TY - JOUR
T1 - Health care and social issues of immigrant rescue and recovery workers at the World Trade Center site
AU - De La Hoz, Rafael E.
AU - Hill, Scottie
AU - Chasan, Rachel
AU - Bienenfeld, Laura A.
AU - Afilaka, Aboaba A.
AU - Wilk-Rivard, Elizabeth
AU - Herbert, Robin
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was made possible by the support of the American Red Cross, the September 11 Fund, the Robin Hood Foundation, and the Bear Stearns Charitable Foundation. In November of 2006, after almost 4 years of operation entirely on philanthropic funding, the WTC Health Effects Treatment Program became fully sponsored by the United States federal government, and merged with the pre-existing (since July of 2002) WTC Screening and Monitoring Program into the WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program. The latter is presently funded by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health grants No. C200-2002-00,384, 5U1O 0H008232-04, and 3U10 OH008225.
PY - 2008/12/1
Y1 - 2008/12/1
N2 - This article reviews the experience of a unique occupational group of World Trade Center (WTC) workers: immigrant workers. This group is comprised largely of men, laborers, who are first-generation immigrants. The majority of these workers are from Latin America (predominantly from Ecuador and Colombia) or from Eastern Europe (predominantly from Poland). Our data shows that the disease profile observed in these workers was what we have previously reported for WTC working population as a whole. Recent reports have begun to document the disproportionate burden of occupational hazards, injuries, and illnesses experienced by immigrant workers in the United States. The WTC experience of immigrants exemplified this burden but, additionally, highlighted that this burden is exacerbated by limitations in access to appropriate health care, disability and compensation benefits, and vocational rehabilitation services. A clinical program that was designed to address the complex medical and psychosocial needs of these workers in a comprehensive manner was successfully established. Full justice for these workers depends on larger societal changes.
AB - This article reviews the experience of a unique occupational group of World Trade Center (WTC) workers: immigrant workers. This group is comprised largely of men, laborers, who are first-generation immigrants. The majority of these workers are from Latin America (predominantly from Ecuador and Colombia) or from Eastern Europe (predominantly from Poland). Our data shows that the disease profile observed in these workers was what we have previously reported for WTC working population as a whole. Recent reports have begun to document the disproportionate burden of occupational hazards, injuries, and illnesses experienced by immigrant workers in the United States. The WTC experience of immigrants exemplified this burden but, additionally, highlighted that this burden is exacerbated by limitations in access to appropriate health care, disability and compensation benefits, and vocational rehabilitation services. A clinical program that was designed to address the complex medical and psychosocial needs of these workers in a comprehensive manner was successfully established. Full justice for these workers depends on larger societal changes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=65849206443&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31818ff6fd
DO - 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31818ff6fd
M3 - Article
C2 - 19092486
AN - SCOPUS:65849206443
SN - 1076-2752
VL - 50
SP - 1329
EP - 1334
JO - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JF - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
IS - 12
ER -