BLCOE Mission
To improve the medical surveillance, treatment, and medicolegal services provided by black lung medical providers, advocacy organizations, and governmental agencies who provide care to coal miners.
WHO ARE WE?
The University of Illinois Chicago, in collaboration with National Jewish Health, established the Black Lung Center of Excellence (BLCOE) in 2014, with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Rural Health Policy. Since then, the BLCOE has provided services to many HRSA Black Lung Clinics grantees. In 2020, HRSA funded the establishment of the Black Lung Data & Resource Center (BLDRC).
In The News
Covering Coal Mine Dust Lung Disease Topics
Thousands Of Coal Miners Dying From Advanced Form Of Black Lung Disease Which Could Have Been Prevented, Investigation Finds
“In an investigatory piece conducted jointly with the PBS investigative series Frontline, NPR (1/22, Berkes) reports, “Thousands of coal miners are dying from [...]
DOL: “U.S. Mining Fatalities in 2018 Were Second Lowest on Record”
On January 9, 2019 the Mine Safety & Health Administration of the Department of Labor reported that 2018 was the [...]
NPR: “Tax That Funds Black Lung Disability Trust Fund Is Set To Expire”
Click here for an NPR report on the state of the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. As of today, January 22, [...]