MEDIA CONTACT:
Josh Silberberg
PlusPR
jsilberberg@pluspr.com
NEW YORK, NY – Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), National President Rhoda Smolow released the following statement today applauding Congress and President Joe Biden for working to give the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Professional Act the force of law. In signing the bill, President Biden ensures that the US will better protect doctors and nurses through grants, studies and a national campaign that will ensure they are equipped to access mental and behavioral health support quickly and confidentially when needed.
“Doctors, nurses and other health care workers on the frontline make tremendous sacrifices and face acute threats to their well-being every day. Nothing has made this more apparent than the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The investments that will be made under the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Professional Act mimic those implemented over the past two years at Hadassah’s hospitals in Jerusalem. There, hospital leaders have focused intensely on reducing the risk of burnout, stress and other mental health challenges, including assigning staff psychologists to work with coronavirus units.
“Many health care institutes in the US have acted as well, but these private efforts are insufficient. A public investment is required to ensure health care professionals have access to the mental and behavioral health support they need when they need it, which, in turn, will lead to better patient care. Hadassah applauds both Congress and President Biden for recognizing the urgency of this issue and prioritizing the well-being of our nation’s healthcare community. We look forward to the immense benefits this law will provide for years to come.”
To read Hadassah’s op-ed, Why We Need the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, please click here.