President Biden Signs into Law the ASA-Endorsed Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act

On March 18, President Biden signed the ASA-endorsed Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act into law, an important measure to help prevent suicide, and address burnout, and other mental and behavioral health conditions impacting our nation’s health care professionals. The comprehensive, bipartisan legislation was co-led in the House by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07), Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), and Rep. David McKinley, P.E. (WV-01) and in the Senate by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA).

ASA believes this legislation is a vital step forward in reducing and preventing suicide and in addressing other mental health challenges among health care professionals. These challenges have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, especially among front line health care professionals, such as anesthesiologists who, in many cases, have been deployed to provide high stress, high risk critical care services.

ASA applauds Congress and the President for addressing the mental health and well-being of health care professionals nationwide.

Read ASA’s posting from Congressional passage of this legislation.