WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today welcomed an announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that they have awarded $10 million to New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) for the first year of a three-year competitive grant to provide medical examinations, diagnostic testing, referral, and treatment for residents, students, office workers, and others in the community that are suffering from the effects of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.

“This is great news and it is a victory for the New Yorkers who are still suffering from the lingering health effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks,” said Senator Clinton. “While this action is long overdue, it is a step in the right direction in delivering the funding HHC will need to treat, track, and serve all of the residents, students, and office workers whose lives were forever impacted due to their exposure to the toxic substances released at Ground Zero. I am proud to have stood shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues in Congress to fight for this funding, and I remain committed to providing our survivors and responders the with healthcare they so urgently need.”

According to the CDC, the grant will be administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which will provide up to $30 million over the next three years to HHC, which operates public hospitals and clinics in New York City. The services funded through the grant are intended to augment existing services provided by the City of New York and other for this population of affected people. The grant money can also be used to help cover gaps when individuals’ public or private insurance is insufficient to fully cover the costs associated with care or treatment.

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