Healing the Healers: Moral Injury, Privacy, and Pathways to Hope with Corey Feist

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Overview

Healthcare workers give their all, but too often, the system gives little back when it comes to protecting their mental health. In this Hope Illuminated episode, I sit down with Corey Feist, Co-Founder & CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, to talk about moral injury, systemic solutions, and the strategies that actually work.

Together, we unpack how confidential peer support, equal privacy protections in mental health care, and humane re-entry pathways can restore dignity and safety to those who care for us. Corey’s work has helped drive landmark federal legislation, shift national culture, and spark movements that reach over 1.5 million healthcare workers.

This episode isn’t just for healthcare leaders. If you care about building psychologically safe workplaces —in medicine or beyond — you’ll walk away with actionable strategies for protecting wellbeing, reducing stigma, and honoring the humanity of workers everywhere.

About Corey Feist

Corey Feist is a healthcare leader on a mission to ensure every healthcare worker has the mental health and wellbeing support they need to thrive.

As Co-Founder & CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation (drlornabreen.org), Corey works with policymakers, health systems, and advocacy groups to reduce burnout, eliminate barriers to care, and change the culture of healthcare.

Career Highlights:

  • Co-led advocacy that resulted in the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act—the first federal law focused on healthcare worker mental health.

  • Delivered formal testimony to the U.S. Congress on workforce wellbeing.

  • Awarded the Surgeon General’s Medallion for Health (2023), the highest civilian honor from the U.S. Surgeon General.

  • 20+ years in healthcare law & administration, including CEO of the University of Virginia Physicians Group.

Corey holds a JD and MBA and speaks nationally on healthcare workforce well-being, policy reform, and leadershipFeist Bio.

About the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation

The Foundation honors the life and legacy of Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency physician who died by suicide in 2020 after facing the crushing weight of stigma and fear tied to seeking help.

Today, the Foundation leads nationwide efforts to:

  • Advance policy change protecting healthcare worker wellbeing.

  • Build confidential peer support programs.

  • Eliminate mental health stigma in medicine.

  • Promote safe and supportive pathways for clinicians returning to work after treatment.

Through its initiatives, the Foundation helps ensure that no healthcare worker has to choose between their career and their mental health. Learn more at drlornabreen.org.

Questions This Episode Answers

  • What is moral injury in healthcare, and how is it different from burnout?

  • Why do health workers fear seeking mental health care?

  • How does confidential peer support help doctors and nurses recover from trauma?

  • What does equal privacy in mental health care mean for healthcare workers?

  • How can hospitals create safe re-entry pathways for clinicians after treatment?

  • What strategies are hospitals using to protect doctors’ mental health?

  • How can lessons from the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation apply to other industries?

  • What role does policy change play in reducing burnout and moral injury among clinicians?

  • How can leaders create psychologically safe workplaces after moral injury?

Show Notes & Resources