On March 11, 2020, after more than 118,000 diagnoses in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Few could have foreseen the long-term impacts the pandemic would have on the physical and mental wellness of the nation’s health workforce. As the world observed the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this month, a group of health care professionals from across the country convened in Washington, DC to advocate for health care workers’ well-being and mental health.
On March 18, the Healthcare Leadership Collaborative brought together leaders and professionals from across the nation for a series of insightful sessions, workshops and discussions aimed at fostering a culture of support and trust within health care organizations. Organized by Johns Hopkins in partnership with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, the event coincided with the National Academy of Medicine’s annual Health Workforce Well-Being (HWWB) Day. Emory representatives at the event included Evan Thoman, Emory’s Chief Well-Being Officer, Dhaval Desai, MD, hospital medicine physician and the co-lead of the EmWELL Physicians Workgroup, and Krystyna Morgan, EmWELL’s director.
HWWB Day is an annual event marking the date the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act was signed into law in 2022. Named after Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency medicine physician who tragically died by suicide during the peak of the first COVID-19 surge, the act provides federal funding for mental health education, awareness campaigns and resources to support the well-being of health care workers. Key themes of this year’s event included transforming the culture of health care and medicine through listening, storytelling and authentic leadership.
