Signed by President Biden in March 2022, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act is the first piece of federal legislation that increases access to evidence-based mental health treatment for health workers. It honors the life of emergency room physician Dr. Lorna Breen who died by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is a monumental step toward addressing the mental health crisis facing healthcare workers.
While there have been some improvements, many nurses and other healthcare workers still report facing significant mental health challenges, including stress and burnout. Specifically, the analysis showed that 46% or nearly half of all health workers reported often feeling burned out in 2022 and increased from 32% in 2018. Yet, surveys also indicate areas of optimism and hope.
“Poor mental health outcomes are less common when working conditions are positive, and where health workers have the potential to thrive,” said Casey Chosewood, MD, MPH, Director and Senior Medical Officer, at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in a recent press briefing.
The Lorna Breen Act provides support for hospitals and health systems working to create a positive environment, including grants to hospitals, medical professional associations, and other healthcare entities for programs to promote mental health and resiliency among healthcare providers.
“The law has created programs that can be implemented at a health system level and has launched an education and awareness campaign focused on providing health leaders the tools needed to improve their local environment so that the workforce can thrive,” shared Corey J. Feist, JD, MBA, CEO and co-founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and brother-in-law of Dr. Breen.
Since its enactment, the Lorna Breen Act has allocated $103 million among 44 organizations to execute evidence-based approaches aimed at diminishing and preempting suicide, burnout, mental health issues, and substance use disorders among healthcare workers. It has also initiated the Impact Wellbeing™ initiative, which provides hospital administrators with evidence-based remedies to mitigate healthcare worker burnout, uphold workplace well-being, and foster an environment where healthcare professionals can flourish.
But there is much more work to be done to protect and support healthcare workers, shares Feist. Here are three areas of focus for 2024 and beyond.
Reauthorize the Lorna Breen Act
Although the Lorna Breen Act has had success in helping destigmatize mental illness and increase access to evidence-based treatment for healthcare workers, the bill is set to expire in September 2024. With its expiration date pending, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), and Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA) have introduced H.R. 7153/S.3679 Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act.
Johnson & Johnson has joined more than 40 endorsing organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American Hospital Association, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in supporting the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act.
“Johnson & Johnson is incredibly grateful to stand with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and an expansive advocacy community to secure a better future for the US health workforce,” says Jane Adams, Vice President, US Federal Affairs, Johnson & Johnson. “We are proud to support Dr. Breen’s legacy through public policy efforts that will have immeasurable impact on the systemic change underway to improve well-being for all those on the front lines of care.”
Currently, less than one percent of the nation’s 6,120 hospitals receive program funding from the Lorna Breen Act. More than 200,000 other types of healthcare settings do not have the resources they need to support the mental health of their workforce. The reauthorization of the Lorna Breen Act will widen its scope to more hospitals and healthcare settings and further reduce the administrative burden for health workers.
Remove stigmatizing credentialing questions
Many healthcare workers aren’t seeking the support they need, often fearing the stigma associated with seeking mental healthcare, including the potential loss of their licenses and credentials due to intrusive mental health inquiries on applications. These questions can be stigmatizing and discriminatory and may even violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), explains Feist.
Advocates are working to remove invasive credentialing questions from medical and nursing licensing boards via the ALL IN WellBeing First Champion Challenge, a way for licensure boards, hospitals, and health systems to verify that their licensure and credentialing applications have been changed to not include intrusive mental health questions. The Foundation also offers a toolkit that licensing boards, hospitals, and insurance companies can download to ensure their screenings and questionnaires do not violate the ADA. The organizations who have made the necessary changes to their application questions are issued a badge of recognition.
“We’re hoping this badge will become a visible marker for the workforce as a symbol of safety for their organization, where they can obtain mental health treatment without fear of negative consequences on their work,” says Feist.
Create a National Health Worker Wellbeing Day
Senator Tim Kaine and Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., have introduced legislation to designate March 18th as the National Health Worker Wellbeing Day, coincides with the date that the Lorna Breen Act was originally signed. Creating a dedicated day to honor the wellbeing of healthcare workers would both acknowledge the workforce as well raise awareness about the continued need for mental health support and resources.
For more information on the importance of renewing funding and reauthorizing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act in 2024, and to learn what you can do to support the legislation, visit the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation’s website.
