Press Release

MORE THAN 3 MILLION HEALTH WORKERS GAIN PATH TO SUPPORT AS NATIONAL EFFORT TO REMOVE MENTAL HEALTH BARRIERS HEIGHTENS

Wellbeing First Champion Challenge Program Recognizes 70 Licensure Boards and 2,115 Hospitals and Care Facilities for their Commitment to Equal Privacy in Mental Health Care for Health Workers

Charlottesville, Va., February 9, 2026 – The ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition, led by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, today announced that it is now safer for more than 3 million U.S. health workers to access mental health care and substance use disorder treatment following the removal of invasive questions in licensing and credentialing applications. This momentum reflects a sustained national commitment to championing mental health by removing the systemic barriers that often prevent our caregivers from seeking the care they deserve.

As of January 26, 2026, the coalition’s Wellbeing First Champion Challenge program has verified that 70 state licensure boards and 1,194 hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, and freestanding surgery centers, as well as 921 urgent care centers and independent primary care clinics, have ensured their applications do not include intrusive, stigmatizing mental health and substance use questions. While this progress shows a critical shift in how the healthcare industry supports its own, the work continues to reach the millions of health workers who still fear seeking mental health care may lead to professional repercussions.

“We ask health workers to take care of us every day; and yet for too long, the system has made them choose between their own wellbeing and their license and credentials,” said Corey Feist, co-founder and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. “No one should ever have to fear for their job because they sought mental health care. By removing these invasive questions, our Wellbeing First Champions are doing more than updating paperwork—they’re letting their workforce know it’s safe to ask for help. That change protects clinicians, and it makes our entire healthcare system stronger.”

Sustaining Progress in Licensing and Credentialing

Wellbeing First Champions for Licensing

A total of 70 licensure boards—including 43 medical, 11 pharmacy, 8 nursing, and 8 dental boards—have now verified their applications do not include intrusive mental health questions.
The number of protected licensed health workers has grown by 43% in only four months, benefiting more than 2.64 million licensed health workers nationwide.
Joining Idaho and Pennsylvania, both Illinois and Michigan have now reached verification across all four professions, ensuring consistent mental health privacy for their workforce.

Wellbeing First Champions for Credentialing

The program has verified that 1,194 hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, and freestanding surgery centers, as well as 921 urgent care centers and independent primary care clinics, do not include intrusive mental health questions in their credentialing applications, benefiting more than 438,000 credentialed health workers.
For the first time, the program recognized professional liability insurers, Curi Insurance and EmPRO Insurance Company, as Wellbeing First Champions, benefiting 61,000 credentialed health workers.
Meaningful progress continues through the verification of health plans like PacificSource and Providence, and medical/staffing groups, including Jackson and Coker Locum Tenens, Envision Healthcare, Allied Physicians Group, LocumTenens.com, Talkiatry, and Texas Children’s Physician Group, benefiting nearly 94,000 credentialed health workers.

Join the Movement
The ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition invites all healthcare leadership to participate in the Challenge. Through the program, leaders can access free resources and technical assistance to complete the four step journey to become a Wellbeing First Champion: audit, revise, verify, and communicate.

To explore current Champions or to become a Wellbeing First Champion, visit www.drlornabreen.org/removebarriers.

“This milestone marks real progress, and it’s helping physicians and healthcare professionals across the nation,” said Bobby Mukkamala, MD, president of the American Medical Association (AMA). “The AMA applauds the leadership of licensing boards, hospitals, health systems, and credentialing bodies driving this effort. We are optimistic about continued progress in 2026 as we work with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation to continue removing inappropriate questions that create unnecessary barriers to mental health care and treatment for substance use disorders. This commitment should be embraced across healthcare systems so every health worker can seek care without fear.”

“Removing intrusive mental health questions from licensure and credentialing applications is a critical step toward creating a healthcare system that truly supports its workforce,” said Jeff Molter, MBA, MSN, CRNA, president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA). “Nurse anesthesiologists and other health professionals should never have to fear professional consequences for seeking the mental health care they need. AANA is proud to stand with the ALL IN coalition and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation in advancing policies that reduce stigma, protect privacy, and make it safer for caregivers to prioritize their wellbeing—for themselves and for the patients they serve.”

“The American College of Surgeons recognizes that mental health is health. Our participation in the ALL IN coalition reinforces this commitment and extends it to all health professionals,” said Halle Ellison, MD, MAS PSHQ, FACS, representative to the ALL IN coalition for the American College of Surgeons. “Eliminating barriers to mental health care is not only the right thing to do, it also strengthens the healthcare workforce and advances our mission to improve the care of surgical patients, as well as our vision to foster an environment in which surgeons can thrive.”

“The American Dental Association (ADA) salutes the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation for its efforts to improve healthcare worker mental health and reduce long-held licensure stigmas that negatively impact this vital workforce. The ADA is committed to improving the mental health and wellness of our healthcare community because when we care for those who care for us, we build a healthier, stronger country for everyone,” said Richard Rosato, D.M.D., president of the ADA.

“This is a powerful turning point for the ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition. Expanding access to mental health support for more than 3 million nurses and healthcare professionals—and breaking down stigma along the way—is extraordinary,” said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, president of the American Nurses Association. “Nurses deserve workplaces that honor their humanity and support their mental health without fear of judgment or retribution—where they feel safe, supported, and never alone. The American Nurses Association is proud to continue supporting the Wellbeing First Champion Challenge alongside our partners at the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation.”

“Mental health care is healthcare — plain and simple. Removing barriers and reducing stigma means more healthcare professionals can access the treatment and preventive support they deserve,” said Dustin Bass, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC, president of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). “ENA is proud to stand with the ALL IN coalition as we reshape workplace cultures to prioritize mental health, psychological safety, and professional wellbeing.”

“Dr. Lorna Breen was an emergency physician—one of us—and her death made painfully visible how a system built on silence and stigma can cost us our colleagues. Removing invasive, stigmatizing questions is not just a policy fix; it is a life-saving intervention. It sends a clear message to our workforce: you matter, you are human, and you deserve care. This is how we begin to stop losing our colleagues,” said Andrea Austin, MS, director of well-being & workplace strategic advising of FemInEM.

“Healthcare professionals should never have to choose between their mental health and their livelihood. Removing invasive mental health questions is a clear signal that we trust healthcare professionals to seek care when they need it. This progress shows what’s possible when we fix systems instead of asking individuals to carry the cost,” said Todd Maron, chief legal and impact officer of FIGS.

“We’re thrilled to be part of the ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition and to collaborate with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation to bring more awareness to the importance of breaking down structural and cultural barriers for licensed health workers to access mental health care,” said Liz Boehm, executive strategist of the Heart of Safety Coalition and Stryker. “It’s inspiring to see the growing numbers of hospitals, clinics, insurers, and licensure boards remove intrusive mental health questions from their applications. This wide-spread show of support for care team safety and wellbeing is a great way to kick off 2026 and drive more awareness and transformation throughout the year.”

“Medicine Forward is proud to support the Wellbeing First Champion Challenge and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation in creating meaningful, measurable change. Expanding access to confidential mental health care for more than 3 million healthcare workers strengthens not only the workforce, but also the trust at the heart of the patient-physician relationship,” said Nanette Nuessle, MD, community representative for Medicine Forward.

“We congratulate the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation on the great success they have had removing invasive mental health questions in licensing and credentialing applications,” says Lemrey “Al” Carter, PharmD, MS, RPH, executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. “At the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, we commend the 11 boards of pharmacy who have already taken steps to become Wellbeing First Champions. And we look forward to working with our remaining member boards to meet this challenge.”

“Health workers shouldn’t have to weigh getting mental health care against the fear of professional consequences,” said Gary Price, MD, president of The Physicians Foundation. “The progress being made through the Wellbeing First Champion Challenge is proving that practical, policy-level changes can open the door for physicians across the U.S. to get the care that they need. When we protect privacy and normalize help-seeking, we strengthen the workforce and, ultimately, improve care for patients and communities.”

“Healthcare workers cannot provide compassionate care to others if they’re apprehensive about seeking help for themselves. At the Schwartz Center, we know that supporting clinician wellbeing is inseparable from delivering compassionate patient care, and we’re proud to stand with the ALL IN coalition in this vital work,” said Richard Bottner, DHA, PA-C, CPHQ, FACHE, chief clinical officer of the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare.

“We are witnessing a profound paradigm shift in how we value the people behind our healthcare system,” said Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global. “The fact that more than 3 million health workers now have a safer, stigma-free path to mental health support is a powerful signal that the culture of silence is finally being replaced by a culture of care. We are moving beyond just surviving and are finally building a system where our health workers can truly thrive.”

If you or someone you know may be in a crisis, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

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About ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare
ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, led by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, is a coalition of national organizations dedicated to advancing a state where the healthcare workforce’s wellbeing is prioritized, and health workers feel valued and supported so they can sustain their sense of purpose and meaning in their work. Coalition members include American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Dental Association, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, America’s Health Insurance Plans, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Psychiatric Association Foundation, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, American Urological Association, CAA Foundation, CHARM, Emergency Nurses Association, Epic, Federation of State Physician Health Programs, FEMinEM, FIGS, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Heart of Safety Coalition, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Medicine Forward, Moral Injury of Healthcare, National Black Nurses Association, National Medical Association, Philippine Nurses Association of America, The Physicians Foundation, The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, Surgeon Well-Being Coalition and Thrive Global Foundation.