Healthcare legislation co-led by Rep. Krishnamoorthi signed into law

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On March 18, 2022, President Biden signed the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act into law. This bipartisan legislation co-led by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi,

D-Illinois, and other lawmakers, will prevent suicide, and address burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals.

Named after Dr. Lorna Breen, a New York City emergency room physician who tragically died by suicide after enduring the trauma and burnout of working on the frontlines of the pandemic, seeks to establish training and other mental health resources for medical professionals and increase awareness about mental health concerns among the health care workforce.

“I was proud to join President Biden at the White House as he signed our Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection Act into law today to expand mental wellness resources for health care workers,” Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi is quoted saying in a press release. “The COVID-19 Pandemic has wreaked havoc on our healthcare system and economy, but beyond that, it has wreaked havoc on the mental wellbeing of frontline workers,” Krishnamoorthi said, adding that more than 300 doctors are estimated to have taken their own lives each year, which is double the suicide rate of the general population, during the pandemic.

“This legislation will help our healthcare professionals across the country as we honor the memory of Dr. Lorna Breen. To all the healthcare heroes fighting COVID and working long hours, this legislation is for you,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Specifically, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act:

• Establishes grants for training health profession students, residents, or health care professionals in evidence-informed strategies to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders. The grants would also help improve health care professionals’ well-being and job satisfaction.
• Seeks to identify and disseminate evidence-informed best practices for reducing and preventing suicide and burnout among health care professionals, training health care professionals in appropriate strategies, and promoting their mental and behavioral health and job satisfaction.
• Establishes a national evidence-based education and awareness campaign targeting health care 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; health care providers in current or former COVID-19 hotspots will be prioritized.
• Establishes a comprehensive study on health care professional mental and behavioral health and burnout, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on such professionals’ health.