News Item (9/8/21)

Dear Friend of the Christian Regenhard Center:

As the anniversary of 9/1 quickly approaches, we wanted to mark the occasion by announcing a few important initiatives at the College.

The College has a 9/11 20th Anniversary page http://johnjay.jjay.cuny.edu/911memorial/2021/index.html with links to numerous resources, including a College-wide schedule of events for Fall 2021.

The College's memorial service will be held virtually on September 10, 2021 at noon, via the College's YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/user/CUNYJohnJay.

There you will also find an ongoing series of 9/11 recollections from a cross-section of John Jay alumni.

We will take September off (as we normally do) to pause for the memorial, and begin a series of 9/11-focused programs examining aspects of the event from several perspectives.

October -- High-rise firefighting -- A book talk for the forthcoming book by Jack Murphy, Jerry Tracy, and Jim Murtagh. Especially sweet since Jim and Jack are both John Jay alumni and faculty.

November -- A look at progress since 9/11 in the field of emergency response including Christian Regenhard Center Advisory Board members Theron Bowman, Larry Collins, Mike McEvoy, Andrew Phelps, and Frank Straub. The panel, all experienced in law enforcement, EMS, fire, USAR, and emergency management, promises to be an insightful conversation laying out both progress and challenges.

December -- The federal role in disaster lessons learned will be the subject of this talk, which will start with the legislative response to 9/11, including the story of the National Construction Safety Team Act (used most recently to authorize investigation of the Surfside, Florida building collapse. From there we will move on to post-Katrina legislative changes, and pending legislation proposing a National Disaster Safety Board and other initiatives. This promises to be a special event -- we will update the speakers shortly.

Additional details are available via our events page at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/christian-regenhard-center-for-emergency-response-studies-racers-7298910211

Best wishes,

Charles Jennings, Director

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9/111 and Beyond Word Trade Center Health Registry

Fall 2021—20th Anniversary Issue

18 Years.

70,000 Enrollees.

Over 140 Research Papers.

The Registry has published over 140 research papers on short- and long-term 9/11 health outcomes, unmet health care needs, quality of life and functioning. The scope of the research includes existing and potentially emerging 9/11-related health conditions, many of which fall under the conditions covered by the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. Registry research findings have helped inform federal policymaking, including the work of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

The Registry continues its mission of researching the long-term physical and mental health effects of 9/11. To view the infographic in high resolution, visit www1.nyc.gov/assets/911health/images /newsletter/wtchr-infographic.pdf.

Research Highlights of the Last 15 Years Infographic

The Art of Remembrance

Major League Baseball – Turner Sports is producing a documentary titled “More Than Just a Game: Baseball Remembers 9/11,” about baseball’s role in New York and America’s 9/11 recovery.

Spike Lee – Together with HBO, Spike Lee has produced a documentary titled “NYC Epicenters 9/11 -> 2021½,” which looks at New Yorkers’ lives from 2001 to 2021.

[Photo Left: DFree / Shutterstock.com; Photo Right: Al Bello/Allsport / GettyImages.com]

CDC Museum

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) David J. Sencer CDC Museum is creating a unique installation on WTC disaster exposures and related health conditions. The exhibition will also look at related work since 2001 by groups like the Registry and WTC Health Program. To learn more, visit cdc.gov/museum/index.htm.

[Layne Harris / Shutterstock.com]

Registry Milestones:
Past, Present, Future

Enrollee Stories

Marya Columbia: Her Music Was a Glimmer of Light as She Played for the Workers at Ground Zero

After 9/11, Marya Columbia played in a group of musicians for the rescue and recovery workers who came to St. Paul’s Chapel for a break from their physically and emotionally draining daily work at ground zero.

Marya volunteered for months, and her time at ground zero greatly contributed to her lung cancer diagnosis in May 2019. The Registry worked alongside Marya and her husband Ron to have her admitted into the WTC Health Program as the first musician to receive benefits through the program. When asked, Marya said she joined the Registry out of principle so other musicians could access benefits too. Sadly, Marya Columbia passed away from lung cancer on October 23, 2019.

Registry Stories

Dr. Marijo Russell O’Grady: Remembering Her Professional Dedication and Inspiring Personality

With great sadness we note the 2020 passing of Dr. Marijo Russell O’Grady, who served for many years as chair of the Registry’s Community Advisory Board (CAB). We fondly remember her dedication, focus, availability and calmness in the wake of 9/11. Her ability and desire to communicate helped immensely in guiding the CAB through trying times.

While chair of the CAB, Dr. O’Grady also served as associate vice president and dean for students at Pace University’s Manhattan campus, coauthored the book “Crisis, Compassion, and Resiliency in Student Affairs,” and received awards for her extensive public and community service.

She leaves behind the loves of her life, her husband Mark D. O’Grady and their son James Russell O’Grady. The Registry expresses condolences to Dr. O’Grady’s family and is thankful for all of her inspiring work.

20 Years Later
Listen to enrollees talk about their relationship with the Registry and their lives 20 years after 9/11. View their testimonials, including Marya’s, at www1.nyc.gov/site/911health/enrollees/ testimonial-videos.page.

20th Anniversary Virtual Town Hall
With the NYC Health Department and Registry
On September 8, 2021, at 9 a.m. EDT, watch a virtual NYC Health Department town hall about the 20th anniversary and the Registry’s work since 2003: Visit https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=k-G_dUP-0s8 to view the livestream event. A video recording will also be posted at this link shortly after the event.

Mail's Here

“We were and still are committed to responding whenever the need arises. When asked if I knew then what I know now of the dangers and the health issues, would it have changed what I did? My response was and remains, ‘In a heartbeat, we go where we are needed. As a retired police officer, we never ran away from the danger; we went head-on to meet and deal with the situation.’

I am proud to have had the opportunity to serve on 9/11 and the aftermath. I am proud of all those who served with us. I am especially proud as a chaplain to have been allowed the opportunity to bring some comfort, and I hope healing to … [the] brave police and fire personnel who climbed those stairs to rescue those people from certain death. They gave their lives to save others; they are the real heroes. May God bless them and reward them with eternal life in heaven. They served their time in hell on 9/11.”

— Anonymous

“Dear WTCHR,

As a Pearl and Catherine Slip resident, I want to thank you so very much for being there, caring and never giving up on your health watch over all these years.

A friend recently posted an image of the World Trade Center ‘skeletal ghost’ taken on 9/11. She is a photojournalist and was documenting the site. The image caught me off guard and brought me back to when I saw that with my own eyes on that day. On seeing that photo, I broke down and began to cry. It was odd, but assume it was an outlet of years of buried hurt — a wound of love.

My apartment was coated with dust, and I did continue to live downtown after 9/11. Luckily, my physical health appears to be OK. However, I do have a series of unsettling images that are seared into my memory. Your presence and your work are a godsend. It is wonderful to know you are still there on this 20th anniversary.”

— A Pearl Street resident

The Continued Health Impacts of 9/11

According to a 2019 study, systemic autoimmune diseases are an emerging health concern among people who were exposed to the dust cloud created after the WTC disaster.

The Registry’s health materials are one of its most popular sources of information. They describe symptoms and treatments for some of the 52 conditions, including melanoma and sinusitis, covered by the WTC Health Program. To read the systemic autoimmune diseases handout and others, visit nyc.gov/911health and search for health materials.

Need Care? If you are an enrollee and think you may have a 9/11-related health condition, email the Registry’s Treatment Referral Program at t...@health.nyc.gov. A staff member will respond to help see if you are eligible.

Resources
The federal WTC Health Program provides monitoring and treatment, including medications for physical and mental health conditions related to 9/11. Services are offered at no cost to you, no matter where you live now. You can apply online at cdc.gov/wtc or call 888-982-4748 to have an application mailed to you.

Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19
It has never been easier to get a COVID-19 vaccination in NYC. People age 12 and older can get vaccinated. Many vaccination sites do not require appointments. It is important that people with chronic conditions get vaccinated. Visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder to find a city vaccination site near you. Outside NYC, visit vaccines.gov.

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VOICES 20th Anniversary Remembrance Symposium

September 9th & 10th, 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Marriott Downtown Hotel | 85 West Street, New York City

Join us on September 9 and 10 at the Marriott Downtown Hotel, in-person or virtually; as we remember those we lost, reflect on our journey together and look to the future with renewed hope.

Remembrance, Reflection and Resilience is the theme of VOICES 20th Anniversary Remembrance Symposium. This year’s program includes presentations on important topics that have been at the heart of VOICES work over the past 20 years. We have had the honor of knowing, and privilege of working alongside many of the presenters who have dedicated their careers to making a difference. They will share the challenges they faced, the lessons they have learned, and the look ahead beyond the 20th Anniversary.

Most importantly, this year’s symposium will illuminate the personal stories of victims’ families, survivors and responders - shedding light on their lived experiences and amplifying their VOICES.

Click here for an updated agenda.

Join us in-person, or join us online for some or all of the program. The Symposium is free and open to all. Registration is required.

Please note: All attendees must show proof of vaccination upon arrival. State mandates concerning masks will be followed.

September 9th Agenda

9:00am | BALLROOM 1

Candlelighting Ceremony & Opening Remarks

Mary and Frank Fetchet – Voices Center for Resilience

9:30am - 10:30am | BALLROOM 1

Bearing Witness to Tragedy: How 9/11 Changed Journalism and Journalists

Allison Gilbert – Author and Host of "Women Journalists of 9/11: Their Stories"

Mike Kelly – Book Author and Columnist, The Bergen Record and USA Today

Joe McNally – Photojournalist, Faces of Ground Zero

Janny Scott – Author, New York Times Portraits of Grief

10:30am - 11:15am | BALLROOM 1

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of Special Forces in Afghanistan

Scott Neil – Green Beret Veteran

Bob Pennington – Green Beret Veteran

11:15am - 11:30am

BREAK

11:30am - 12:30pm | BALLROOM 1

Looking Back to Look Forward: What Worked & What’s Next?

Jane Harman – Distinguished Fellow, President Emerita, Wilson Center, Former US Representative

Tim Roemer – US Ambassador to India, 9/11 Commissioner, Former US Representative

Christopher Shays – Former US Representative

12:30pm - 1:30pm

LUNCH

1:30pm - 2:30pm | BALLROOM 1

Understanding Resilience and Risk following Traumatic Events

Dr. Bruce Perry – NY Times Best Selling Author, What Happened to you? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

2:30pm - 4:00pm | BALLROOM 1

Voices of Victims, Survivors and Responders

Connie Palmer – Grief Educator, Imagine, A Center Coping with Loss

Mark Desire – Assistant Director Department of Forensic Biology, NYC OCME

Scott Gassman – 9/11 Survivor

Fred Guttenberg – Brother of Dr. Michael Guttenberg, a responder who died post 9/11

Mark O’Grady – Husband of Marijo Russell O’Grady, a survivor who died post 9/11

Gary Smiley – 9/11 Responder

4:00pm - 4:30pm | BALLROOM 1

Voices of Reflection: Artistic Stories of Hope and Healing

Dianne Brudnicki, Robert Carley, and John Coburn

20th Anniversary Seattle Art Project

4:30pm | BALLROOM 1

Closing Reflections

Mary and Frank Fetchet – Voices Center for Resilience

September 10th Agenda

9:00am – 9:30am

Candlelighting Ceremony & Opening Remarks | BALLROOM 1

Mary and Frank Fetchet – Voices Center for Resilience

9:30am - 10:30am | BALLROOM 1

Sites of Memory: Building 9/11 Memorials on Sacred Ground

Mary Fetchet – Founding Director, VOICES Center for Resilience

Anthony Gardner – Founder of September 11 Education Trust

Alice Greenwald – President and Chief Executive, 911 Memorial & Museum

Governor George Pataki – Former Governor of New York on 9/11

10:30am - 11:30am | BALLROOM 1

The 9/11 Commission: A Retrospective

Richard Ben Veniste – 9/11 Commissioner

Senator Susan Collins - US Senator of Maine

The Honorable Thomas H. Kean - Chairman, 9/11 Commission

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman - Former US Senator of Connecticut

11:30am - 11:45am

BREAK

11:30am – 11:45pm | BALLROOM 3

Sites of Memory: Memorial Video

Steve Clark - Superintendent of National Parks of Western Pennsylvania

Gordie Felt - President, Families of Flight 93

Jim Laychak - Executive Director, Pentagon Memorial Fund

11:45am - 12:45pm | BALLROOM 1

9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and Compensation Programs

Michael Barasch – Partner McGarry, Salzman and Penson

Rupa Bhattacharyya – Special Master September 11th VCF

Joseph Cavalcante – Advocate, NYS Workers’ Compensation Board

John Dearie – Managing Attorney, Dearie Law Firm

Noah Kushlefsky – Partner, Kreindler & Kreindler

Stefanie Langsam – Deputy Special Master September 11th VCF

Matt McCauley – Partner, Turken, Heath and McCauley

11:45am – 12:45pm | BALLROOM 3

Our VOICES Together Peer-to-Peer Discussion Groups for 9/11 Families

Richard Beck, LCSW – Facilitator, American Group Psychotherapy Association

12:45pm - 1:45pm

LUNCH

12:45pm - 1:45pm | BALLROOM 1

Our VOICES Together Peer-to-Peer Discussion Groups for 9/11 Families

Richard Beck, LCSW – Facilitator, American Group Psychotherapy Association

12:45pm - 1:45pm | BALLROOM 3

Private meeting for 9/11 Survivors with NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

Mark Desire – Assistant Director Department of Forensic Biology, NYC OCME

Carl Gajewski – Criminalist, NYC OCME

Jennifer Odien – WTC Anthropologist NYC OCME

Dr. Barbara Sampson – NYC Chief Medical Examiner

1:45pm - 2:45pm | BALLROOM 1

Progress Report on September 11 Litigation

Brett Eagleson – 9/11 Family Advocate

John Eubanks – Attorney Motley Rice

Robert Haefele – Senior Counsel Motley Rice

Jim Kreindler – Partner, Kreindler & Kreindler

1:45pm - 2:45pm | BALLROOM 3

World Trade Center Medical & Mental Health Updates

Robert Brackbill – PhD Director of Research WTC Health Registry

Dr. Joan Reibman – Medical Director NYU/Bellevue Asthma Center

Dr. Rebecca Rosen – Director of MHS, NYC Health and Hospitals and WTC EHC

Dr. Leigh Wilson – Medical Director, Northwell Health Center of Excellence

2:45pm - 3:00pm

BREAK

3:00pm - 4:00pm | BALLROOM 1

The Role of Sports Following 9/11

Jeremy Schapp – ESPN Network Personality

Bobby Valentine – Former Manager, NY Mets

Jeff Van Gundy – Former Head Coach, NY Knicks

4:00pm | BALLROOM 1

Closing Reflections

Mary and Frank Fetchet – Voices Center for Resilience

Additional Exhibits

In-person attendees will also be able to enjoy these exhibits.

Voices of Reflection Art Exhibit

Dianne Brudnicki and the Seattle Art Project

For a full list of confirmed speakers and biographies, click here.

If you can't attend the Symposium, but would like to make a donation, click here.

If you or your organization is interested in becoming a 20th Anniversary Commemoration Sponsor, click here.

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