The healthcare industry is marking 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by remembering the lives lost that day and the healthcare workers and first responders who answered the call without hesitation.
Nearly 3,000 people died in the attack, and more than 9,400 have died from 9/11-related illnesses since, according to data from the federal World Trade Center Health Program. The program has also certified more than 50,000 cancer cases among survivors and first responders.
American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack recognized first responders’ extraordinary courage that day in a Sept. 11 post on the AHA’s website. Healthcare professionals in New York, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and communities across the country “answered the call without hesitation,” he said, some reporting to work without knowing whether their own families were safe.
“Their example reminds us that amid tragedy, compassion prevails,” Mr. Pollack said. “Amid uncertainty, service endures. And amid our greatest challenges, dedicated professionals continue to step forward to heal, comfort and care.”
Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, RN, president of the American Nurses Association, echoed this sentiment and honored 11 nurses killed in the attacks in a Sept. 10 statement shared with Becker’s.
“Some were serving as first responders, rushing toward danger to save others, while others were going about an ordinary morning when their lives were tragically cut short,” Dr. Mensik Kennedy wrote. Nurses’ work “did not end when the smoke and dust cleared,” she added, noting that clinicians continue to care for those still living with the physical and emotional effects of 9/11.
NYC Health + Hospitals’ World Trade Center Environmental Health Center is a prime example of this work. The Clinical Center of Excellence, part of the WTC Health Program, opened in 2011 to assess and treat physical and mental health conditions of 9/11 survivors.
The program has treated nearly 22,000 people at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst in Queens and NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur. It continues to enroll about 120 new members a month, according to a Sept. 11 news release.
The healthcare industry’s immediate and continued response to 9/11 “reflects a truth that has endured throughout our nation’s history: Hospitals and health systems are pillars of their communities, always ready to provide care when it is needed most,” Mr. Pollack said.
“Twenty-five years later, let us remember those we lost and honor those who answered the call to serve,” he said. “Their example reminds us that hospitals are far more than buildings where care is delivered. In moments of crisis, they become sources of hope, healing and stability for entire communities. That was true on Sept. 11, 2001, and it remains true today.”
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.
