Henry Schein seeks to promote change by collaborating with key stakeholders in local communities to mobilize support that will not only improve access to oral health care

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Image: Henry Schein and the National Council on Disability collaborate to improve access to Care for Americans with disabilities. Photo: courtesy of Business Wire.

Henry Schein announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Council on Disability (NCD) to seek improved access to care for Americans with disabilities in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The MOU was signed on December 3, 2019, at the Greater New York Dental Meeting, located at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

The MOU between Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate social responsibility program, and NCD will focus on advancing key building blocks for expanding dental and medical care for people with disabilities, including improving oral health literacy and provider cultural competency for treating patients with disabilities, expanding development and utilization of products and equipment for patients with disabilities, assisting Americans with disabilities to access care, and advocating for appropriate financing and reimbursement rates.

“Expanding access to care for vulnerable populations is one of the pillars of Henry Schein Cares and aligns with the Company’s efforts to advocate for increased oral health care for people with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. “We are pleased to partner with NCD to advance health equity for long-disadvantaged individuals. It is clear that the gaps in access to care are wide, and we hope that this partnership will be a powerful catalyst towards helping to create a more inclusive health care ecosystem.”

First established as an advisory council within the Department of Education in 1978, NCD became an independent federal agency in 1984. In 1986, NCD recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act, and drafted the first version of the bill which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988. Since enactment of the ADA in 1990, NCD has continued to play a leading role in crafting disability policy, and advising the President, Congress, and other federal agencies on disability policies, programs, and practices.

“Over 60 million Americans face unequal access to care, and by partnering with Henry Schein, we can bring together the stakeholders relevant to help provide true access to care for people with disabilities,” said Neil Romano, Chairman of the National Council on Disability. “We look forward to continuing to make progress for the disability community and ensuring that dentists can provide care for this most deserving population.”

In addition, Mr. Romano presented the NCD Chairman’s Toward Independence Award to Mr. Bergman and Steven Kess, Vice President, Global Professional Relations at Henry Schein, who accepted on behalf of Henry Schein Cares. The special honor recognizes Henry Schein Cares’ interest toward educating the professional medical and dental communities in disability competency, and the shared commitment of NCD and Henry Schein Cares to coordinate their efforts for the well-being of people with disabilities.

Henry Schein seeks to promote change by collaborating with key stakeholders in local communities to mobilize support that will not only improve access to oral health care, but also ultimately improve the overall health of at-risk and underserved populations. In 2017, Henry Schein joined with The Viscardi Center in creating Project Accessible Oral Health (PAOH), an international public-private partnership that raises awareness of, and addresses the significant need for, increased oral health care for people with disabilities. PAOH is the first to assemble and connect an international consortium of dental and medical professionals, corporations, organizations, policymakers, educators, people with disabilities, caregivers, and other stakeholders in pursuit of equal access to culturally competent oral health care. The Company is also a Special Olympics Health Provider Partner, donating essential health care products to support Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®.

Source: Company Press Release