About Us

Mount Sinai’s history caring for 9/11 responders began in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001. Recognizing the serious nature of the environmental exposures at Ground Zero, Mount Sinai physicians, in partnership with experts at regional occupational medicine clinics as well as with affected stakeholder organizations, developed a medical screening program to evaluate the health of 9/11 responders.

Medical evaluations began within weeks of September 11th at the Mount Sinai Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The Center, a New York State occupational health center of excellence, had nearly 20 years’ experience examining workers exposed to pollutants such as asbestos, lead, and silica. Today there are four locations that have since been renamed the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health.

In April 2002, Mount Sinai received federal funding to establish the WTC Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program, and examinations began in July 2002. A Mount Sinai-led clinical consortium of occupational health experts conducted examinations throughout the tristate area, and a national program was set up for those outside the area.

In December 2010, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was enacted, provided funding for five years for monitoring, screening, and treatment services for WTC responders and survivors (community members) at designated Clinical Centers of Excellence. A reauthorization bill was passed in December 2015, extending the WTC Health Program for 75 more years.

Leadership Team

Michael A Crane, MD, MPH  
Medical Director, WTC Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai
Medical Director, Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health

Laura E. Crowley, MD
Deputy Medical Director, Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health

Julia Nicolaou Burns, MPH
Administrator, Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health