Senator Tim Kaine Pushes to Reauthorize Funding for Lorna Breen Act

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Morning News to discuss his bipartisan effort to reauthorize funding for the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, named in honor of a Charlottesville native and emergency physician who died by suicide during the early days of COVID-19.

“She worried that if she sought mental health assistance, it would cost her professionally,” Kaine said. “In her honor, her sister Jennifer and brother-in-law Corey started a foundation really focused upon healing our healers.”

The act, first signed into law by President Biden, provides funding to destigmatize mental health care among medical professionals. Kaine emphasized the importance of continuing this initiative, particularly at institutions like the University of Virginia.

Kaine emphasized the critical shortage of mental health professionals and the need for bipartisan solutions to address the growing crisis. “This is one of the most bipartisan areas where we ought to be able to make some real headway,” he stated. He added, “We’ve got a lot of mental health needs. We don’t have enough trained mental health professionals.”