On September 8, 2008, a press conference held at Stony Brook University Medical Center to announce Congressman Tim Bishop’s support of legislation that would give consistent yearly funding to the Long Island World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program.
“This legislation will allow us to concentrate on the patients and our mission, rather than hunting down grants and alternative funding. It will be a great resource for the program,” said Dr. Benjamin Luft ,the director of the program.
The Long Island World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment is a comprehensive program treating 3500 to 4000 patients currently out of their Islandia offices. Services are offered to first responders to the World Trade Center disaster heedless of their insurance and social services status.
Services include; medical condition monitoring, lab work, prescriptions, psychological services and social services to assist patients in navigating the numerous governmental and local assistance programs.
“Senator Hillary Clinton was instrumental in obtaining the first round of funding for us, we are fortunate to have Congressman Tim Bishop follow-up with this current legislation,” Dr. Luft said.
“I’m not sure that people realize twenty-five to thirty percent of the first responders to the World Trade Center disaster were Long Islanders,” said Melody Guerrera, the program administrator.