Ground Zero

A new analysis argues that rural America could become the central battleground for health system reform, as rural communities face hospital closures, provider shortages and limited access to care. The report suggests that any serious national effort to fix the US health system will have to start with addressing the crisis in rural areas, where outcomes and access lag far behind urban America.

Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, researchers continue to identify new health effects among first responders who worked at Ground Zero. Ongoing studies link exposure to toxic dust and debris at the World Trade Center site to cancers, respiratory illness and other conditions, with new findings still emerging decades later. The anniversary has renewed attention on the long-term toll borne by rescue and recovery workers, many of whom remain under medical monitoring.