Cone Health Earns National Wellbeing First Champion Distinction
Recognition highlights Cone Health’s commitment to removing stigma around mental health care for clinicians.
Cone Health has been named a 2025 Wellbeing First Champion by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare—a recognition that signals its commitment to eliminating intrusive and stigmatizing language in licensure and credentialing applications.
The big picture: 
Health care workers face some of the highest rates of burnout and suicide in any profession. Intrusive questions about mental health treatment can discourage doctors and nurses from seeking help. By removing these barriers, Cone Health sends a clear message: caring for your mental health is not a career risk—it’s essential.
Why this matters: ![]()
- Burnout among clinicians is linked to medical errors and staff turnover.
- Physicians die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of the general population.
- Nurses report record levels of stress and depression.
Cone Health’s approach helps create a culture where seeking mental health care is supported.
Cone Health’s approach
Cone Health supports clinicians with anonymous counseling, provides peer coaches and conducts two annual surveys on provider burnout and wellness. This distinction reflects that work to prioritize wellbeing across our system—because healthy caregivers mean better care for our communities.
What people are saying:
"Removing stigma from mental health care is critical to supporting our clinicians," said Dr. Valerie Leschber, chief medical officer at Cone Health. "When our team feels safe to seek help, they can provide the best care for patients—and for themselves."
“Across the country, health workers are at an increased risk for burnout and mental health conditions,” said Corey Feist, co-founder of ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. “Many health workers feel they cannot speak up about their mental health without being criticized by colleagues or losing their jobs.”
