http://www.silive.com/newsflash/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-20/1156521541192250.xml&storylist=simetro9/11 health woes reach far beyond New York
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Ground zero worker Jimmy Willis' lung problems got so bad in the years after Sept. 11 that he finally left New York, hoping the dry air of Nevada would blow away the after-effects of toxic World Trade Center dust.
But when he moved two years ago, Willis also left behind New York-based medical expertise on the subject of 9/11 related illnesses, joining a diaspora of hundreds of ground zero rescue workers scattered across the United States.
It is a population many health experts, union leaders and politicians say is vulnerable to poor medical treatment because the government has delayed release of guidelines that would help doctors around the country diagnose and treat illnesses linked to the attacks. A standard medical protocol for health care workers is just one element of what a growing chorus of advocates says should be a long-term, national program to test and treat sick workers.
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The New York City Department of Health is crafting the protocols, but there is no set deadline for their release. At the same time, the federal government is promising a Web site to serve as a clearinghouse for 9/11 health information for people around the country.