Social Media Campaign to Promote WTC Health Services to New Yorkers Still Affected by 9/11
Ads urge New Yorkers impacted by 9/11 attacks to get help: "Come Out of the Dust – 15 Years Is Too Long"
Sep 08, 2016
NYC Health + Hospitals, New York City’s essential public health care system, will launch a series of social media ads this week designed to encourage individuals who are suffering from 9/11-related medical and mental health issues to seek care. Ads are focused on educating people still affected 15 years after the 9/11 attacks to seek care at its WTC Environmental Health Center.
The ad campaign urges people to “Come Out of the Dust – 15 Years Is Too Long”; asks, “Still Hurting?” from 9/11; and features messages designed to resonate with survivors, such as, “After 15 years, I can breathe again,” and “After 15 years, I can be well again.” To be posted on Facebook, the ads are scheduled to run during the months of September and October. The striking images from the ads, along with a newly released video public service announcement, will also be posted on NYC Health + Hospitals’ social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. See nine of the ads here.
The NYC Health + Hospitals WTC Health Center program is the only federally sponsored Center of Excellence that treats residents, students, workers, and passersby, known collectively as “survivors,” who were exposed to the dust cloud on 9/11, or to dust or smoke in the disaster area following 9/11. The center provides services at no out-of-pocket costs to patients and is run by physicians, therapists, psychiatrists, and social workers from the NYC Health + Hospitals system who specialize in many of the common health conditions related to 9/11, including respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders, mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, and cancer.
“We know from experience that many children and adults continue to suffer from the health effects of the physical and emotional trauma they experienced 15 years ago and don’t know there is specialized help available to them,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Ram Raju. “This campaign and our continuing work with community partners will help us get the word out and connect more people to the health services they need and deserve.”
The center has cared for more than 10,000 children and adults at its three locations: NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue on the East Side of Manhattan, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst in Queens, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur in Lower Manhattan.
Who Qualifies for These 9/11 Health Services:
- People who lived, worked, or went to school or day care in the area of Manhattan that is south of Houston Street or in northwest areas of Brooklyn, between September 11, 2001, and July 31, 2002.
- Anyone who was exposed to the dust cloud on 9/11, or to dust or smoke in the disaster area after 9/11.
- People who worked as a cleanup worker or performed maintenance work in the disaster area between September 11, 2001, and January 10, 2002.
Common 9/11 Health Conditions
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Sinus congestion
- Stomach problems
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Gastrointestinal problems, such as GERD
- Frequent heartburn
- Sinusitis, rhinitis
Cancer
- The federal government covers several specific cancers as 9/11-related conditions, including breast and colon cancer, and cancers of the head and neck.
- For a full list of cancers, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/wtc/conditions.html.
For eligibility and enrollment of people new to the program, call toll free 1-888-WTC-HP4U (1-888-982-4748) or visit www.cdc.gov/wtc or WTC Environmental Health Center.
Contact: Press Office
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation. We are a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, and post-acute care centers. We are a home care agency and a health plan, MetroPlusHealth. Our health system provides essential services to more than one million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the city’s five boroughs. Our diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. Visit us at nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook at facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem.