More than 60 organizations have urged Congress to pass legislation to reauthorize a bill promoting mental wellness for healthcare professionals.
The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act was first authorized in 2022 and passed in both the House of Representatives and Senate with bipartisan support in the previous Congress, according to a March 19 news release from the American Dental Association.
The bill is the first and only federal law dedicated to preventing suicide and preventing stress and burnout for healthcare professionals.
Since being enacted, state licensure boards, hospitals and health systems have made changes to licensing and credentialing processes that unintentionally contributed to the stigma associated with seeking mental health care, the release said.