Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act advances in House

The House Energy and Commerce Committee today passed by voice vote a modified version of the AHA-supported Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 1667). The changes align the House bill with the version passed by the Senate in August (S. 610). 

Named for a doctor who led the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, the bipartisan 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; launch a campaign encouraging health care workers to seek assistance when needed; and require the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on the extent to which federal substance use disorder and mental health grant programs address SUD and mental health conditions among health professionals.