During the most dire moments of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleagues of a fellow doctor feared that he was nearing a breaking point.
Each day, he witnessed the overwhelming death and suffering caused by the disease. On top of that, he and his adult child, who was compelled unexpectedly to return home from college, were constantly fighting. Even worse, his marriage was crumbling.
This doctor knew he needed help with his mental health. But he refused to access those services, due to his valid unease over a potential lack of confidentiality, the stigma of mental illness and the risk that his medical licensure could be jeopardized.
At the time, a lack of clarity in the existing Delaware law could result in doctors being reported to the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline simply for having a mental health diagnosis or seeking mental health care. The consequence of this law was that many doctors feared seeking the very care that could support them through challenges, help them heal, and allow them to continue their work of caring for our community.
Fortunately, thanks to Delaware Gov. John Carney, state Sen. Sarah McBride, state Rep. David Bentz, and other First State lawmakers, this law has been amended, and doctors can now access mental health care without fear of reprisal.
This summer, at ChristianaCare’s Wilmington Hospital, Carney signed Senate Bill 300, which updates reporting requirements for Delaware doctors, permitting them to seek treatment for mental health needs without undue stigma or fear of loss of medical licensure. The passage of this law already has spurred some local doctors to begin therapy for their mental health needs.
These changes align with best practices from leading national experts including the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the Federation of State Medical Boards. It also aligns with the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, a federal law named after an emergency physician who died by suicide during the initial wave of COVID-19.
Make no mistake — doctors, including myself, an emergency physician by training — needed access to mental health care long before the pandemic. COVID-19 simply compounded these problems.
Doctors often care for patients and their families during their bleakest days. The toll can be profound and cumulative, the memories and pain often staying with us long after we leave practice and return home. Without adequate support from peers, colleagues and mental health professionals, the emotional cost of witnessing so much suffering can impact clinical performance and damage our wellbeing.
We are the same doctors who, just like any other human beings, are capable of incredible feats. Throughout the pandemic, doctors have been exalted as health care heroes — but it’s essential that we all remember that we are also health care humans. We face mental, emotional and physical challenges, just like anyone else. Just like anyone else — just like you — we will benefit greatly from access to mental health services when we need it.
And when we do obtain support through our most challenging times, as mounting research demonstrates, we are able to work more collaboratively with our colleagues and provide superior care for our patients.
To be clear, the new law preserves the already-established guardrails that ensure that the care being provided to patients is safe and high quality. Patients can continue to access medical care bolstered by legal protections, while doctors can now access mental health services that ultimately help us flourish as caregivers.
This new law reinforces a belief central to ChristianaCare: When we care for ourselves, we are better able to care for each other, our patients and our community.
We are better able to care for you.
Heather Farley, M.D., MHCDS, FACEP, is the chief wellness officer at ChristianaCare. Farley heads ChristianaCare’s Center for WorkLife Wellbeing, where she leads advocacy programs and Interventions aimed at optimizing the caregiver experience and fostering an organization culture of wellbeing.
