Henry Schein, Quintessence Reach Strategic Partnership

NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners, and Quintessence Publishing Co., Inc., the world's leading independent publisher of scientific and clinical information about oral health, today announced a strategic partnership that will expand the availability of oral health education to the profession.

At the heart of the partnership is a joint commitment on the part of Henry Schein and Quintessence to provide the best and latest clinical information on treating oral disease so practitioners can provide the most advanced care possible for their patients.

Under the agreement, Henry Schein will use its industry-leading distribution network to market in North America the book titles, professional journals, and multimedia products published by Quintessence, whose work has earned many prestigious international prizes and awards during the company's 62-year history.

The companies also announced a partnership to present a co-branded symposium to explore the connection of oral health and systemic health. This symposium will occur in February 2014 and will be led by Dr. Michael Glick, DMD, Dean of the School of Dental Medicine at the University at Buffalo and Editor of The Journal of the American Dental Association.

"We are delighted to partner with Quintessence, which is known throughout the profession for publishing the highest-quality educational materials devoted to oral health," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. "Henry Schein is committed to helping improve the business of our health care customers so they can improve the lives of their patients. By making the Quintessence portfolio available to our customers, we are helping to provide oral health care professionals with the very latest in clinical best practices. By partnering in the symposium, together we are doing our part to raise awareness of the connection between oral health and overall health for the benefit of our customers' patients."

Quintessence, based in Berlin, Germany, with U.S. operations outside of Chicago, takes pride in fostering scientific and clinical discourse in the oral health community.

"This strategic partnership with Henry Schein gives us the opportunity to expand that community, one dentist at a time," said William Hartman, Executive Vice President of Quintessence. "Each reader provides added depth and a new perspective to our community. Our goal is to work with acknowledged experts to publish the best and most useful books within every specialty, and we know that Henry Schein is dedicated to promoting this same professional excellence."

The one-year publishing agreement between Henry Schein and Quintessence will renew automatically for successive one-year terms. The Henry Schein sales network will market the Quintessence portfolio, which includes 50 professional journals and more than 1,000 book titles. Quintessence will manage the delivery of materials directly to customers.

The 2014 symposium, to be held in San Diego, will be co-branded by Quintessence and Henry Schein. To the extent that the symposium offers Continuing Education credits, the symposium shall comply with all applicable accrediting body and legal requirements, and Quintessence shall determine all clinical content. 

"I am excited about the opportunity to facilitate a dialogue between the most prominent researchers in the field of oral infections and their influence on overall health and well-being, and oral health care professionals who treat patients on a daily basis," said Dr. Glick. "This upcoming symposium is a unique event that will offer care providers scientific answers that can guide both patient management and patient care."

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health 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 NASDAQ 100® Index, Henry Schein employs more than 15,000 Team Schein Members and serves approximately 775,000 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 90,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 100,000 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 25 countries.  The Company's sales reached a record $8.5 billion in 2011, and have grown at a compound annual rate of 18 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.  For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.

About Quintessence Publishing

Addressing the education and information needs of both the beginning dental student and the experienced practitioner, Quintessence publications have earned many prestigious international prizes and awards over the company's 62-year history. In addition to its various publishing activities, Quintessence regularly sponsors continuing education seminars in various parts of the world, ranging from small-scale workshops to large international conferences that attract more than 6,000 participants. As part of its commitment to innovative, high-quality publishing, since the early 1980s Quintessence has actively sought new ways to use emerging media technology for the electronic transfer of information, which is reflected in its online journal editions, digital journals, CDs, and DVD.

SOURCE Henry Schein, Inc.; Quintessence Publishing