Washington, DC – The Healthcare Workforce Coalition applauds Congress for supporting a bipartisan resolution to designate today, March 18, 2024, as Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Roger Marshall (R-KS), who introduced the resolution, chose the date to coincide with the day that the landmark Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act was signed into law by President Biden in 2022. The designation would be important because it serves to help reduce stigma and advance research in the areas of provider mental health and burnout.
“Today, we take the time to remember Dr. Breen, her service to patients, and the extreme challenges healthcare workers face,” said Ron Harter, MD, FASA, President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. “It’s of critical importance that we recognize and destigmatize the serious mental health and burnout crisis among our nation’s healthcare workforce. I commend Senators Kaine and Marshall for introducing this resolution and hope the Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness will shine a light on the importance of programs that support the frontline workers who care for our nation’s patients every day.”
Widespread healthcare worker burnout has dangerously impacted the capacity and well-being of America’s healthcare workforce for years but has only worsened since the pandemic. Forty-six percent of health workers reported often feeling burned out in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among healthcare workers who are thinking of leaving their jobs, 49 percent of them report feeling undervalued, according to one report.
Representing a wide array of providers across the healthcare spectrum, the Coalition proudly supports the Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness resolution to better support the mental health and well-being of all healthcare clinicians. The Coalition previously announced its support for the reauthorization of the Dr. Lorna Breen Provider Protection Act, which would help continue and expand vital grant programs to implement evidence-informed strategies to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders, as well as the Impact Wellbeing campaign, which works to provide hospital leaders with proven strategies to reduce health worker burnout and sustain well-being.
“AAPACN members in skilled nursing facilities were also on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We see the impact in the numbers of nurses who left the profession in droves as a result of the stress and adverse impact of caring for patients with inadequate resources during a crisis. AAPACN applauds efforts to support these dedicated professionals and to champion their well-being,” said Tracey Moorhead, President and CEO of the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN).