Act that Addresses Healthcare Worker Burnout Signed into Law

March 24, 2022

On March 18, President Biden signed into law the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, which seeks to address burnout among healthcare workers.  

Breen was an emergency room physician in New York City, who after working tirelessly at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, took her own life on April 26, 2020. 

The bill directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to hospitals, medical professional associations, and other healthcare entities for programs to promote mental health and resiliency among healthcare providers. In addition, HHS may award grants for relevant mental and behavioral health training for healthcare students, residents, or professionals. 

"Physician burnout is a complex challenge—one that requires a paradigm shift from a system where physicians think that burnout, mental health conditions or suicidal thoughts are something they must overcome by themselves, to one where they see the support system around them willing to help them seek mental health care,” said Gary Price, MD, president of The Physicians Foundation in a statement. “The passage of [this Act] is a first-of-its-kind, national endeavor to support health and hospital systems, medical professional associations and other healthcare organizations to start making this paradigm shift a reality for physicians collectively and individually.” 

A 2021 survey from the Physicians Foundation found that 61 percent of physicians report experiencing feelings of burnout.  

Last year, the MMA created the Practice Well Collaboratory, an innovative and cooperative thought-laboratory to share, promote, and explore strategies and best practices to support physician health and wellbeing and to combat physician burnout. Learn more about it here.