AANP applauds the signing of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act to support and protect health care workers from mental and behavioral health issues, including suicide, stemming from high levels of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
“The ongoing global health crisis, now entering its third year, has pushed many front-line nurse practitioners (NPs) and other health care providers to their emotional breaking point,” said April N. Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN, president of AANP. “The Dr. Lorna Breen Act, now a law, will provide urgently needed mental health services and support to the health care providers who have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic, continuously prioritizing patient care above all else. This law and the funding to support mental health are a welcome relief and give hope for the well-being of our essential health care workforce. AANP applauds Congress and President Biden for passing and enacting this important bipartisan law.”
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 325,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs’ patients and other health care consumers. To locate an NP in your community, visit here.