Senator Kaine is heading up two health-focused bills passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee on Thursday.
One of those is the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, named for a Charlottesville doctor — that aims to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions among healthcare professionals.
The second is the Bold Act which funds public health initiatives to combat Alzheimer’s disease.
“We really need to equip our health departments, state, county and city to do a better job of kind of managing the reality of Alzheimer’s. What is the cause, what is the treatment but how do you manage the reality of it? And that is heavily in the exchange of information, the ability to do research and the support for caregivers,” Sen. Kaine said.
Headed by the CDC, the reauthorization would provide $33 million per year over the next five years to support partners like the Virginia Health Department.