WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) reintroduced the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act, a bill that would prevent burnout among healthcare providers and improve workforce retention by authorizing funding for mental health and wellbeing programs in the healthcare industry. Named in honor of Dr. Lorna Breen, who tragically lost her mental health battle to suicide in 2020, this bill aims to equip America’s healthcare providers with necessary resources to combat similar mental health challenges. This bipartisan legislation was introduced alongside Congresswomen Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Marianette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA).
“America’s healthcare providers work from sun-up to sundown to provide lifesaving care to patients,” said Congresswoman Jen Kiggans. “Their dedication to our communities is unmatched, but unfortunately our healthcare workers often face serious mental health challenges and don’t receive the support they need on the job. As a geriatric nurse practitioner, I know that burnout and mental health challenges are very real threats in our healthcare workforce, especially given the all-demanding nature of the job. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan bill with my colleagues to support workers’ mental health with suicide prevention resources and improve our healthcare systems, ultimately providing better care for patients across the country.”
“Healthcare professionals dedicate their lives to serving their patients, often at the expense of their own physical and emotional wellbeing,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation that will provide much-needed resources to address the mental and behavioral health conditions doctors and nurses face and continue reducing the stigma surrounding mental health care.”
“As a physician, I know how critical it is to reduce healthcare worker burnout, which can be largely caused by administrative burdens,” said Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks. “Our bipartisan bill provides a multi-pronged approach to provide innovative trainings to address specific operational factors and develop suicide prevention resources. Better conditions for healthcare professionals are crucial in our mission for better healthcare outcomes for patients.”
“Health care professionals devote their lives to caring for others — too often, at the expense of their own mental health,” said Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan. “Reauthorizing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act will provide our health care heroes with resources and support they need and deserve. I thank Congresswoman Dingell for her leadership and look forward to working with her and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to continue these critical programs.”
“Health care is human. It’s about people caring for people, and creating systems that care for the caregivers, too,” said Corey Feist, JD, MBA, co-founder and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, which leads the ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition. “We are tremendously grateful to Reps. Kiggans, Dingell, McClellan, Miller-Meeks, Fitzpatrick, and Krishnamoorthi for their continued dedication to reauthorize and fund the bipartisan Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act and improve the systems in which our health workers are educated, trained, and practice.”
“About thirty seven percent of urologists experience burnout,” said American Urological Association Public Policy Council Chair, Mark Edney, MD, according to AUA census data. “Those experiencing burnout exhibit concerning findings related to patient outcomes, personal relationships, and personal health, including suicidal ideation. This important legislation will support access to coping mechanisms and organizational strategies that we know will protect physicians and patients.”
“The healthcare workforce sees higher rates of suicide than non-healthcare workers. It is a tragedy that those who dedicate their lives to safeguarding the health and safety of people across the country through careers are not receiving the care and support they need to protect and support their own mental health,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act will help to reduce and prevent suicide among healthcare professionals and assist their employers in better supporting the wellbeing of the healthcare workforce by addressing burnout and improving access to care for mental and behavioral health conditions. We are grateful to Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Todd Young, Senator Jack Reed, Senator Roger Marshall, Representative Jennifer Kiggans, Representative Debbie Dingell, Representative Jennifer McClellan, and Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks for their collaboration. AFSP looks forward to working with Congress to ensure this important program continues its vital work.”
“As emergency physicians, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) is deeply grateful to Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) for their leadership in reauthorizing and funding the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act in the House,” said Dr. Robert Frolichstein, President of AAEM. “AAEM urges Congress to act swiftly in passing and funding these critical initiatives, which are essential to preventing suicide, burnout, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders among emergency physicians. Protecting those who dedicate their lives to saving others is not just necessary—it’s an urgent priority.”
“This bill renews our commitment to emergency physicians and health care workers on the frontlines by prioritizing their mental health, while honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Lorna Breen, our emergency physician colleague,” said Alison Haddock, MD, FACEP, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “We must ensure that physicians and care teams have full access to the mental health treatment, support services, and education they need and deserve. There’s no doubt about it, this law saves lives and protects livelihoods. ACEP fully endorses the reauthorization of this vital law and strongly encourages its prompt passage.”
“As frontline providers, pharmacists have seen an increase in responsibilities and demand without corresponding systemic supports, which has challenged pharmacist mental health and well-being,” said Al Carter, CEO of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. “The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) is pleased to partner with other professional organizations to support the reintroduction of critical legislation to reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, which funds programs to provide more resources to support our health care workforce.”
“Unfortunately, the pharmacy workforce, like the rest of the healthcare workforce, is experiencing alarming rates of occupational burnout and mental health difficulties,” said Tom Kraus, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ vice president of government relations. “Thanks to the Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection Act in 2022, ASHP reached 5,000 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy residents, and student pharmacists with evidence-based solutions for creating cultures of well-being in healthcare organizations.”
“Nurses dedicate themselves to caring for others, often making personal sacrifices. The relentless demands of the profession, combined with the stigma around seeking mental health support, have left too many nurses struggling in silence. Reauthorizing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act is a critical step in ensuring nurses have the resources and support they need. We are grateful to Representatives Dingell, Kiggans, Miller-Meeks, and McClellan for championing this important legislation and standing with the nursing workforce,” said American Nurses Association’s President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN.
Background:
Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) reintroduced the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act alongside Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Marianette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA). This bipartisan legislation is also cosponsored by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL). Congresswoman Kiggans originally introduced this bill last Congress.
This bill is named after Dr. Lorna Breen, who served at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan and became the director of the emergency room at the Allen Hospital in 2008. Dr. Breen died by suicide on April 26, 2020, following a dark period during which she treated confirmed COVID patients, contracted COVID herself, and returned to an overwhelming number of incredibly sick patients.
Signed into law on March 18, 2022, the Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act was the first of its kind to allocate specific funds towards grants for training healthcare students, residents, and professionals in evidence-informed strategies to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders.
- The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act would reauthorize the Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection Act for the years 2025-2030.
- This bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program to fund programs that seek to improve mental and behavioral health among healthcare providers, remove barriers to access treatment for mental and behavioral health among healthcare providers, as well as to create a campaign to encourage healthcare providers to seek mental health care.
- A study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that there is a significant healthcare crisis among healthcare workers as they have a 32% elevated risk of taking their lives.
- According to the CDC, in 2022, nearly 46% of healthcare workers reported often feeling work-related burnout.
- According to the NIH, a study found that 24.3% of physicians, 41% of nurses, 32.1% of clinical staff, and 32.6% of non-clinical staff who experienced burnout also intended to leave their jobs.
- The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act was passed into law in March 2022. The law has since expired and needs reauthorization to continue to provide critical assistance to our healthcare providers.
You can find a one pager on this bill here.
You can find the full bill text here.
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