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On Nov. 4, the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee passed by voice vote a modified version of the CHA-supported Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 1667). The version that passed aligns with the bill (S. 610) that the Senate passed in August.
The bipartisan legislation is named for a doctor who led the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. The legislation would authorize grants to create programs that offer behavioral health services for front-line health care workers. It would also require the Department of Health and Human Services to study and recommend strategies to address health care provider burnout and facilitate resiliency, and launch a campaign encouraging health care workers to seek assistance when needed.
In addition, it would require the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on the extent to which federal substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health grant programs address SUD and mental health conditions among health professionals.