Henry Schein's 'Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles' Promotes Access to Healthcare
Special program partners with health organizations to provide free medical and dental care to underserved children
MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct 27, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the largest provider of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets, announced today that "Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles," a program that promotes access to healthcare for underserved children, provided free medical and dental services to 4,000 children in nine cities throughout the country this summer and fall.
Supported by Henry Schein Cares, the Company's global social responsibility program, Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles was co-sponsored by state and local health organizations in each of the nine locations. Since launching the program in Columbia, South Carolina in 2006, Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles has expanded significantly to include events held this year in the following cities: San Antonio, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Greenville, South Carolina; Miami, Florida; Richmond, Virginia; Detroit, Michigan; New York, New York; Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In each city, volunteer physicians, nurses, and dentists screened for diseases and risk factors that commonly afflict children, including hypertension, asthma, diabetes, obesity and poor oral health. Healthcare volunteers also educated the children and their parents about ways to prevent and treat these health problems, and assisted them in finding a community healthcare clinic or doctor's office where they can receive preventative care and primary care on a regular basis.
"Henry Schein Cares is dedicated to promoting access to care among underserved communities, both in the United States and around the world," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. "Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles is a great example of the power of public-private partnership in meeting the health challenges that face us. This community-based healthcare program is 'helping health happen' through effective partnerships with, and the generous commitment of, our program sponsors, supplier partners, and volunteers in each local community."
Henry Schein works with the statewide Community Health Center network, local Departments of Health and Family Services, local government agencies, dental associations, churches, and youth and community organizations to identify children who would most benefit from free care. Beyond this recruitment, Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles is also open to the general public on the day it takes place in participating cities. Nearly 20 of Henry Schein's supplier partners donate medical and dental products for child health screenings.
Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles became a Program Partner of the American Dental Association's (ADA) "Give Kids a Smile" program in 2007 -- a program designed to increase access to oral healthcare for underserved children. Henry Schein Dental, the U.S. dental division of Henry Schein, served as the exclusive professional products sponsor for Give Kids A Smile for the sixth consecutive year.
Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles Program Sponsors:
BD Cardiac Science Corporation
Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles Supplier Partners:
ASO LLC Quidel Corporation Bayer HealthCare -- Diabetes Care Safetec of America, Inc. Derma Sciences seca North America DUKAL Corporation Sultan Healthcare HealthLink TIDI Products LLC Kimberly-Clark Health Care Tuttnauer MABIS Healthcare/Duro-Med Industries W.A. Baum Co., Inc. Microflex Corporation Welch Allyn, Inc. Office Depot, Inc.
About Henry Schein
Henry Schein, a Fortune 500(R) company and a member of the NASDAQ 100(R) Index, is recognized for its excellent customer service and highly competitive prices. The Company's four business groups -- Dental, Medical, International and Technology -- serve more than 550,000 customers worldwide, including dental practitioners and laboratories, physician practices and animal health clinics, as well as government and other institutions. The Company operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, which provides customers in more than 200 countries with a comprehensive selection of more than 90,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 100,000 additional products available as special-order items.
Henry Schein also offers a wide range of innovative value-added practice solutions for healthcare professionals, such as ArubA(R), the Company's electronic catalog and ordering system. Its leading practice-management software solutions have a user base of more than 52,000 practices, including DENTRIX(R), Easy Dental(R), Oasis(R) and EXACT(R) for dental practices, MicroMD(R) for physician practices, and AVImark(R) for animal health clinics.
Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein employs more than 12,000 people and has operations or affiliates in 20 countries. The Company's net sales reached a record $5.9 billion in 2007. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.
SOURCE: Henry Schein, Inc.
Henry Schein, Inc.
Susan Vassallo, 631-843-5562
Vice President, Corporate Communications
susan.vassallo@henryschein.com