COVID-19 Relief Funding Will Help America’s Frontline Healthcare Providers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Envision Healthcare, a leading national medical group, commends the passage of the American Rescue Plan, which includes specific provisions to support America’s healthcare workers. Modeled after the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, named in honor of Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency physician who died by suicide in 2020, the provisions aim to reduce and prevent burnout, behavioral disorders and suicide among healthcare professionals.
Healthcare providers go through years of intensive training, incur significant amounts of debt from school and give up time spent with their families to provide lifesaving care to their community members. Many clinicians have the added pressure of being exposed to constant trauma and managing their own emotional responses while remaining a source of calm and strength for their patients, their families and their teams. In the past year, Envision has provided crisis peer support during the COVID-19 pandemic, implemented mental health leadership training, enhanced formal mental health services and launched peer-to-peer support groups for clinicians.
“Healthcare providers give so much of themselves to care for others – it’s imperative that we do our best to care for them,” said Stefanie Simmons, MD, FACEP, Vice President of Patient and Clinician Engagement at Envision Healthcare. “As many clinicians will attest, we choose this profession because of a calling to serve others and make the world a healthier place. However, we make the most meaningful impact when we prioritize our well-being and aren’t burdened by the barriers to and stigma surrounding mental healthcare. As a society, we owe it to our clinicians and ourselves to foster a culture that embraces mental and behavioral healthcare – we will be better for it.”
This Act will bring much-needed relief and support to healthcare professionals nationwide who have been on the frontlines of the sustained COVID-19 crisis. The American Rescue Plan includes:
- $80 million to train healthcare professionals and public safety officers in strategies to reduce and address suicide, burnout and mental and behavioral health conditions
- $20 million for education and awareness to encourage healthcare professionals and first responders to seek support and treatment for their behavioral health concerns, identify and respond to risk factors and address the stigma
- $40 million in grants for healthcare providers to establish or expand programs to promote mental and behavioral health among their professional workforce
“As a national medical group with more than 25,000 clinicians, we are invested in their health and well-being and remain committed to providing them with the resources and support they need to thrive,” said Meg Lafave, Senior Vice President of People and Government Affairs at Envision Healthcare. “Provisions from the Dr. Lorna Breen Act align with Envision’s initiatives to eliminate barriers for clinicians and promote wellness.”
Envision applauds the inclusion of language based on the Dr. Lorna Breen Provider Protection Act and encourages Congress to pass additional provisions included in S. 610 that were not included in the final version of the American Rescue Plan. Specifically, S.610 would authorize a comprehensive study on healthcare professional mental and behavioral health and burnout as well as provide additional guidance as to the administration of the new grant programs. These additional provisions would further strengthen the important investments these new programs will make in the well-being of frontline clinicians.
To learn more about Envision’s commitment to professional well-being, click here.
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About Envision Healthcare Corporation
Envision Healthcare Corporation is a leading national medical group that delivers physician and advanced practice provider services, primarily in the areas of emergency and hospitalist medicine, anesthesiology, radiology/teleradiology, and neonatology to more than 1,800 clinical departments in healthcare facilities in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Post-acute care is delivered through an array of clinical professionals and integrated technologies which, when combined, contribute to efficient and effective population health management strategies. As a leader in ambulatory surgical care, the medical group owns and operates 255 surgery centers in 34 states and the District of Columbia, with medical specialties ranging from gastroenterology to ophthalmology and orthopedics. In total, the medical group offers a differentiated suite of clinical solutions on a national scale with a local understanding of our communities, creating value for health systems, payers, providers, and patients. For additional information, visit www.envisionhealth.com.