A bill designed to help counter depression, burnout and suicide among healthcare providers cleared a key hurdle Wednesday, passing unanimously out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act of 2024 updates and extends for five years an earlier version of the law. It funds grants for healthcare organizations and associations to run programs aimed at improving workers' mental health amid staff shortages and ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-0 to approve the bill. A House vote is not scheduled yet, but with unanimous bipartisan support, it could be brought to the floor at any time.
The shorter-term law is due to expire at the end of the year.
The legislation is named after a New York doctor who died by suicide in April 2020 during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The updated version is aimed more at rural communities and areas with acute healthcare worker shortages.
In addition to money for healthcare organizations and associations, the bill funds grants for educational institutions to teach strategies to prevent suicide, burnout and substance use disorder. It also reauthorizes an education and awareness campaign to reduce the stigma and barriers faced by healthcare workers struggling with their mental health and looking for help.
"This landmark legislation, which honors the legacy of my sister-in-law, is more than just a matter of policy. By offering mental health support and driving operational changes in our healthcare system, it provides a lifeline for our nation’s healthcare workforce -- benefiting every health worker, every patient, every caregiver, and every person that will require medical care in their lifetime," said Corey Feist, co-founder and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation, said in a statement.
A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
