Taking Care of Healthcare Heroes

Floor Speech

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Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the recent 1-year anniversary of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act becoming law.

Dr. Lorna Breen was an emergency physician who tragically died by suicide after enduring the trauma and burnout of the COVID-19 front lines in New York City. She was, to put it simply, a hero. She is one of the countless healthcare heroes who face mental health crises and a suicide rate twice that of the public due to their demanding, all- consuming work.

The Dr. Lorna Breen law carries on her legacy, investing in support for healthcare workers' mental health needs.

I pushed hard to pass this bill, and now I am pushing for its grant programs to receive full funding through fiscal year 2024 because the heroes who take care of us deserve to be taken care of, too.

Our work to bring mental health out of the shadows is far from over. That work means meeting the mental health crisis among health professionals with the resources it demands. It means fully funding the programs within the Dr. Lorna Breen law.

Thank you to the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation for your continued leadership in shedding light on this crisis. I remain by your side in honor of Dr. Breen and all healthcare heroes whose mental health devastatingly went unmet.

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