Sheralin Green, Retired Coal Miner
"Right now, my breathing is not too good. I’ve been dealing with black lung for about two years now. I’m 57 years old. I didn’t expect this, and it has changed my life completely."
Health Resources and Services Administration's Black Lung Clinics Program
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Black Lung Clinics Program awards grants to health centers, hospitals, and other facilities. These grants support medical, outreach, educational, and benefits counseling services for coal miners across the country, regardless of their ability to pay.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
NIOSH has been conducting regular health surveillance of working coal miners since 1970. In the past two decades, there has been an increase in the prevalence and severity of black lung disease. The disease is complex and presents a broad spectrum of symptoms. The recent uptick in cases is troubling, with many more severe cases being reported. X-rays now show large spots rather than just small dots, and younger miners are being affected.
Robert Bailey, Retired Coal Miner
"Once the condition gets complicated, it requires much more medical help and assistance. There are very few places where you can find this help, and the clinics are one of the few places that provide it."
Clinic Staff and Community Trust
Many HRSA-funded black lung clinics are located in areas with large coal mining communities. Clinic staff often have personal ties to these communities, which helps them build trust with the miners they serve.
"When a clinic staff member introduces themselves and talks about where they’re from, and I find out they worked with my grandfather, it brings a smile to my face and a sense of relaxation, knowing they understand what I’m going through."
David Thomas, Retired Coal Miner
"Just treat them like a person, regardless of their age. Treat them like family. That’s how I’ve been treated here."
Adaptation of Services
Knowledge of the local setting enables clinics to adapt their services. For example, Miners’ Colfax Medical Center in Raton, New Mexico, uses a mobile screening unit to reach miners in rural areas, so they don’t have to travel long distances for care.
"We travel to their communities instead of making them travel 8 hours to see us. This not only makes it more convenient for patients but also helps us understand their living environment."
Dr. Akshay Sood
"We also use telemedicine, allowing patients to access preventive medicine, internal medicine, and pulmonary medicine specialists via satellite, which cuts down months of wait time."
Community Outreach
Other clinics collaborate with local black lung association chapters, participate in health fairs, and hold Miners’ Appreciation Days to spread the word about their services.
Available Services
When a miner visits a HRSA-funded black lung clinic, they receive a range of services, including lung function testing and information about the risks of coal mine dust exposure. Clinics also provide case management for conditions such as hearing loss, depression, and cardiovascular disease.
Debbie Johnson, LPN, Patient Care Coordinator, Bluestone Health Center, WV
"The HRSA grant has been a godsend. It enables us to help coal miners in our community who are uninsured or cannot afford necessary treatments. Even though we’re a Black Lung program, we strive to take care of the whole miner and their family."
Jimmy Phillips, Retired Coal Miner
"It has helped me a lot. I lost my insurance in 2014, and without the clinic, I might not be alive today."
HRSA-Funded Black Lung Clinics and Federal Black Lung Benefits
HRSA-funded black lung clinics assist miners with filing claims for federal black lung benefits. The Black Lung Benefits Act provides compensation to miners who are totally disabled by pneumoconiosis resulting from coal mine employment, and to survivors of miners whose deaths are attributable to the disease.
Benefits Counseling
Every HRSA-funded black lung clinic has a benefits counselor who assists miners with the federal black lung benefits claims process.
"I help miners apply for their federal black lung benefits and explain how the process works. I also help them understand the system."
Susie Criss
"The HRSA grant allows us to provide benefits counseling services that are not reimbursed by insurance. These are free services for our miners."
Bethel Brock, Retired Coal Miner
"They advise and counsel miners on benefits and give them confidence that someone is helping them."
Pulmonary Evaluations
Miners applying for benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act are entitled to a free pulmonary evaluation by an approved Department of Labor provider. Many HRSA-funded black lung clinics can provide these evaluations onsite.
"We examine miners for the presence and severity of black lung disease and assess lung damage. Being a DOL examiner also means being part of a community of physicians, attorneys, and benefits counselors who care deeply about miners’ health."
Gary Carmical, Retired Coal Miner
"I don’t know what we would do without this clinic in the mountains. Some people would have to drive miles to get help if it weren’t here. I’ll always have a place in my heart for these folks."
Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung and Silicosis)