Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin’s Medical Examining Board (MEB) has been recognized as a Wellbeing First Champion by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, led by the Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation.
The designation is a recognition that the MEB’s license applications are free from overly broad and invasive mental health questions.
“Our licensed healthcare professionals work extremely hard to ensure the health and wellbeing of Wisconsin families,” said Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Secretary Dan Hereth. “It’s also important for our healthcare workforce to prioritize their own health, and know that DSPS, the Medical Examining Board, and others are responding and being sensitive to any healthcare challenges they might face.”
“The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) fully supports the efforts and changes made by the Medical Examining Board in partnership with the Lorna Breen Foundation. WisMed is honored to have partnered with the Lorna Breen Foundation in the past and to have DSPS as a partner in our plan and design efforts for a Health Professional Services Program serving physicians and other health care professionals,” said Wisconsin Medical Society Chief Value and Engagement Officer Jim Lorence.
The MEB is one of the professional regulatory boards administered under DSPS, and this recognition is the latest proof of the Department’s efforts to address clinician wellbeing. DSPS Deputy Secretary Jennifer Garrett is serving on the recently-launched Steering Committee for Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin’s Caring for Wisconsin’s Caregivers Initiative, and the MEB hosted an in-person meeting Wednesday with its Affiliated Credentialing Boards and Councils that focused on clinician/provider wellbeing. In addition, several individual regulatory boards administered under DSPS have been exploring steps to promote wellbeing in healthcare professions. This follows Governor Evers including $800,000 annually in his 2025-27 budget proposal for DSPS, which would have paid for a statewide clinician wellness program, but was removed from the DSPS budget by the legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance.
The Wellbeing First Champion designation means health workers in Wisconsin can seek needed care without fear of losing their license or job.
Verification that all invasive or stigmatizing language around mental health has been removed from applications is confirmed annually by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, a coalition of leading health care organizations that work to eliminate barriers for health workers to access mental health care.
“Across the country, health workers are at an increased risk for burnout and mental health conditions,” said Corey Feist, co-founder of ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. “Many health workers feel they cannot speak up about their mental health without being criticized by colleagues or losing their jobs. Today, physicians and nurses die by suicide at two times the rate of the general population. We as a nation must better protect these lives, and I applaud our Wellbeing First Champions for their leadership to support the wellbeing of health workers.”
In addition to removing intrusive questions from initial and renewal applications for licensure, Wellbeing First Champions must share at least three examples of how they communicated to the healthcare workforce that it is safer to seek care.
About DSPS
DSPS issues more than 240 unique licenses, administers dozens of boards and councils that regulate professions, enforces state building codes, and maintains the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which is a key tool in the multi-faceted public health campaign to stem excessive opioid prescribing. A fee-based agency, DSPS is self-sustaining and receives no general fund tax dollars for its day-to-day operations. With two offices and roughly 250 employees, DSPS collaborates with constituents and stakeholders across a wide range of industries to promote safety and advance the economy.
