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Clinical Services
The Division of Pulmonary Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center has been chosen to serve as the pulmonary consultant for the New York City Fire Department during its research into the aftereffects of 9/11. We are one of only two hospitals working with the city to diagnosis, study and treat this tragedy's ongoing health effects, and we are the only medical center focused specifically on the fire fighters who were directly affected. This leadership role allows us to apply our findings to our regular pulmonary patients and give them specialized, cutting edge care.
A history of pioneering partnerships
Montefiore has always sought innovate partnerships in our community. Thanks to our 20-year relationship with the NYC Fire Department, as its pulmonary consultant, we were chosen to examine and process the data being gathered about the pulmonary health of fire fighters who responded to 9/11, beginning just weeks after the event.
Working as medical and statistical consultants, our pulmonary care specialists have monitored and treated more than 14,000 active and retired NYC Fire Department fire fighters and rescue workers, who responded on 9/11. We have used our special expertise to monitor them for acute, chronic, and late emerging illnesses, including asthma, lung disease and related conditions, and to concentrate on the emerging problem of respiratory disease. In addition to providing state of the art medical treatment, we are also analyzing data collected by the NYCFD to understand how their exposure is affecting them.
Of the rescue workers enrolled in our program, about two thousand have some degree of respiratory damage, and about 450 have qualified for pensioned disability programs for their respiratory condition.
New understanding of chronic conditions
Our seminal work has helped determine that respiratory problems associated with dust exposure from the World Trade Center, such as asthma and cough, are similar to aero-digestive syndrome. Medical experts have been aware of this correlation for about a decade. It occurs when patients inhale and swallow dust and encounter the following:
Through our ongoing leadership in our field, we have received a rare opportunity to work with a special group of patients. Our close relationship with the Albert Einstein School of Medicine means that our expertise benefits the students we teach. We also apply our specialized expertise to the regular patients receiving pulmonary care at Montefiore. It will also prove valuable, should the larger population of New York City show symptoms of respiratory disorders related to 9/11, or should we need to respond to future catastrophic events.
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President and CEO
Montefiore Medical Center
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