Henry Schein Oral Health Navigator Program Provides Oral Health Treatment For More Than 200 Children Fighting Cancer

MELVILLE, N.Y., July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) joined Northwell Health to announce that more than 200 children fighting cancer have received oral health treatment during the past two years through the Henry Schein Oral Health Navigator Program, an initiative designed to help young patients avoid oral health-related complications during cancer treatment. The program is located at the New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Cohen Children's Medical Center, a leading provider of pediatric oncology care and a part of the Northwell system.

The program is supported by the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, Inc., which is donating $90,000 over the course of three years to help fund the position of an "Oral Health Navigator," a dedicated Patient Service Assistant to help young patients fighting cancer create a plan to improve their oral health. Poor oral health can complicate and even delay the provision of cancer treatment. To avoid that outcome, the Oral Health Navigator facilitates a plan to achieve optimal oral health for each patient by working closely with hematologists, oncologists, and dentists through diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.

Since the program's inception in March 2015 through February 2017, 211 patients consulted with the Oral Health Navigator in their hospital rooms, 10 received treatment in an operating room setting, and 28 were seen in the Strausman Center for Pediatric Dentistry at Cohen Children's Medical Center. In-clinic treatments included the removal of orthodontic appliances, the extraction of primary and permanent teeth, restorative dentistry, endodontic therapy, incision and drainage of abscesses, impressions for retainers, and pain management.

"It is rewarding to know that the Henry Schein Oral Health Navigator Program is making a real impact in the oral health, and overall health, of these incredible children," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. "We thank the team at Cohen Children's Medical Center for sharing our vision of what this program could achieve for kids fighting cancer, and we look forward to seeing the continued effect the Oral Health Navigator has on the health of this most deserving population."

The Henry Schein Oral Health Navigator Program is one example of the company's decade-long involvement with Cohen Children's Medical Center. Most recently, Henry Schein donated more than $250,000 in health care products and equipment, including the latest in digital technology, in support of a new dental operatory within the medical center. The donation was an initiative of Henry Schein Cares, the company's global corporate social responsibility program.

"Whether it is unrecognized or just ignored, poor dental health is a huge obstacle to the care of children with cancer or serious blood disorders," said Dr. Jeffrey Lipton and Dr. Ronald Burakoff in a joint statement. "The Oral Health Navigator, supported by Henry Schein Cares Foundation, has helped improve the oral health of our patients, dramatically reducing morbidity and treatment delays for our patients."

Dr. Lipton is the Director of Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at Cohen Children's Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Medicine at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. Dr. Burakoff is Professor and Chair of the Department of Dental Medicine at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

About Cohen Children's Medical Center
Founded in 1983, Cohen Children's Medical Center is a 202-bed hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children. The specialists in the hospital's national and international programs cover an entire range of specialties. State-of-the-art care for children's medical, surgical, and dental needs are provided in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The facility is the largest provider of pediatric health services in New York State, serving 1.8 million children in Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties. For the 11th consecutive year in 2017, Cohen's was ranked among the nation's best children's hospitals in U.S. News & World Report's 2017-18 "America's Best Children's Hospitals" survey, achieving top-50 rankings in nine of 10 pediatric specialties.

About the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, Inc.
Established in 2008, the Henry Schein Cares Foundation works to foster, support, and promote dental, medical, and animal health by helping to increase access to care in communities around the world.  The Henry Schein Cares Foundation carries out its mission through financial and health care product donations to non-profit organizations supporting health care professionals and community-based programs focused on prevention, wellness, and treatment; disaster preparedness and relief; and capacity building of health institutions that provide training and care.

About Henry Schein, Inc.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to 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 employs more than 21,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than 1 million customers.

The company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. 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. The company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.                                              

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 32 countries. The company's sales reached a record $11.6 billion in 2016, 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.

SOURCE Henry Schein, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.henryschein.com