National Jewish To Open Miners' Clinic

Mining is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States. Many miners suffer from lung diseases, including silicosis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma and lung cancer. National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver is doing something to help. Beginning in December, National Jewish will open a clinic specifically for Colorado miners, ex-miners and retired miners.

"We plan active outreach to Colorado miners to offer them comprehensive services including medical surveillance, medical diagnosis and treatment, pulmonary rehabilitation, education for prevention, and benefits counseling," said Cecile Rose, MD, M.P.H., Director of the new Miners' Clinic of Colorado.

Eventually, National Jewish plans to set up a satellite clinic on the Western Slope, though for the first six months the clinic services will be available only in Denver, said Rose. The clinic was made possible in large part by a two-year $350,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Colorado mines-yielding gold, uranium, copper, molybdenum, lead, limestone, sand and gravel, coal, titanium-contribute $7.7 billion annually to the state's economy. Mining is first or second every year in terms of most hazardous industries, with historically high fatality rates. More than five percent of workers go on to suffer from some type of lung disease.

The Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at National Jewish is dedicated to the recognition, treatment, prevention, and understanding of diseases due to workplace and environmental exposures.

For more information about the Miners' Clinic, call (303) 398-1034.

National Jewish has been ranked as the top respiratory hospital in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report for five consecutive years and is the only medical and research center in the U.S. devoted entirely to lung, allergic and immune diseases, including asthma, allergies, tuberculosis, emphysema.