[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 567 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 567

Recognizing the seriousness of widespread health care worker burnout in 
  the United States and the need to strengthen health workforce well-
being, and expressing support for the designation of March 18, 2024, as 
    the inaugural ``Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 28, 2024

   Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Reed, Mrs. Capito, Ms. 
Stabenow, Ms. Collins, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Smith, Mr. King, Mr. Warner, 
 Ms. Sinema, and Mr. Kelly) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

                             March 20, 2024

             Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the seriousness of widespread health care worker burnout in 
  the United States and the need to strengthen health workforce well-
being, and expressing support for the designation of March 18, 2024, as 
    the inaugural ``Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness''.

Whereas the capacity and well-being of the United States health workforce has 
        been burdened for decades by an epidemic of burnout, and this trend has 
        been exacerbated in recent years;
Whereas burnout can have wide-ranging consequences for individual health care 
        workers, including occupational injury, risk of depression and suicide, 
        lower morale and productivity, absenteeism, and possible deleterious 
        impact on patient care;
Whereas 50 percent of health care workers reported burnout in 2020;
Whereas, in 2020, 44 percent of nurses experienced physical violence and 68 
        percent experienced verbal abuse;
Whereas, in 2020, 69 percent of physicians experienced colloquial depression, 20 
        percent experienced clinical depression, and 13 percent had thoughts of 
        suicide;
Whereas physicians, particularly female physicians, are more likely than the 
        general population to die by suicide, and United States physicians are 
        more likely to die by suicide than physicians in other nations;
Whereas rates of burnout have serious consequences for the capacity of the 
        United States health system, particularly in regard to employee 
        retention and recruitment;
Whereas, in 2023, job quitting among health care and social assistance workers 
        was 9.2 percent higher than in February 2020;
Whereas approximately 40 percent of United States health care workers plan to 
        leave their current role within the next 5 years;
Whereas the average operating margin for hospitals in the United States was 
        reduced by 130 percent between 2019 and 2020, driven in part by 
        persistent labor shortages;
Whereas staffing shortages and impacts of burnout on the mental health and 
        productivity of health care workers raise serious concerns about quality 
        of care and patient safety;
Whereas the decreased capacity of the United States health system constitutes 
        both a serious public health concern and a challenge to economic 
        security;
Whereas, in 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 
        National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health launched the 
        Health Worker Mental Health Initiative, which aims to raise awareness of 
        health workers' mental health issues and improve trainings and resources 
        to address the mental health of health workers;
Whereas, in 2022, Congress enacted the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider 
        Protection Act (42 U.S.C. 294s et seq.), which established grants and 
        required other activities to improve mental and behavioral health among 
        health care providers;
Whereas, in 2022, the Office of the Surgeon General published an Advisory on 
        Addressing Health Worker Burnout to call attention to the health worker 
        burnout crisis and to the urgent need to support the well-being of the 
        health workforce of the United States;
Whereas, in 2022, the National Academy of Medicine released the National Plan 
        for Health Workforce Well-Being, delineating necessary actions to 
        safeguard the United States health workforce; and
Whereas a more robust national focus on protecting the well-being and mental 
        health of health care workers will improve outcomes for workers and 
        patients, strengthen the United States health system, and support 
        population health: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of March 18, 
        2024, as the inaugural ``Health Workforce Well-Being Day of 
        Awareness'';
            (2) recognizes the seriousness of widespread health care 
        worker burnout in the United States and the need to strengthen 
        health workforce well-being; and
            (3) supports the goals and ideals of the Health Workforce 
        Well-Being Day of Awareness, which include--
                    (A) raising public awareness about the importance 
                of protecting the well-being of physicians, nurses, and 
                other health care professionals to sustain the capacity 
                of the United States health system and ensure the 
                quality of patient care;
                    (B) mobilizing action to support the well-being of 
                physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals 
                across multiple sectors, including Federal, State, and 
                local governments, health systems, insurers and payers, 
                health information technology companies, educational, 
                training, and accreditation organizations, private and 
                nonprofit organizations, media and communications 
                companies, and organizations that employ health care 
                workers;
                    (C) creating and sustaining positive work and 
                learning environments and culture;
                    (D) investing in measurement, assessment, 
                strategies, and research;
                    (E) supporting mental and behavioral health, 
                including removing barriers to accessing care and 
                treatment, and reducing stigma;
                    (F) engaging effective tools and technology that 
                reduce administrative burdens on physicians, nurses, 
                and other health care professionals;
                    (G) establishing well-being as a long-term value in 
                health organizations; and
                    (H) recruiting and retaining a diverse and 
                inclusive health workforce.
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