ACEP Urges Congress to Reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Act

Editor’s Note: As of press time, the 118th Congress ended its session without passing this legislation. ACEP will continue to advocate for this and numerous other EM priorities in the current session.

In December, in a letter to Congress, ACEP and about 60 other health care professional organizations called for lawmakers to pass the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act (H.R. 7153/S. 3679), which would reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act originally signed into law on March 18, 2022. This law was the first of its kind, named in honor of the life, memory, and legacy of emergency physician Lorna Breen, MD, and dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of health care professionals.

The letter, addressed to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), noted that the legislation was passed by each committee of jurisdiction in both chambers with bipartisan support.

The letter asked that Congress ensure the law is reauthorized either as a standalone bill or be included as part of any year-end legislative package.

ACEP and this broad coalition of health care professional organizations continued working to secure enactment of this important bill before the end of the year to ensure that this vital federal effort to protect the lives and livelihoods of health care workers continues.

ACEP Boarding Tip Sheet Reaches News Organizations

Last month, after an interview with ACEP staff in Washington, D.C., the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) published an article with tips on how reporters can more accurately report on the boarding crisis. Writer Mary Chris Jaklevic included ACEP talking points in the piece, highlighting the following facts ACEP provided:

• Boarding is not caused by misuse of the emergency department.
• Boarding reflects health care system failures.
• Harms are apparent.
• Boarding can be fixed.
• Accountability is lacking.

The Boarding Tip Sheet is available in a database of tip sheets the AHCJ provides its members.

Connecticut Earns Advocacy Win on Boarding

A multiyear effort by Connecticut ACEP to work with the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care watchdog organization, could increase the amount of hospital data available on boarding. Work by the chapter has led to a proposed update to Leapfrog’s annual hospital survey that could include “fact-finding questions to assess boarding times for patients seen in the emergency department.”