Congress has reauthorized the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, extending the law’s programs through September 2030. The legislation focuses on supporting the mental health and well-being of health care professionals, including nurses, by continuing federal initiatives to reduce burnout and improve workplace conditions.

First enacted in 2022, the law was named in honor of Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency physician whose death by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic brought national attention to the mental health challenges facing the health care workforce.

Take action: Funding for these programs is not automatic. Nurses and health care professionals can use the Fund Lorna Breen Act Programs Action Alert to contact their members of Congress and urge them to fully fund these programs so they can reach hospitals, clinics, and communities where they are needed most.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org.