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This is The Nocturnous Conversations. I'm Emily Silverman.

Today I'm joined by Corey Feist, co-founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation and brother-in-law of Dr. Lorna Breen,

the New York City emergency physician who became a national icon after she died by suicide in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Corey has dedicated the past five years to

honoring Lorna's legacy, transforming her story into a catalyst for change. Through his leadership, the

foundation helped pass the Dr. Lorna Breen health care provider

Protection Act, created national programs supporting clinician well-being, and continues to advocate

for systemic reform in health care. In my conversation with Corey, we discussed the personal

and emotional journey of turning profound loss into a national movement for change,

how the Lorna Breen Act is reshaping the way our country supports the mental health of health care workers, and the ongoing fight to dismantle stigma and barriers so clinicians can seek

the help they need without fear. I hope you find this conversation as moving and inspiring as I did.

But first, listen to Corey read an excerpt from A Doctor's Emergency, a powerful essay in Vanity Fair about his sister-in-law, Dr. Lorna Breen.

Each year in March, Dr. Lorna Breen would join her sister, Jennifer Fice, family, for a spring break trip.

This year's destination was Big Sky, Montana.

The medical director of the emergency department at Upper Manhattan's New York Presbyterian Allen Hospital and an assistant professor at Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians

and Surgeons. Brin had a reputation for tireless work and adventurous spirits. She once traveled

to Croatia to study for medical board exams to make a working vacation out of it.

Tall and athletic, with a bright grin, Green arrived in Big Sky on March 8th when New York City had 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

For five days, she snowboarded and her family skied, while keeping an eye on the news and excusing herself for phone calls

...