Remove Intrusive Mental Health Questions from Licensure and Credentialing Applications
Health workers aren’t seeking mental health care despite their high rates of burnout and stress.
Health workers fear losing their license and credentials because of overly broad and invasive mental health questions on applications that are stigmatizing, discriminatory, and violate privacy in the workplace−and may even violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
This must change.
Ensuring that health workers can access necessary mental health care not only benefits their well-being, but it also improves the health of our entire country. Patient outcomes will improve when we prioritize clinician well-being, because to care for others, health workers must also be cared for.
Wellbeing First Champion Challenge
As a Wellbeing First Champion, licensure boards, hospitals, and health systems verify to ALL IN that licensure and credentialing applications have been changed to not include intrusive mental health questions.
The Wellbeing First Champion Badge serves as a visual recognition that licensure boards, hospitals, and health systems are ALL IN for prioritizing health worker well-being. When health workers are deciding in which state or organization to work, the Wellbeing First Champion Badge can be used to show that a location will not require health workers to answer intrusive mental health questions.
For licensure boards, hospitals, health systems, and health plans who are ALL IN for protecting the healthcare workforce, join our Challenge to be recognized as a Wellbeing First Champion.
Wellbeing First Champions
As of April 1, 2024, 27 state medical boards audited and changed the intrusive language from their licensure applications—benefiting more than 700,000 physicians. Additionally, 11 states are in the process of making these changes.
Coming soon October 2024: State dental, nursing, and pharmacy licensure boards who are Wellbeing First Champions.
As of April 1, 2024, 19 health systems audited and changed the intrusive language from their credentialing applications—benefiting more than 191,500 health workers.
- Allegheny Health Network
- Augusta Health
- Bon Secours Mercy Health
- Centra Health
- Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters
- Envision Healthcare
- Geisinger Health
- Henry Ford
- HCA Healthcare
- Inova Health System
- Mary Washington Health Care
- MedStar Health (AHA)
- Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital
- Northwell
- Northwell, GoHealth Urgent Care
- NYC Health + Hospitals
- Sentara Health System
- University of Virginia Health System
- Valley Health System
Additionally, 18 health systems are in the process of making these changes.
- Avera Health
- Ballad Health
- BayHealth
- Chesapeake Regional Healthcare
- Children’s National Hospital
- Hartford Healthcare
- Iowa Statewide Credentialing
- Indian Health System
- Johns Hopkins Health System
- LCMC Health
- Mass General Brigham
- My Michigan Health
- Oklahoma State University Health
- Sanford Health
- Sovah
- University of New Mexico, SOM
- UCHealth
- Virginia Commonwealth University Health
The State of Our States
Wellbeing First Champions aligned their applications to either:
The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation expresses its immense gratitude to the American Medical Association, whose dedication, time and support made these advancements possible.
Want to be ALL IN for prioritizing health worker well-being?
For Licensure Boards and Hospitals/Health Systems
Access our toolkit to take the three critical steps to remove barriers.
For Individuals
Contact your state board to urge them to prioritize health workers’ mental health.
ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare is a call to action by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, Creative Artists Agency, Thrive Global, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, that brings together healthcare organizations committed to advancing solutions for health worker well-being.
Learn more and join us at allinforhealthcare.org.
