Bill honors Dr. Lorna Breen, who died by suicide while serving on frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic
Washington, DC – The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, H.R. 1667, was signed into law today. This bill will enhance the mental and behavioral health resources that are available to support health care professionals.
Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E. (WV-01), is a lead sponsor of the bill.
“It’s time we take care of the health care professionals who are charged with caring for the rest of us,” said McKinley. “I’m proud that the Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Act, is now law, recognizing the dramatic toll that working on the frontlines has taken on health care professionals, especially as a result of the Covid pandemic.”
“Too many health care providers experience burn out and serious mental health and substance abuse challenges due to the intensity of their work. This bill ensures their well-being is a priority while aiming to remove the stigma of health care workers seeking help to address mental health or substance abuse challenges,” said McKinley.
This is the 25th bill sponsored by Rep. McKinley that has been signed into law.
Background:
Dr. Lorna Breen was a talented emergency physician in New York City who was practicing medicine during the traumatic Covid-19 pandemic. The pressures of her work weighed heavily on her and sadly, Dr. Breen died by suicide.
Specifically, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act:
- Establishes grants for training health profession students, residents, or healthcare professionals in evidence-informed strategies to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders. The grants would also help improve healthcare professionals’ well-being and job satisfaction.
- Seeks to identify and disseminate evidence-informed best practices for reducing and preventing suicide and burnout among healthcare professionals, training healthcare professionals in appropriate strategies, and promoting their mental and behavioral health and job satisfaction.
- Establishes a national evidence-based education and awareness campaign targeting healthcare professionals to encourage them to seek support and treatment for mental and behavioral health concerns.
- Establishes grants for employee education, peer-support programming, and mental and behavioral health treatment; healthcare providers in current or former COVID-19 hotspots will be prioritized.
- Establishes a comprehensive study on healthcare professional mental and behavioral health and burnout, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on such professionals’ health.
The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act is supported by:
The American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), American Academy Of Emergency Medicine Resident and Student Association (AAEM/RSA), American College of Emergency Physicians, American Academy of Dermatology Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of PAs, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Association of Clinical Urologists, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic (AACOM), American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, American College of Cardiology, American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American College of Physicians, American College of Radiology, American College of Rheumatology, American College of Surgeons, American Counseling Association, American Dance Therapy Association, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Gastroenterological Association, American Hospital Association (AHA), American Medical Association, American Medical Student Association, American Medical Group Association, American Nurses Association, American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), American Osteopathic Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Association for Clinical Oncology, Association of American Medical Colleges, Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY), Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Ballad Health, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, EMDR International Association, Emergency Nurses Association, Envision Healthcare, Federation of State Medical Boards, Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP), The Joint Commission, Mental Health America, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Spine Specialists, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, National Board Certified Counselors, National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), Physicians Advocacy Institute, Postpartum Support International, Renal Physicians Association, RI International, SMART Recovery, Society for Vascular Surgery, The International OCD Foundation, The Jed Foundation, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, UVA Health, and the Well Being Trust.
Original source can be found here.
