Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Volume 50, Issue 12, 2008, Pages 1329-1334

Health care and social issues of immigrant rescue and recovery workers at the World Trade Center site (Article)

De La Hoz R.E. , Hill S. , Chasan R. , Bienenfeld L.A. , Afilaka A.A. , Wilk-Rivard E. , Herbert R.
  • a WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1059, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States, Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
  • b WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1059, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States
  • c Department of Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
  • d WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1059, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States
  • e WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1059, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States
  • f WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1059, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States
  • g WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1059, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States

Abstract

This article reviews the experience of a unique occupational group of World Trade Center (WTC) workers: immigrant workers. This group is comprised largely of men, laborers, who are first-generation immigrants. The majority of these workers are from Latin America (predominantly from Ecuador and Colombia) or from Eastern Europe (predominantly from Poland). Our data shows that the disease profile observed in these workers was what we have previously reported for WTC working population as a whole. Recent reports have begun to document the disproportionate burden of occupational hazards, injuries, and illnesses experienced by immigrant workers in the United States. The WTC experience of immigrants exemplified this burden but, additionally, highlighted that this burden is exacerbated by limitations in access to appropriate health care, disability and compensation benefits, and vocational rehabilitation services. A clinical program that was designed to address the complex medical and psychosocial needs of these workers in a comprehensive manner was successfully established. Full justice for these workers depends on larger societal changes. © 2008 The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

September 11 Terrorist Attacks immigrant South and Central America Ecuador Europe, Eastern Latin America compensation psychological aspect Caucasian occupational disease human Terrorism middle aged statistics social aspect Occupational Diseases Eastern Europe Colombia ethnology African American Hispanic Americans United States foreign worker Rescue Work Humans occupational accident smoking Hispanic male occupation female occupational exposure socioeconomics Conference Paper Article health care major clinical study adult vocational rehabilitation migration health care access New York City European Continental Ancestry Group disability Emigration and Immigration occupational hazard Healthcare Disparities health care disparity African Americans Health Services Accessibility rescue personnel health care delivery
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-65849206443&doi=10.1097%2fJOM.0b013e31818ff6fd&partnerID=40&md5=a2669c7e9ee3ecee0dc4699ec8379668
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31818ff6fd
ISSN: 10762752
Cited by: 17
Original Language: English