NYPD wives group to discuss health treats to first responders

Cornwall —The New York Police Department Wives Group of Hudson Valley is hosting a meeting from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, October 20 for all Sept. 11 first-responders and their families. The meeting will be led by Dr. Jacqueline Moline of the Mt. Sinai World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program for Sept. 11 Responders. Discussion will focus on the importance of continued follow-up exams. According to Lisa Walsh, a co-founder of the Hudson Valley New York Police Department Wives Group, the [Medical Monitoring] program is “expecting to see an increase in potentially terminal illnesses in years five to ten” from the September 11, 2001 date. “That’s now,” Walsh continued, “Anyone who thinks that they are safe because they haven’t yet gotten sick, is under a misconception and one that we would like to correct.” The World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program provides free, confidential medical monitoring examinations to workers and volunteers who responded to the September 11 attacks in New York City. For the next five years, responders who participate in the program will receive comprehensive and confidential medical examinations at regular intervals. According to the Medical Monitoring Program’s web page, the long-term health effects of the World Trade Center rescue and recovery work are unknown. The Monitoring Program will monitor your future health, whether or not you are currently experiencing any symptoms. Even if you aren’t sick now, these examinations can serve to provide early detection for diseases with a delayed onset. The meeting will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 58 Clinton St. in Cornwall. Other law enforcement, fire fighters and construction workers are also invited to attend. An RSVP is not required but requested. Child care will be provided, if needed. Please contact Lisa Walsh at 386-4718.