(Albany, NY – January 8, 2016) -- Rarely does the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) - the New York State-wide organization representing 92,000 volunteer first responders including firefighters and emergency medical workers - institute a new Committee. FASNY’s creation of the new Health & Wellness Committee underscores one of the association’s top priorities: a mission described by FASNY President Robert McConville as, “A Healthy Firefighter Is Everyone’s Fight."
Long Island-based Jacqueline Moline, MD, MSc will serve as Chairperson for the committee. Among her vast accomplishments, Dr. Moline served as the director of Mount Sinai’s Clinical Center of Excellence within the World Trade Center (WTC) Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program, which has diagnosed and treated thousands of WTC responders in the New York metropolitan area and across the United States, and currently directs Northwell’s WTC Clinical Center of Excellence in Queens, NY. Of note, she is the only person to have directed two different WTC Clinical Centers.
Dr. Moline has been involved in the medical surveillance and care of diverse groups of workers for her entire 25-plus-years career in the field of occupational medicine. Dr. Moline was one of the founders of the World Trade Center Medical Program, and has treated hundreds of first responders since September 11, 2001. She is internationally recognized for her work with the World Trade Center program, and has advocated for medical care for all first responders for decades.
In addition to her work at the World Trade Center program, Dr. Moline chairs the Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention at the Northwell Health System and directs the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center of Long Island. She has focused on improving the health and wellness of first responders and other workers at high risk for pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer for the last 20 years.
Dr. Moline is a board-certified occupational medicine specialist who graduated from the University of Chicago with honors, then attended the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency at Yale University School of Medicine and then completed an occupational medicine residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she obtained a Master’s of Science in community medicine.
“FASNY’s Health & Wellness Committee, made up of experts in the medical field, will advise FASNY leadership on matters of health unique to firefighting, focusing on cancer, heart issues and mental health in the fire service,” said President McConville. “We are honored to have Dr. Jacqueline Moline helm this extremely important committee and are thrilled that she will be providing her expertise and sharing her experience and wisdom in our quest for healthy firefighters”, said McConville.
As part of efforts to bring attention to the critical issue of wellness for first responders, FASNY’s website provides numerous new informational and other resources for firefighters in a central location, found at http://www.fasny.com/category/wellness/.
In addition to Dr. Jacqueline Moline, Chair, the Committee includes Dr. Jamie Rockwin, Vice Chair; Kerri Winans-Kaley, Secretary; Kelli LaPage, Member; and Alexander Peter Ruckh, Member. Diana Pfersick, MHA; RN; EMT-CC is the FASNY Liaison to the new committee.
About FASNY
Founded in 1872, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) represents the interests of the more than 92,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in New York State. For more information, visit www.fasny.com.
FASNY believes “A Healthy Firefighter Is Everyone’s Fight.” In an effort to bring attention to the critical issue of wellness for first responders, this webpage http://www.fasny.com/category/wellness/ puts numerous resources addressing heart conditions, mental health and cancer issues in a central location. FASNY seeks to make the volunteer fire and emergency medical services as strong as they can be by providing resources and encouraging each organization to take positive action at a local level.
