Pallone Speaks on Benefits of 9/11 Zadroga Act

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. Thursday met with First Responder beneficiaries of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act which recently passed into law January 2, 2011. He toured UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, one of eight certified specialized treatment centers for 9/11 related illnesses under the Zadroga Act.

“Today I was able to see first-hand how this program will make a difference for the First Responders who answered our call for help when we needed them most,” said Pallone. “This program ensures they will have the specialized treatment and health care they need and deserve as they deal with the after-effects of their service at Ground Zero.”

At the end of last year the UMDNJ WTC monitoring program population surpassed 1,700 patients, of which approximately 1,200 are from New Jersey. Of the total monitoring cohort, 700 were treated during the year 2010.

In addition to providing health care services, the program directs the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research into new conditions that may be related to the attacks and to evaluate different and emerging methods of diagnosis and treatment. The program builds on the expertise of the Centers of Excellence, which are currently providing high-quality care to thousands of responders and ensuring ongoing data collection and analysis to evaluate health risks.