Press Release
Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama Recognized as 2025 Wellbeing First Champion, Supporting Health Worker Wellbeing
Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama Verified by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, Ensuring No Invasive Mental Health Questions on Applications
Birmingham, Alabama – September 23, 2025 – The Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama (BDEAL) announced today that it has been recognized as a 2025 Wellbeing First Champion by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare.
As a Wellbeing First Champion, the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama has verified that its licensure and credentialing applications are free from intrusive and stigmatizing language regarding mental health care and treatment. This means that Alabama dentists and dental hygienists can seek the care they need without fear of jeopardizing their license or professional standing.
“The Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama is committed to protecting both the public and the professionals we regulate,” said Melodie Jones, DMD, President of the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama. “By removing stigmatizing language from our applications, we are affirming our support for Alabama’s dental workforce and ensuring they can pursue mental health care without unnecessary barriers.”
Verification that all invasive or stigmatizing mental health language has been removed is confirmed annually by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, a national coalition of leading healthcare organizations working to eliminate obstacles that prevent health workers from accessing mental health care.
“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. 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.”
For more information on how the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama supports the dental profession, please visit www.dentalboard.org.
About the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama
The Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama is the regulatory agency responsible for licensing dentists and dental hygienists, enforcing practice standards, and protecting the oral health and safety of the public across the state. Through fair regulation and support of the dental profession, the Board ensures both patient safety and the highest standards of professional practice.
About ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare
ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, led by The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, is a coalition of national organizations committed to advancing a state where the healthcare workforce’s wellbeing is prioritized, and individual health workers feel valued and supported so they can sustain their sense of purpose and meaning in their work. Coalition members include AHIP, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Dental Association, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Nurses Foundation, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, CAA Foundation, CHARM, Federation of State Physician Health Programs, FIGS, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Heart of Safety Coalition, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Moral Injury of Healthcare, National Medical Association, National Black Nurses Association, Medicine Forward, Organizational Wellbeing Solutions, Philippine Nurses Association of America, The Physicians Foundation, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, and Thrive Global.
