Lorna Breen bill advances in House

The House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee this week passed by voice vote a modified version of the  Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 1667), supported by the American Hospital Association and AONL. 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. Among its provisions, it also would 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. (AHA News article, 11/4/21)