MELVILLE, N.Y.– Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) today announced the donation of $200,000 in health care products to the Howard University College of Dentistry and the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry to support their efforts to provide free oral health care to the underserved through their respective student outreach programs.
The donation of $100,000 each to Howard and Meharry – the only historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with dental schools – was announced by Henry Schein Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Stanley M. Bergman in his commencement address Friday at Howard, during which he encouraged the dental school graduates to use their talent and training to provide clinical care and pursue a vision of giving back positively to society. Mr. Bergman also announced that each member of this year’s graduating class at Howard College of Dentistry would receive $1,000 in health care products to provide charitable care of their choosing.
“We at Henry Schein embrace the importance of big thinking, collaboration, courageous leadership, and the need for greater health equity, especially among our diverse and underserved communities,” said Mr. Bergman in his commencement remarks. “We will continue to support educational institutions, and their students, in their efforts to give back to society.”
Henry Schein, which has supported Howard’s Global Student Outreach program for 18 years, will extend the partnership for the next four years with this grant of $100,000 in health care products. “Henry Schein’s philanthropic endeavors in expanding access to quality health care aligns well with the mission and values of our dentistry College,” said Dr. Andrea D. Jackson, Dean of the Howard University College of Dentistry. “We are thankful for Henry Schein’s generous support for our Global Student Outreach program, and we look forward to using the donated products to help deliver quality care to underserved communities.”
The donations to Howard and Meharry – which also has a student outreach program that Henry Schein supports – recognize the important and unique role that historically black colleges and universities play in promoting health equity. Mr. Bergman also participated in Meharry Medical College’s National Health Summit on health equities as a guest speaker in 2021. “We greatly appreciate the support Henry Schein has provided over the years to our dental school and its students,” said Dr. Cherae Farmer-Dixon, Dean of the Meharry School of Dentistry. “It is with the support of organizations like Henry Schein that we can advance health equity and expand access to health care for diverse and underserved communities.”
“In addition to the growing income inequality that we are seeing around the world, including here in the United States, there is an enormous gap in health care equity and access to health care among populations,” Mr. Bergman said to the graduates. “As part of the health care community, there is an important role for each of us in helping to address this disparity.”
