WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. John Howard has been reappointed to another six-year term as director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program.
Howard’s reappointment comes days before the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and continues his leadership of a federal program that provides medical monitoring and treatment to more than 140,000 9/11 responders and survivors nationwide.
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Benjamin Chevat, executive director of 9/11 Health Watch, called the reappointment “the right move” but said additional action is needed to stabilize the program.
“The reappointment is necessary but not sufficient,” Chevat said.
Chevat said the World Trade Center Health Program still faces problems involving research funding, staffing and delays in care and certification processing. He cited a reported $13 million in research funding that has not yet been issued and said grant delays have slowed research and put some researchers’ jobs at risk.
Howard was first appointed director of NIOSH in 2002 and has served in the position under presidential administrations of both parties. As NIOSH director, he also serves as administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program.
The program monitors and treats people with health conditions associated with exposure to the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath.
Howard’s reappointment followed a bipartisan push from members of Congress. In July, 26 lawmakers joined Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to retain Howard.
The lawmakers said Howard’s continued leadership would provide stability and preserve institutional knowledge as the program enters its next phase.
Chevat said the reappointment could signal a change in direction after what he described as 18 months of communication blackouts, delays, staff firings and rehiring at the program.
“We hope that this decision to reappoint Dr. Howard is a sign that you want the World Trade Center Health Program to be able to do its job providing health care and medical monitoring to 9/11 responders and survivors,” Chevat said.
