Health care professionals are the U.S. health care system. They’re at the heart of every life saved and every patient cared for, in return facing challenges and strain unimaginable to most of us.
Yet, despite alarming levels of burnout and untreated mental health conditions exacerbated by the weaknesses of the system in which they serve, Congress has allowed the groundbreaking law supporting their mental health to expire. To avoid losing the progress we’ve made and further threatening the readiness of our health care workforce both now and in the future, Congress must reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act before the end of the year.
Named in honor of Corey’s sister-in-law, Lorna Breen, an emergency physician who died by suicide on April 26, 2020, the Lorna Breen Act has already led to significant strides in supporting the well-being of those who care for us. The original legislation, passed in 2022, has helped develop suicide prevention resources tailored to health care workers, supported well-being programs at 45 local hospitals, and provided training for health care leaders to tackle the root causes of burnout. Passed with broad bipartisan support, the Lorna Breen Act proved that supporting the well-being of health care workers is an issue that everyone can agree on.
There is no reason why this landmark legislation should be allowed to expire. And none has been offered. The reauthorization legislation would not only build on successes to date, it has been written to focus new grants on the reduction of administrative burden. Underutilizing health care professionals’ skills with unnecessary administrative tasks fuels burnout, but organizational changes can help reduce these burdens and improve well-being. One study found that clinicians spend almost 28 hours weekly on administrative tasks like charting and prior authorization, cutting deeply into patient care. Reauthorization will prioritize reducing unjustifiable bureaucratic bloat, helping to restore the joy and fulfillment that drew so many to medicine in the first place.
During this legislative session, Congress has held numerous hearings and proposed critical legislative solutions to address health care workforce shortages, with burnout emerging as a pressing concern. Reauthorizing the act presents a timely and tangible opportunity for Congress to take action and further advance evidence-based strategies that are already proven effective.
For example, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Health, a grantee recipient under the legislation, reduced their turnover rate from 52.7% in 2021 to 17.8% in 2022 by focusing on both individual support and systems-level changes. The University of Alabama at Birmingham decreased burnout by 17% in six months by dedicating staff to provide stress/trauma and well-being support to frontline nurses and nurse leaders.
In addition, Lorna Breen Act funds led to the development of the Impact Wellbeing Guide from the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In the six months following the Impact Wellbeing Guide’s release, nearly 35,000 people accessed the Guide, enabling them to use it to make systems-level changes and build trust between leaders and health care workers. Through NIOSH’s evaluation of the Impact Wellbeingcampaign, we have heard from leaders that the resources helped identify policies and practices that contributed to workplace burnout, although, tellingly, only half of those hospital leaders said they believe they have the resources needed to offer additional well-being support for staff.
These changes and others spurred by the Lorna Breen Act reflect the beginnings of a cultural shift toward systems that support both patient care and caregiver well-being. However, without reauthorization, this progress could stall or disappear entirely.
Burnout doesn’t just harm individuals, it threatens the entire system. The 2022 U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce estimated that burnout-related staffing turnover costs $9 billion for nurses and $2.6 to $6.3 billion for physicians — staggering figures that only scratch the surface.
Additionally, Medicare invests approximately $17.8 billion annually in physician residency programs to build a robust workforce. When physicians leave the profession prematurely — often within 10 to 15 years — this investment is squandered. Worse, every departure exacerbates workforce shortages and leaves communities without the health care professionals they need. Addressing burnout is essential to protecting these federal investments, reducing costs, and ensuring health care is accessible for everyone.
The reauthorization of the Lorna Breen Act has strong bipartisan support. The House and Senate committees of jurisdiction both have approved the reauthorization without controversy. However, the reauthorization faces challenges amid a crowded end-of-year legislative calendar. With competing priorities and limited time, Congress must understand the stakes — not just for health care workers, but for the sustainability of the entire health care system. Nearly 60 organizations broadly representing health care professionals and institutions have signed a letter to congressional leadership expressing the gravity of this reauthorization.
Health care workers deserve a system that prioritizes their well-being. The reauthorization of the Lorna Breen Act is an essential step, but only the beginning of the structural and cultural changes needed to make that possible. Our organizations and others are also working to remove stigmatizing questions about past mental health diagnosis and treatment from licensure and credentialing applications so that no health care worker has to worry about losing their career because they got the help they needed. We’re proud that more than 1.1 million licensed health workers have benefited, and we’ll continue to pursue efforts to ensure that everyone in health care knows it’s a sign of strength to seek mental health support.
At the end of the day, health care is human. It’s about people caring for people—and creating systems that care for the caregivers, too. Together, we call on Congress to reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act to protect those who dedicate their lives to protecting us.
Corey Feist is the CEO and co-founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, an organization committed to addressing burnout of health care professionals and safeguarding their well-being and job satisfaction. Trina Spear is the CEO and co-founder of FIGS, a health care apparel company dedicated to empowering and serving current and future health care professionals.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. For TTY users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.