Henry Schein Partners with Special Olympics to Promote Wellness and Health Education for Athletes Around the World

MELVILLE, N.Y., July 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) today announced that it has formed a multi-year partnership with Special Olympics to support the organization’s efforts to deliver health care and education among its athletes at select Special Olympics events.

Through this partnership, Henry Schein has been named a Special Olympics Health Provider Partner, and will donate essential health care products to support Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®. This initiative will offer health screenings and education to participating athletes with the goal of promoting healthy lifestyle choices and identifying problems that may need additional follow-up.

According to Special Olympics, people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are frequently among the most medically vulnerable populations in any country, despite severe need and higher health risks. Henry Schein’s donation will support Healthy Athletes screenings at 200 Special Olympics events, beginning this week in Seattle and continuing through 2019 at events in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Israel, Jamaica, and the U.K. The donation includes a range of oral health and medical products essential to overall health and wellness.

“Team Schein is pleased to partner with Special Olympics in support of Healthy Athletes. Supporting the health of people with intellectual disabilities throughout our society closely aligns with our belief in the power of wellness, prevention, treatment, and education to reduce disparities in the delivery of care,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. “We look forward to working with Special Olympics and the program’s dedicated health professionals as they help set these incredible athletes on the path to a lifetime of good overall health.”

As a Special Olympics Health Provider Partner, Henry Schein’s donations will be used during screenings in six of eight Healthy Athletes disciplines, including Special Smiles, which provides athletes with comprehensive oral health care information, free dental screenings, instructions on proper brushing and flossing techniques, and if needed, a referral to a dental care provider at home trained to treat people with ID.

Special Smiles fills a particular need for people with ID. Global oral health indicators among Special Olympics athletes show that:

• 15 percent have mouth pain;
• 37 percent have untreated tooth decay;
• 28 percent have missing teeth;
• 46 percent have signs of gingivitis; and
• 14 percent need an urgent dental referral.

Henry Schein’s donations also support five additional Healthy Athletes disciplines: Fit Feet (podiatry), FUNfitness (physical therapy), Health Promotion (better health and well-being), MedFest (sports physical exam), and Strong Minds (emotional well-being).

“The partnership between Henry Schein and Special Olympics will not only strengthen our ability to provide the high-quality health screenings that our athletes deserve but also draw attention to the health injustice faced by people with intellectual disabilities,” said Drew Boshell, Senior Vice President of Sport and Health at Special Olympics. “Both Henry Schein and Special Olympics share a common belief that all people deserve quality health care regardless of their differences, and Henry Schein’s contribution of health care products for our health events will allow our athletes to achieve their best on and off the playing field.”

Since its inception in 1997, Healthy Athletes has delivered 2.1 million free health screenings in more than 135 countries and trained over 240,000 health care professionals, clinical volunteers, and students in using adapted screening protocols and in communicating effectively with people with ID. This training also aids in building the health care community’s capacity to serve the health care needs of people with ID outside of Special Olympics events, as providers take these skills back to their practices and provide higher quality health care to people with ID--not just Special Olympic athletes--in their communities.

The donation is an initiative of Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate social responsibility program.

About Henry Schein Cares
Henry Schein Cares stands on four pillars: engaging Team Schein Members to reach their potential, ensuring accountability by extending ethical business practices to all levels within Henry Schein, promoting environmental sustainability, and expanding access to health care for underserved and at-risk communities around the world. Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on three main areas: advancing wellness, building capacity in the delivery of health care services, and assisting in emergency preparedness and relief.

Firmly rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the concept of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the philosophy behind Henry Schein Cares is a vision of “doing well by doing good.” Through the work of Henry Schein Cares to enhance access to care for those in need, the Company believes that it is furthering its long-term success. “Helping Health Happen Blog” is a platform for health care professionals to share their volunteer experiences delivering assistance to those in need globally. To read more about how Henry Schein Cares is making a difference, please visit our blog: www.helpinghealthhappen.org.

About Henry Schein, Inc.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a solutions company for health care professionals powered by a network of people and technology. With more than 22,000 Team Schein Members serving more than 1 million customers globally, the Company is the world’s largest provider of Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions to enhance the efficiency of office-based dental, animal health, and medical practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites.

A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the S&P 500® and the Nasdaq 100® indexes, Henry Schein’s network of trusted advisors provides health care professionals with the valued solutions they need to improve operational success and clinical outcomes. The Company offers customers exclusive, innovative products and solutions, including practice management software, e-commerce solutions, specialty and surgical products, as well as a broad range of financial services. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 120,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 180,000 additional products available as special-order items.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 34 countries. The Company’s sales reached a record $12.5 billion in 2017, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 15 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, and @HenrySchein on Twitter.

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