As the 25th anniversary of September 11 approaches, Mount Sinai continues to provide care for thousands of individuals affected by the attacks, addressing a wide spectrum of long-term health issues. The institution's World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, established 16 years ago, offers medical monitoring, treatment, mental health services, and benefits counseling at no cost to responders and survivors.
Medical professionals at Mount Sinai recognized early on that the health consequences of the 9/11 attacks would be a long-term issue. Dr. Michael Crane, deputy director of the WTC program, noted that the institution's experience in occupational health, dating back to research on asbestos exposure, informed their understanding of the potential for delayed health effects. "These folks dove in head first into this work," Crane said, referring to his colleagues who responded after 9/11. "They realized pretty much immediately, this is going to be a very long term issue and with thousands of people."
The health effects continue to manifest as upper and lower respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal problems, musculoskeletal disorders, mental health conditions, and various cancers. "Environmental exposures are a different animal," said Dr. Raja Flores, chair of thoracic surgery at Mount Sinai. "They don’t hurt you on that day. They hurt you 20 years later, 30 years later."
Flores is now seeing significant numbers of patients with lung cancer and reflux, which can lead to esophageal cancer. He recounted the case of William Corrar, a retired FDNY captain and program patient diagnosed with esophageal cancer, who found effective treatment through the program. Corrar’s experience highlights the program's integrated approach, bringing together oncologists, occupational health specialists, psychiatrists, and surgeons.
Mental Health Impact
The psychological aftermath of 9/11 has also required sustained attention. Dr. Craig Katz, a clinical professor of psychiatry who began directing Mount Sinai's psychiatric emergency room just days before the attacks, understood the need for immediate and ongoing mental health support. Katz and his colleagues visited Ground Zero to engage with workers, an effort that helped reduce the stigma around mental health care.
Katz described the integration of mental health treatment with physical care as a key component of the WTC Health Program's success. "This pairing has been such a unique opportunity to, in a sense, treat the whole person," Katz said. "Because otherwise in medicine, to some degree, we can often wind up in our own little silos, and that is not to the benefit of our patients."
Evolving Understanding and Care
Over the past two decades, the WTC Health Program has not only treated individuals but has also provided valuable insights into the patterns of diseases linked to the toxic fallout from the disaster. "We see how what we would treat 10 years ago, now we’re better at it because we understand it," Katz said. "And when you have a better understanding, you can provide a better treatment."
The program's work is ongoing, as new cases emerge and understanding of the long-term consequences deepens. "9/11 did not end in 2001," Flores stated. "It continues today."