'Henry Schein Comfort Cart' Rolls out at Schneider Children's Hospital; Henry Schein Cares Initiative Provides Parents and Siblings with Some of the Comforts of Home to Help Families Focus on Caring for Hospitalized Children
MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 11, 2006--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, today launched the "Henry Schein Comfort Cart" at Schneider Children's Hospital, part of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y. Stocked with items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant, as well as books, games and other items to make unexpected stays more pleasant for parents and siblings of hospitalized children, the Henry Schein Comfort Cart enables families to focus on caring for their children when it is needed most. Supported by Henry Schein Cares, the Company's global social responsibility program, the Henry Schein Comfort Cart will make regular rounds through the patient areas of the hospital staffed by volunteers distributing the complimentary items.
"We are pleased to use our Company's core competency of efficiently providing healthcare products to give back to an exceptional medical resource here on Long Island where our worldwide headquarters is located," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, who unveiled the Henry Schein Comfort Cart. "This is a community that many Team Schein Members call home and a hospital that has helped several children from our Team Schein family. We are delighted to add even more comfort to this caring facility."
Henry Schein has committed funds to the Child Life Program at Schneider Children's Hospital, which will sponsor the Comfort Cart and related programs. The Company hopes this initiative will serve as a model program for other hospitals in the country.
"All of us at Schneider Children's Hospital and the North Shore-LIJ Health System commend Henry Schein for its creativity and commitment as a corporate citizen in conceiving and funding the Henry Schein Comfort Cart," said Michael Dowling, President and Chief Executive Officer of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. "Parents of hospitalized children are understandably reluctant to leave their child's side when they are ill, even if it means doing without essential personal care items. The Henry Schein Comfort Cart will make unexpected stays pass more quickly and comfortably."
"A visit to the hospital can be traumatic for any youngster," said Michele Neuhaus, Director of Child Life Services at Schneider Children's Hospital. "In addition to receiving the finest medical care available, children admitted to Schneider Children's Hospital receive comfort and emotional support from trained specialists in the Child Life Program, who recognize and understand their unique needs. Because the Henry Schein Comfort Cart enables parents to remain at the hospital during their children's treatment, it aids us in helping children continue their normal development, and recuperate from the emotional and physical effects of illness."
About Schneider Children's Hospital
Schneider Children's Hospital, part of the 15-hospital North Shore-LIJ Health System, provides advanced medical care for children from the smallest premature infant to young adults. The Hospital includes 30 clinical departments and over 100 centers and services. Designed for children only, this 154-bed hospital is a regional, tertiary care facility that includes Long Island's only pediatric trauma unit. Opened in 1983, the hospital is recognized by Child magazine as one of the nation's top 20 children's hospitals. For information visit www.schneiderchildrenshospital.org.
About Henry Schein
Henry Schein, a Fortune 500(R) company, 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 500,000 customers worldwide, including dental practices and laboratories, physician practices and veterinary 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 70,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as over 100,000 additional products available to our customers 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 been installed in more than 50,000 practices, including DENTRIX(R) and Easy Dental(R) for dental practices, and AVImark(R) for veterinary clinics.
Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein employs nearly 11,000 people and has operations in 19 countries. The Company's sales reached a record $4.6 billion in 2005. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5207682
CONTACT: Henry Schein, Inc.
Susan Vassallo, 631-843-5562
susan.vassallo@henryschein.com
SOURCE: Henry Schein, Inc.