responders and Survivors, visit: http://www.medscape.org/viewcollection/33376

Background:

Signed into law by President Obama on January 2, 2011, as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, the WTC Health Program, administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides monitoring and treatment benefits for certain medical conditions related to environmental toxins, psychological trauma and physical injury at 9/11 disaster sites, including the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the United Flight 93 crash location in Shanksville, PA. The program currently provides medical assistance to more than 70,000 individuals,[1] but tens of thousands more are estimated to be eligible for program benefits.

Expert Quotes: 

WTC Health Program Administrator, John Howard, M.D.

• "The WTC Health Program is committed to providing the highest quality healthcare for our members, many of whom continue to suffer the physical and mental health effects from the 9/11 tragedy. We welcome this partnership with Medscape to enhance physician awareness of the program and the medical expertise of its active participants, which is a critical piece in ensuring our members receive the best care possible."

Steve Zatz, President, WebMD

• "WebMD and Medscape are honored to partner on this initiative with the World Trade Center Health Program, which along with other local government and medical facilities, has done admirable work in helping the first responders and survivors of 9/11 address many critical medical concerns. This is a rewarding collaboration that educates and mobilizes more physicians to meet the continued needs of those who were on the front lines during that fateful period."
  
  
• "Often the complete health impact of an environmental disaster – such as the destruction of the 9/11 sites – can take decades to emerge. In fact, the most devastating diseases, including cancers and degenerative disorders, may occur in later phases, long after the event ceases to be top-of-mind to anyone but those directly involved. The partnership between Medscape and the World Trade Center Health Program will help ensure that the medical community has the skills, information and resources necessary to maximize the program's reach and impact today and into the future."

Additional Resources

WTC Health Program: www.cdc.gov/wtc

Medscape/World Trade Center Health Program CME course, Advances in Screening and Treatment for WTC Responders and Survivors: http://www.medscape.org/viewcollection/33376

About Medscape and WebMD

Medscape, a subsidiary of WebMD Health Corp., is the leading source of clinical news, health information and point-of-care tools for healthcare professionals. Medscape offers specialists, primary care physicians and other health professionals the most robust and integrated medical information and educational tools. Medscape Education (medscape.org) is the leading destination for continuous professional development, consisting of more than 30 specialty-focused destinations offering thousands of free CME and CE. courses and other educational programs for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

WebMD Health Corp. is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, physicians, healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through our public and private online portals, mobile platforms and health-focused publications.

The WebMD Health Network includes WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, eMedicineHealth, RxList, Medscape Education and other owned WebMD sites.

WebMD®, Medscape®, CME Circle®, Medpulse®, eMedicine®, MedicineNet®, theheart.org® and RxList® are among the trademarks of WebMD Health Corp. or its subsidiaries.

About the WTC Health Program

The WTC Health Program provides medical monitoring and treatment for emergency responders, rescue, recovery, cleanup workers, and volunteers who helped after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The WTC Health Program also provides screening and treatment for eligible individuals who were present in the dust or dust cloud on 9/11 or who worked, resided, or attended school, childcare, or adult daycare in the New York City disaster area on 9/11 and/or during the following months.

In addition to providing medical monitoring and treatment the WTC Health Program also provides:

• Education and outreach to people who may be eligible;
• Collection and analysis of physical and mental health data with members' permission; and
• Research to better understand health conditions related to the attacks.

[1] World Trade Center Health Program, "Program Inventories: Overall Enrollment", http://www.cdc.gov/wtc/ataglance.html#prettyPhoto[gallery]/0/. Accessed August 25, 2015.

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SOURCE Medscape