Henry Schein continued its mission to advance diversity and inclusion in dentistry by recently participating in the Queens County Dental Society Diversity Leadership roundtable, an open forum for leaders from national, state, local, and culturally diverse dental associations to discuss how the dental industry and profession can work together to promote increased diversity in dentistry.
The two-day gathering joined representatives from the National Dental Association, the Dominican, Hispanic, Korean, and Puerto Rican Dental Associations, the Diverse Dental Society, and others, to address how to collaboratively strengthen the pipeline development and recruitment of underrepresented populations in the dental profession.
Participants at the Queens County Dental Society Diversity Leadership roundtable, an open forum for leaders from national, state, local, and culturally diverse dental associations to discuss how the dental industry and profession can work together to promote increased diversity in dentistry. (Photo: Business Wire)
Also in attendance were Congressman Adriano Espaillat, American Dental Association (ADA) President Dr. Cesar Sabates, former ADA President Dr. Chad Gehani, and ADA Executive Director Dr. Ray Cohlmia. Henry Schein’s global corporate social responsibility program, Henry Schein Cares, supported the roundtable when it was initially held in 1997, and it had a significant role in assembling the inaugural conference.
“We were pleased to participate in the Queens County Dental Society Diversity Leadership roundtable, which reinforces our ongoing commitment to advocating for diversity in health care professions and increasing access to care for stronger communities,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. “By collaborating, we can continue to foster an environment in which diversity and inclusion are woven into the fabric of the dental profession and our industry.”
During the event, Steven W. Kess, Henry Schein’s Vice President of Global Professional Relations, was honored with a Congressional Recognition from Congressman Espaillat for his lifetime contribution to advancing oral health. Mr. Kess has been instrumental in forging innovative public-private partnerships, which have helped enhance access to care and health equity for underserved individuals. He is also co-founder of Henry Schein Cares, and he served as the Founding President of the Henry Schein Cares Foundation.
“On behalf of the more than 22,000 Team Schein Members, it is a privilege to receive this honor, and it is a testament to Team Schein’s commitment to promoting pathways of opportunity to encourage greater diversity within the health care profession,” said Mr. Kess. “We, along with many of our partners, are dedicated to ‘helping health happen’ around the world and we look forward to continuing our collaboration on this very important initiative.”
Henry Schein has helped drive the conversation around diversity and inclusion in dentistry for more than two decades. For example, the Company was one of four founding corporate sponsors of the ADA’s Institute for Diversity Leadership, which was created to foster leadership training and a corporate mentoring network within the dental industry to improve the business management skills of dentists from racial, ethnic, or gender backgrounds that have been underrepresented in such roles.
Henry Schein also supported the first annual conference in June 2014 of The Diverse Dental Society, comprised of three minority oral health professional organizations: the Hispanic Dental Association, National Dental Association, and Society of American Indian Dentists. These associations partnered during the COVID-19 pandemic to address unmet needs in under-resourced communities with the goal of drawing attention to care disparities.
“Henry Schein has been a driving force in expanding opportunities in dentistry and beyond for years,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “Steve Kess is an inspiration to each of us and his contributions to diversity, inclusion, and representation are commendable. Congratulations to him and Team Schein on this much-deserved recognition.”
To learn more about Henry Schein’s diversity and inclusion efforts, please click here.
About Henry Schein Cares
Henry Schein Cares stands on five pillars: empowering team Schein to reach their potential, advancing health equity and expanding access to care for underserved communities, accelerating environmental sustainability, strengthening, and diversifying our supply chain, and maintaining strong ethical governance. Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on four main areas: (1) wellness, treatment, prevention, and education; (2) capacity building; (3) emergency preparedness and disaster response; and (4) health system strengthening.
Rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the philosophy of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the purpose-driven vision of Henry Schein Cares is “doing well by doing good.” Our commitment to sustained, long-term economic success while also creating shared value for society is achieved through the work of Henry Schein Cares and our stakeholder model that engages all five constituents of our Mosaic of Success.
To learn more about how we are making a difference, please visit: www.henryschein.com/corporatecitizenship.
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 worldwide, the Company’s network of trusted advisors provides more than 1 million customers globally with more than 300 valued solutions that help improve operational success and clinical outcomes. Our Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions help office-based dental and medical practitioners work more efficiently so they can provide quality care more effectively.
These solutions also support dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, as well as other alternate care sites.
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.
A FORTUNE 500 Company and a member of the S&P 500® index, Henry Schein is headquartered in Melville, N.Y., and has operations or affiliates in 32 countries and territories. The Company’s sales reached $12.4 billion in 2021, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 12.5 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.
For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, Instagram.com/HenrySchein, and Twitter.com/HenrySchein.
