Lorna Breen, MD, Matt Gall, MD, Mo Brown, MD, Scott Jolly, MD, William West Jr., MD, and Tristin Smith, MD This is an example. Unfortunately, this list could extend to my entire article, and most of you reading this probably have your own names (friends and colleagues), so you could add them as well. We must do more to stem the tide of suicide among healthcare workers.
I write this editorial with the following request: Help move Congress to reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (Lorna Breen Act) by writing to your senators and representatives.
This is time sensitive. The Lorna Breen Act program expired on September 30, 2024. If the current Congress does not take action by the end of the session in late December, the entire legislative process would have to be restarted and the program would be delayed by a year.
But think more deeply about why you want to help.
Like Lorna, Matt, Mo, Scott, William, and Tristin, healthcare workers suffer extremely high levels of burnout and unique stressors due to their workplace conditions. Many of you know this very well. Our rates of burnout and mental health were already too high before the pandemic and have skyrocketed to unsustainable levels. Asking for help may feel impossible because questions about licenses and certifications are so onerous. Addressing the causes of burnout can feel overwhelming, feeling like you're being asked to fix an entire healthcare system.
As a result, the CDC has identified the worsening mental health of health care workers as a crisis, identifying them as having worse mental health than the rest of the U.S. workforce. As we continue to recover from the heightened stress of the pandemic, we desperately need support.
The Lorna Breen Act is a landmark piece of legislation that has supported the mental health and well-being of health care workers since it was first passed in 2022. The impact is immeasurable.
Lorna Breen Law supported the research and development of the Suicide Prevention: Evidence-Based Interventions for Healthcare Professionals guide. This guide has identified three main drivers of suicide among healthcare workers and interventions that hospitals and healthcare systems can implement to reduce risk. Right now, we need continued funding for the Lorna Breen Act. As such, these interventions can help eliminate the stigma associated with talking about and seeking mental health care. Ensure adequate access to mental health education, resources, and treatment options. Addresses the root causes of unique work-related stressors in healthcare.
The Lorna Breen Act also provided $103 million in funding to 45 organizations to implement evidence-based strategies to reduce and prevent burnout, mental health conditions, and suicide. . For example, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine health system will reduce turnover in 2021 by focusing on both individual supports and system-level changes, from mental health supports to standardizing policies for nurses and social workers. This has decreased from 52.7% in 2019 to 17.8% in 2022. , and activity staff allow for easy movement between sites to meet staffing challenges. Additionally, the University of Alabama at Birmingham reduced burnout by 17% over six months by dedicating a staff member to provide stress/trauma and wellness support to frontline nurses and nurse leaders.
The Lorna Breen Act also provides “Impact Wellbeing” to provide hospital leaders with evidence-based solutions to reduce health care worker burnout, maintain health, and create systems where health care workers thrive. A campaign has also been established. To help hospital leaders make operational improvements, the Impact Wellbeing Guide is designed to help hospital leaders implement system-level changes to improve the professional well-being of healthcare workers. , provides practical and real-world tested resources.
Since the guide was launched in March, nearly 35,000 people have accessed and started using it, and leaders who were aware of the campaign are confident that these resources will help them identify policies and practices that lead to workplace burnout. He said it was helpful. However, only half of these leaders believe they have the resources needed to provide additional health support to their staff.
In addition to expanding coverage to more hospitals and providing the resources needed to better support staff, the reauthorization of the Lorna Breen Act will address the root causes of burnout: The focus is on reducing the administrative burden on physicians. In addition to benefiting your mental health, addressing burnout is also financially prudent. Physician burnout costs the U.S. health care system at least $4.6 billion annually, related to physician turnover and reduced practice time.
Reauthorization of the Lorna Breen Act has strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate and has already passed committee approval. Without Congressional action by the end of the year to reauthorize and fund the program, we will lose access to much-needed assistance.
The Lorna Breen Act is a lifeline for healthcare workers, providing support and resources to improve mental health and reduce the causes of burnout. This law is not just a policy issue; it is an important part of the health care delivery supply chain that benefits not just health care workers, but everyone who needs health care during their lifetime. It's time for us to speak up for ourselves.
Take action now. Contact your legislators and advise them to vote to reauthorize and fund this important legislation.
Dr. Stephanie Simmons is the Chief Medical Officer of the Dr. Lorna Breen Hero Foundation.
If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
