9/11 Health Update - Survivor Program

Using social work practices, she guided the development of programs that provide continuity of care and promote resiliency in the lives of victims' families and survivors. Today, Ms. Fetchet is dedicated to helping communities heal after tragedy in the wake of natural disasters, acts of mass violence, social or civil unrest, and domestic terrorism.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Ms. Fetchet recognized the importance of providing information and a wide range of programs for all those impacted by 9/11. As a family member, she was committed to helping families through the emotional, but therapeutic process of commemorating the lives and stories of 9/11. Under her leadership VOICES worked with over 1,600 families to create the Living Memorial Project. This online collection of over 87,000 photographs and personal keepsakes, documents the nearly 3,000 lives lost and stories of survivors and is a core component of the In Memoriam exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

Ms. Fetchet is a strong advocate for the rights of victim's families and survivors, and public policy reforms to make the country safer. As a 9/11 family member, she advocated for an appropriate process for the notification of human remains, the Victim's Compensation Fund and the creation of the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site. She was also instrumental in campaigning for the 9/11 Commission and the implementation of reforms based on their recommendations. She testified before the 9/11 Commission and the U.S. Congress on five occasions.

More recently, Ms. Fetchet is assisting communities impacted by other tragedies by sharing lessons learned through VOICES' nineteen years of experience. In 2013 she implemented a project, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, to define best practices in preparing for and responding to acts of mass violence. Interviews were conducted with those who responded to the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and New York City, the Oklahoma City bombing and the shootings at Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University and Tucson, Arizona. The project culminated in the creation of a Resource Kit that is available to communities nationally. Ms. Fetchet also initiated a research project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to quantify the needs of victims' families and survivors.

An expert on the long-term needs of victims and survivors, mental health care, preparedness, and national security reforms, she has made hundreds of appearances on national television and at conferences in the U.S. and abroad, and contributes regularly to print and radio.

She has been involved in health studies of adverse health effects in the community from environmental exposures to WTC since 2001. In addition, Dr. Reibman has been the recipient of multiple NIH awards and is the Principal Investigator for the New York Consortium of the American Lung Association Asthma Clinical Research Centers.

In addition, she holds a Master's in Public Health from UCLA in Industrial Hygiene.