Carol Bernstein and Corey Feist On Stigma and Health Care Worker Mental Health

Carol A. Bernstein, MD is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Health at the Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  She is also a Senior Scholar in the Department of Education and Organizational Development for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education a member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Wellbeing and a Past President of the American Psychiatric Association.

J. Corey Feist, JD, MBA is a health care executive with over 20 years of experience. Corey is the Co-Founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and Corey currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the University of Virginia Physicians Group, the medical group practice of UVA Health comprised of 1200+ physicians and advanced practice providers. Corey also holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the UVA Darden School of Business where he recently taught a course entitled “Managing in a Pandemic: The Challenge of COVID-19″. Corey is also the Chair of the Board of the Charlottesville Free Clinic. Corey holds his Masters in Business Administration from the UVA Darden School of Business, his Juris Doctorate from Penn State Dickinson School of Law and his Bachelors degree from Hamilton College

The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, (S. 610  and HR 1667) which unanimously passed the US Senate on August 6, 2021, the Health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on October 26, 2021 and the full Energy and Commerce Committee on November 17, 2021 aims to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Health care professionals have long experienced high levels of stress and burnout, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated the problem. While helping their patients fight for their lives, many health care professionals are coping with their own trauma of losing patients and colleagues and fear for their own health and safety. This bill helps promote mental and behavioral health among those working on the frontlines of the pandemic. It also supports suicide and burnout prevention training in health professional training programs and increases awareness and education about suicide and mental health concerns among health care professionals.

Further reading:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/610?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22S.+610%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1

https://drlornabreen.org/about-the-legislation/

A Key Differential Diagnosis for Physicians-Major Depression or Burnout?