New Initiative Brings Healthcare Community Together to Improve Health Workers’ Access to Mental Health Care
“Health Workers Have The Right, Too” Campaign Supports Health Workers Access to Mental Health Care without Fear of Professional Repercussions
Charlottesville, Va. – In recognition of Health Workforce Wellbeing Day, ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, a national coalition led by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, unveiled a new initiative to empower health workers to access the mental health care and support they may need, while equipping employers, policymakers and other decision-makers with resources to eliminate systemic barriers to mental health care. Building on the success of the coalition’s Wellbeing First Champion Challenge program, Health Workers Have The Right, Too brings together the healthcare community to change stigmatizing policies and practices that discourage health workers from seeking mental health care.
For decades, a mental health crisis has been plaguing modern medicine. According to the CDC, health workers’ mental health is worse than any other segment of the U.S. workforce. Further,
among health workers reporting mental distress severe enough to meet diagnostic criteria for a mental health condition, only 38% reported seeking care and 20% shared they did not need care,
despite severe symptoms.
“When health workers fear seeking help, the quality of care declines, mental health conditions and burnout intensify, workforce shortages grow, and lives are lost,” said Corey Feist, co-founder and
CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. “By working together, we can build a system that prioritizes mental health for those who care for us, ensuring health workers can access mental
health care without fear of repercussions.”
The initiative calls for six actions to improve access to mental health care for health workers—addressing unique stressors, eliminating stigma and creating a system that supports professional
wellbeing and safe, compassionate patient care:
• Ensure accessible and affordable mental health care
• Commit to equal privacy in mental health care
• Strengthen access to confidential Professional or Physician Health Program (PHP) Support
• Guarantee confidential peer support
• Encourage education and training on mental health and professional wellbeing
• Advance a supportive pathway for re-entry
Employers, educational institutions, payors, policymakers, loved ones of health workers and patients are encouraged to be ALL IN for Health Workers’ Mental Health and:
• Learn how to better support health workers access to mental health care
• Act to eliminate systemic barriers to mental health care for health workers
• Communicate to health workers it is safe to seek mental health care
Also, in recognition of Health Workforce Wellbeing Day on March 18, which is when the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act was signed into law in 2022, the ALL IN coalition is
urging Congress to reauthorize and fund the bipartisan Lorna Breen Act. This landmark law has already transformed and saved lives—improving the systems in which health workers are
educated, trained and practice—but we need to widen its reach among our nation’s largest and fastest-growing sector.
“The wellbeing of healthcare providers, including our CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist colleagues, is essential to the quality care they provide to patients every day,” said Jan Setnor, MSN, CRNA, Col.
(Ret), USAFR, NC, president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA). “This new campaign presents an opportunity to expand access to mental health resources and break
down the stigma that too often prevents health professionals from seeking help. Prioritizing mental health is a sign of strength, not weakness.”
“The healthcare workforce experiences higher rates of suicide than non-healthcare workers, and it’s critical that we join together to address burnout, promote wellbeing and encourage health
workers to seek mental health care if and when they need it,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., executive vice president and chief policy and advocacy officer at the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention. “AFSP is proud to join together with the ALL IN coalition on Health Workers Have The Right, Too to decrease stigma, improve access to care for behavioral health conditions
and eliminate systemic barriers to mental health care.”
“The AMA strongly supports efforts to increase access to mental health care, ensure privacy protections and create work environments that value and support the wellbeing of physicians –
because when physicians are supported, they can provide the best possible care for their patients,” said Bruce A. Scott, MD, president of the American Medical Association. “We look
forward to working even more closely with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and the ALL IN Coalition to identify and address systemic barriers to receiving mental health care so that
physicians and all healthcare professionals can use the help that is available, without fear of judgment or professional repercussions.”
“Nurses and all health workers deserve a system that prioritizes their mental health and wellbeing. The American Nurses Association is proud to support this initiative, which takes
meaningful steps to remove barriers and ensure health workers can seek the care they need without fear or stigma,” said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, president of
the American Nurses Association.
“There is no cost too high to solve the growing problem of clinician burnout and suicidality across the health professions,” said Rawle Andrews, Jr, executive director of APA Foundation. “Our entire
health care system rests on the stability and perseverance of frontline health professionals, which is why we’re tackling this problem both at the source by ensuring that needed mental health care
resources are available and at the root by addressing the fear of speaking up about mental health concerns. The APA Foundation is honored to share this work with our ALL IN partners.”
“ASHP is proud to be a partner in the ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition and to work together to address the behavioral health challenges facing the pharmacy workforce and other
healthcare professionals,” said Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, ScD (Hon), FASHP, CEO of ASHP. “Access to confidential behavioral healthcare is fundamental for all individuals and we support the
focused efforts to ensure all healthcare professionals can confidently seek the help they may need.”
“Healthcare professionals should be treated with the same care and compassion they provide to their patients every day. As a proud member of the ALL IN coalition, FIGS is committed to making
sure our Awesome Humans have access to mental health support—without stigma, fear or penalty. No one should have to choose between their wellbeing and their career. Together with our
partners, we’re pushing for real change to make mental health care more accessible for our Awesome Humans and to spark an important dialogue within our community,” said Trina Spear,
CEO and co-founder of FIGS.
“The Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP) was founded in 1990 to unite its member Physician Health Programs in a collective commitment, ensuring that physicians and
healthcare professionals have the confidential, compassionate care they deserve,” said Michael Baron, MD, MPH, DFASAM, FAPA, president of FSPHP. “We stand together with the Dr. Lorna Breen
Heroes’ Foundation to break down barriers, eliminate stigma and create a healthcare system where seeking support is not a risk, but a right.”
“Johnson & Johnson is grateful to stand with the ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare Coalition and Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation to support efforts that enable access to mental health
care for health workers across the country. We are proud to support Dr. Breen’s legacy to help improve the wellbeing of all those on the front lines of care and secure a healthier future for the US
health workforce,” said Howard Reid, president of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation
“Research is important for the healthcare community to understand individual and systemic perceptions and barriers that prevent nurses, doctors and other care team members from accessing mental health care,” said Liz Boehm, executive strategist of the Heart of Safety Coalition and Stryker. “Healthcare workers have the right to work in human-centered cultures and
systems that support their psychological and emotional safety. They dedicate themselves to serving others and deserve the same confidential access to mental health care that patients seek
without fear or stigma.”
“Medicine Forward stands firmly behind the ‘Health Workers Have The Right, Too’ campaign. We believe that by eliminating systemic barriers and stigmatizing policies, we can create an
environment where patient-physician relationships can truly flourish, said Gabe Charbonneau, MD, co-founder of Medicine Forward. “Health workers deserve access to mental health care without
fear of professional repercussions, ensuring they can provide the best care possible while maintaining their own wellbeing.”
“We at Organizational Wellbeing Solutions applaud this new initiative from ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare that takes the next step in ensuring that all healthcare workers have the resources
and support they need to utilize mental health support when they need it,” said Paul DeChant, MD, MBA and Bruce Cummings, MPH, LFACHE, co-founders and principals of Organizational Wellbeing Solutions. ”A healthy healthcare workforce is vital for the wellbeing of our healthcare workers and their patients.”
“The Physicians Foundation is proud to be part of the ALL IN Coalition and this vital initiative,” said Gary Price, MD, president of The Physicians Foundation. “Together, we aim to dismantle the
barriers that hinder health workers from accessing the mental health care they need and deserve. By fostering an environment where seeking help is encouraged and supported, we can improve the
wellbeing of our healthcare workforce and, in turn, advance the quality of care for all patients.”
“A healthy workforce is essential for safe, compassionate patient care,” said Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global. “We’re grateful to be part of the ALL IN coalition, galvanizing the
healthcare community to make it safer for health workers to seek mental health care.” The Health Workers Have the Right, Too campaign is made possible by the following sponsors: FIGS,
Heart of Safety Coalition, Stryker and Northwell Health.
###
About ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare
ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, led by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, is a coalition of national organizations dedicated to advancing a state where the healthcare workforce’s
wellbeing is prioritized, and health workers feel valued and supported so they can sustain their sense of purpose and meaning in their work. Coalition members include American Association of
Colleges of Nursing, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Dental Association, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,
AHIP, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Association Foundation, American Society of Health-System
Pharmacists, CAA Foundation, CHARM, Federation of State Physician Health Programs, FIGS, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Heart of Safety Coalition, Institute for Healthcare
Improvement, Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Medicine Forward, Moral Injury of Healthcare, National Black Nurses Association, National Medical Association, Organizational Wellbeing
Solutions, Philippine Nurses Association of America, The Physicians Foundation, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare and Thrive Global.
