Washington – NIOSH recently published an update on progress of the World Trade Center Health Program to treat 9/11 first responders.

In the year since Congress passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which established the program, NIOSH said it has achieved the following:

• Awarded contracts for medical monitoring and treatment
• Launched a website for the program
• Published the first review (.pdf file) of medical evidence for WTC-related cancer, which found insufficient evidence to prove a link
• Published a rulemaking on procedures for medical claims and adding new conditions to the list of WTC-related conditions

Goals for the next six months include:

• Integrate health care providers who treat responders and survivors outside of New York City into the national program
• Promulgate final WTC Health Program regulations
• Publish another review of medical evidence by mid-2012