The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will host a special virtual event with NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other national experts from labor and medicine on the mental health of the nation’s critical health workforce.

Workers providing health services face many on-the-job challenges that can lead to work-related stress. For many of the more than 20 million health workers in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic has also led to new and worsening mental health concerns, including burnout, compassion fatigue, depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and suicidal ideation. These concerns affect each worker’s overall health, job performance, and ultimately, patient care and safety.

Now is the time to take action to improve the mental health and well-being of America’s health workers and create sustainable change for the next generation to follow. The panel will:

● Discuss the current crisis and the impact of the pandemic

● Explore the specific challenges facing the nation’s health workers and what is needed to design a better work experience for this workforce

● Highlight current efforts and introduce NIOSH’s 5-part plan to tackle the growing public health crisis.

This panel will take place via Zoom on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 2:30–3:30 p.m. ET, and the panelists will include: John Howard, M.D., Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., U.S. Surgeon General; Elizabeth Royal, Director, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) National Nurse Alliance; and Lotte Dyrbye, M.D., Co-Director, Mayo Clinic Program on Physician Well-Being.

Register in advance: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/1916355196079/WN_5Gpu-DhBShSFnq3pUEbQAQ

A recording of the webinar will be available on the NIOSH website at a later date.