Diversity in EMS: Henry Schein Cares ‘Helps Health Happen’

Diversity in EMS is a bimonthly column in which rotating authors confront aspects of discrimination, equity, and inclusion in the emergency medical services and consider how agencies can lead change. 

When Henry Schein Inc. was founded in 1932, Henry and Esther Schein opened the doors of their pharmacy with a belief that a special culture, deeply held values, and a commitment to their community would prove a recipe for success.

While community needs have changed over time, the company’s commitment to its values remains unwavering. Case in point: Henry Schein is one of 180 major global companies committed to helping refugees through the Tent Partnership for Refugees, having joined in its founding year, 2017.

In concert with the Tent Partnership and several participating NGO partners, Henry Schein is exploring and facilitating job opportunities and training within various parts of its business for Afghan refugees being resettled in the United States, says Allison Neale, vice president, public policy, corporate and legal affairs at Henry Schein. 

The company is working with several nongovernmental organization (NGO) partners to identify potential job opportunities that fit the skills and background of identified refugees in a given location as well as matches for individuals in training opportunities, including for the role of equipment technician. 

When Henry Schein’s chair and CEO, Stan Bergman, addressed the United Nations General Assembly in 2017 on the private sector’s role in meeting refugees’ needs, he expressed that “sympathy for the plight of refugees is simply not enough. Every sector of society shares the responsibility to do our part to address the root causes that fuel this crisis—including conflict and a failure to meet basic human needs—as well as the vulnerabilities refugees face as they flee.

“We firmly believe companies have a role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new host communities through employment opportunities,” Bergman added. “Ultimately, this type of engagement is mutually beneficial since companies have a lot to gain from the unique skills and capabilities these individuals contribute.”

Do Good to Do Well

Established in 2001 as the company’s global corporate social responsibility program, Henry Schein Cares adheres to the idea that “doing good” for the professions and communities it serves allows the company to “do well,” says Jennifer Kim Field, vice president, corporate social responsibility at Henry Schein.

Since its inception, Henry Schein Cares has “helped health happen” for millions of individuals, she adds. 

It stands on five pillars: empowering “Team Schein” to reach its potential, advancing health equity and expanding underserved communities’ access to care, accelerating environmental sustainability, strengthening and diversifying its supply chain, and maintaining strong ethical governance. 

The company’s 2020 Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Report articulates its commitment to advancing its sustainability stewardship through various actions, notes Field.

That has included donating at least $50 million in cash and products through Henry Schein Cares and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, Inc. by 2025 to advance health equity. 

“We believe that regardless of where someone is born, their social or economic situation, or the color of their skin, all people should have access to quality, affordable healthcare,” Field says. “Notably, in 2020 the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented communities highlighted stark healthcare inequities that, if left unaddressed, will undermine the security, health, and prosperity of all.” 

In 2020 Henry Schein Cares and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation donated more than $38 million in cash and products globally to advance health equity and access to care for stronger communities. 

“Our efforts to promote health equity and access to care include leveraging our unique position among key healthcare stakeholders to catalyze change by advocating for and raising awareness of the needs of underrepresented populations—particularly communities of color—to promote fair and equitable access to care,” says Field. “We also continue to develop public-private partnerships to support the strengthening of healthcare systems.” 

The company endeavors to achieve its goals by reducing healthcare access gaps through wellness, prevention, and treatment and deepening cultural competency among healthcare professionals to more effectively work with diverse patient populations.

Additionally, the company works to build capacity in the healthcare system by supporting the development of future and diverse healthcare professionals and planning, preparing, and prepositioning products with leading NGO partners to ensure the swift availability of lifesaving supplies for healthcare professionals responding to disasters.

Support for the Front Lines

One example is Henry Schein’s partnership with the Black Coalition Against COVID-19 (BCAC) to determine recommendations and strategies to accelerate equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine. 

“Henry Schein supports a broad array of providers in a variety of settings, many of whom are frontline office-based and community health providers,” says Field. “The company supported two of the BCAC’s virtual town hall events, which emphasized how vital primary care physicians are in the COVID-19 vaccination effort because of the high level of trust they have with their patients, their understanding of a patient’s health history, and their physical presence in every community.”

Another example: launching the second phase of the “Wearing Is Caring” campaign promoting the connection between oral health and total systemic health and encouraging the use of face coverings to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. 

The second phase also encompasses Henry Schein Cares Foundation support of select local Special Olympics programs in Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi. Its funding is directed toward Special Olympics Healthy Athletes programs, which provide health screenings and education in eight different disciplines, including oral health, for Special Olympics athletes. 

The organization also has donated more than 10 million PPE items to NGOs for frontline healthcare workers and social service providers.

Henry Schein’s NGO partners include Americares, Direct Relief, the International College of Dentists, MAP International, MedShare, Project HOPE, and Special Olympics.

Henry Schein Cares has a longstanding commitment to health equity, advocating for and raising awareness of the needs of underserved communities that are disproportionately disadvantaged for multiple reasons, including access, ability to pay, race, religion, or social status. 

“We support these communities through programs that provide care and education around prevention and wellness,” says Field. “As our populations become increasingly diverse, it is now more important than ever to invest in cultural competence, so all populations receive quality care in a culturally relevant manner.”

Initiatives include the Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities (HLHC) Program supporting community health centers that enhance the well-being of underserved populations in their own backyards. 

“By sponsoring free community health fairs, HLHC provides access to free medical and oral health screenings as well resources for a healthier lifestyle,” Field says.

The organization supports healthcare providers and nonprofit organizations by providing product donations as they work to bring quality healthcare and education to underserved communities, she adds. 

“Our global product donation program contributes medical and dental supplies to nongovernmental organizations that provide healthcare services to underserved communities and at-risk populations in the U.S. and abroad,” Field says.

In 2019 Henry Schein Medical, along with the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, announced a multiyear partnership with the Children’s Health Fund (CHF) to support efforts to deliver high-quality healthcare to America’s most disadvantaged children. 

“Through this partnership we help provide a wide range of medical and dental products to support CHF’s mobile medical clinics and pediatric programs across the United States,” Field says.

Henry Schein also has been a longtime partner of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society, specifically engaging in the Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth (PLAY) Program. 

“The PLAY campaign aims to combat child obesity and promote healthy living and decision-making among America’s young people,” says Field. 

Additionally, Henry Schein has been the exclusive professional product sponsor of the ADA Foundation’s Give Kids A Smile campaign, which has provided more than 5.5 million children with free oral healthcare in partnership with tens of thousands of volunteer dental professionals across the U.S.  

Carol Brzozowski is a freelance journalist and former daily newspaper reporter based in South Florida. Her work has been published in more than 200 media outlets.