Hugh Chatham Health has been named a Wellbeing First Champion for 2025 by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare. The recognition highlights the organization’s efforts to ensure that its licensure and credentialing applications do not contain intrusive or stigmatizing language related to mental health care and treatment. This change allows employees at Hugh Chatham Health to seek mental health care without concerns about their job security or professional licenses.
Paul Hammes, CEO of Hugh Chatham Health, stated, “We are honored to be recognized as a Wellbeing First Champion. Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our teammates is essential to delivering safe, compassionate care to our community. By removing barriers to care and encouraging open conversation, we reinforce our longstanding commitment to creating a culture where every health worker feels safe seeking the care they need.”
The annual verification process is conducted by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, which is a coalition focused on reducing obstacles that prevent healthcare workers from accessing mental health services.
Corey Feist, co-founder of ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, commented on the broader issue facing healthcare professionals: “Across the country, health workers are at an increased risk for burnout and mental health conditions. 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.”
Hugh Chatham Health operates as a not-for-profit community healthcare network in North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. It includes physician clinics and an 81-bed acute care hospital serving residents in the Yadkin Valley region. The organization employs over 900 people across its hospital facilities, medical practices, and home health agency.
ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare is led by The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and consists of national organizations working toward prioritizing healthcare workforce wellbeing.
