Noah Wyle of ER fame has headed to Capitol Hill to fight for the rights of the real-life healthcare workers he plays on the small screen.
Wyle, 54, was one of several speakers at Figs’ ‘Healthcare Is Human’ rally in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, where he delivered a moving speech calling for greater support for doctors and nurses.
Wyle, clad in a ‘Healthcare Is Human’ shirt beneath a blazer, received enthusiastic applause as he appeared on stage with a reminder that doctors and nurses should not be begging ‘for basic support.’
The issue is one that undeniably strikes a chord for Wyle on a level deeper than his work – his mother Marty Wyle is a nurse herself and was present to introduce him on stage.
In his speech, Wyle called for the passage of the Healthcare Human Act, full funding of the Dr. Lauren Breen Act programs, and passage of the Healthcare Professionals Speak Free Act.
‘I want to be super clear about who is talking to you right now: I am not a doctor. I am not a nurse. I am not a member in any way of the healthcare workforce that I love so dearly,’ he said.
Noah Wyle, who stars on ER and The Pitt, has headed to Capitol Hill to take a stand for the rights of the real-life healthcare workers he plays on the small screen
Wyle has been playing a doctor on-off over the years on ER and The Pitt; pictured The Pitt
‘I am an actor. I’m the son of a nurse who spent 50 years caring for other people, and I’ve spent decades trying to do justice to what she and the rest of you actually do. That is the only credential I am claiming today.
‘Most of you know that I have been part of two shows about emergency medicine. ER when I was younger and a lot less wise and now The Pitt.
‘The Pitt is what happened when a group of us got obsessed with one question: “What does the job actually look like right now?” And to answer that question honestly, we listened.
‘We listened to emergency physicians, we listened to charge nurses, we listened to residents being asked to function on three hours sleep after working 18-hour shifts and then being asked to head right back in.’
‘Let me say plainly what we’re asking Congress to do. One, pass the Healthcare Human Act, a federal tax credit of up to $6,000 a year for health care professionals serving the communities that need them the most,’ he said.
‘Two, fully fund the programs of the Dr. Lauren Breen Act,’ he said.
‘Dr. Lauren Breen was an emergency physician. She spent her life taking care of people on some of the worst days of their lives. And during the early days of COVID, she did what health care professionals do. She went toward the crisis.
‘And then she needed support in a system that still makes too many people afraid of what asking for help could cost them. I never met Dr. Breen, but I know her story because her family refused to let her death be defined by suicide. They turned her grief into action. They helped change a federal law. And because of them, more healthcare professionals are able to get the support before they reach a breaking point. That is legacy… And the way we honor it now is not with applause alone. It is with action, resources, and resolve. The law bearing Lauren’s name provides evidence-based support for the mental health and well-being of health care professionals.
‘We are grateful that Congress has signed this important bill into law. However, without funding it, it’s a promise without action. Congress needs to finish the job.
Wyle addressed a group gathered on Capitol Hill on Thursday
He was joined by his wife, Sara Welles, and their daughter Frances
‘Three, pass the health care professional speak free act. When a clinician sees something harming a patient, whether it’s an insurance denial, a hospital asking healthcare workers to move so fast that they can’t properly treat their patients or anything else that crosses a line, they need to be able to say so out loud without losing their job and without losing their license.’
‘To every health care professional here and every health care professional watching, I know you do not need another speech about how important you are. You need backup.
‘This isn’t about politics,’ he continued. ‘Cancer is not partisan, a stroke is not partisan, a kid with a fever in the middle of night is not partisan. The healthcare professional who shows up for that patient should not have to beg for basic support from a system that they hold together.’
When Wyle wasn’t on stage, he was seen taking in the moment alongside his wife of 12 years, Sara. Their daughter, Frances, 10, was also present.
Wyle – who has two older children from his previous marriage – famously played Dr. John Carter on the iconic NBC medical series ER, which aired from 1994-2009.
He starred on the earlier series from seasons 1-11 and returned as a guest star in season 12.
Wyle now writes, directs, and produces HBO’s award-wining series The Pitt.
Noah’s mother, Marty Wyle, introduced her son on stage
Marty was clearly proud of her son’s advocacy for her profession
The couple shared a warm embrace as they took in the moment
‘To every health care professional here and every health care professional watching, I know you do not need another speech about how important you are. You need backup,’ he told the crowd
Marty is a nurse, making the issue even more personal for Wyle
‘I’m the son of a nurse who spent 50 years caring for other people,’ he told the crowd
Wyle reminded listeners that life-threatening illnesses ‘are not partisan’
Wyle famously played Dr. John Carter on the iconic NBC medical series ER, which aired from 1994-2009
Each episode covers one hour of a 15-hour shift at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.
The show takes place in Pittsburgh, with the title nodding to both the location and a nickname for the hospital’s emergency department.
Wyle portrays Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch who is a senior physician who is still reeling from his traumatic experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pitt has been a standout success for HBO as it has received both critical praise and several awards.
It has earned five Primetime Emmy Awards including an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series gong for Wyle and top honor Outstanding Drama Series.
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