A bill now in Congress honoring Lorna Breen, MD, an emergency physician who took her life last year, aims to prevent other healthcare workers from completing suicide and to reduce mental health stigma.

In December, the nonprofit Physicians Foundation reported that roughly 8% of physician practices were forced to close because of the pandemic.

They are among thousands of physicians and other health care professionals across the country who have made coronavirus-prompted career changes such as closing practices, joining larger health systems and retiring early.

Another survey, by the Physicians Foundation, found that 8 percent of doctors in the United States had closed their offices during the pandemic, translating to 16,000 fewer private practices.

Eight percent of U.S. doctors have closed their practices because of COVID-19, according to a survey from the nonprofit Physicians Foundation. That translates to roughly 16,000 fewer practices nationwide. Another survey, from Medscape, found that a quarter of doctors are considering retiring early.

“If the location is not the right fit for you and your family, that may not be the best practice for you,” says Gary Price, M.D., president of The Physicians Foundation.

The COVID-19 pandemic is resulting in a number of physicians retiring early due to financial issues and personal health concerns.

Those on the medical frontline were working long hours under dangerous conditions, but the newly minted heroes held out hope that, if they could weather the surges, fellow Americans would do their part to stem the tide of cases.

Life as we know it has been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Every aspect of our health care system is affected; in particular, our nation’s frontline workers are being stretched like never before.

Although no one tracks medical closures, recent research suggests they number in the thousands. A survey by the Physicians Foundation estimated that 8% of all physician practices nationally — around 16,000 — have closed under the stress of the pandemic.