More than 2 million physicians and other U.S. health professionals can now seek mental health care when they need it without fear of professional repercussions. That is because state licensing boards and health care organizations have removed stigmatizing language and intrusive mental health questions in their licensing and credentialing processes.
As of mid-September, 60 licensure boards and 1,850 health systems, hospitals, medical centers, clinics and other health care facilities have removed intrusive, stigmatizing mental health questions, including substance use, from their licensing and credentialing applications
The numbers come from ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare—a national coalition of health care organizations that the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation leads and of which the AMA is an integral part.
“This milestone marks an important step forward in strengthening the health care workforce and ensuring better care for all patients,” said AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD. “Too many medical students, residents and practicing physicians avoid seeking the care they need out of fear of losing licensing or hospital privileges.”
The AMA remains committed to working with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and other partners to eliminate “all stigmatizing questions from licensing and credentialing applications so every physician and health care worker can seek care safely and without stigma,” Dr. Mukkamala said.
As the leader in physician well-being, the AMA is reducing physician burnout by removing administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine®.
Huge progress in past year
The AMA and Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation program regularly speak with medical societies, national organizations, hospitals and health systems about the need to audit and revise, when necessary, medical licensing and credentialing applications so that they are free of intrusive mental health questions and stigmatizing language.
Together, the AMA and the foundation provide detailed analysis of exactly how to do it with institution-specific advice. The approach is highly effective, as the numbers prove. Once the applications are reverified as having made the recommended changes, organizations are recognized as Wellbeing First Champions, and they are urged to communicate the changes throughout their workforce.
When it comes to Wellbeing First Champions for Credentialing, there was a 393% increase in those recognized as champions, as the program expanded beyond hospitals to recognize surgery centers, free standing emergency departments and all other forms of inpatient and outpatient care facilities.
The AMA continues to advocate (PDF) removing questions about physicians’ physical or mental health or related treatments on initial or renewal hospital credentialing applications.
Learn how four health care organizations that are part of the AMA Health System Program have become Wellbeing First Champions:
- Advocate Health—To boost doctors’ well-being, start with the right questions.
- Bayhealth—Breaking down barriers to mental health support (PDF).
- Geisinger—Giving doctors the tools to support each other.
- Northwell Health—Making changes big and small to protect physician well-being (PDF).
