DTUS1710

Henry Schein, Inc., the largest distributor of health-care products and services to office-based practi- tioners, and the New York Univer- sity (NYU) College of Dentistry have announced a five-year sponsorship of the dental school’s national and international outreach programs — the NYU College of Dentistry Henry Schein Cares Global Student Out- reach Program. Through the sponsorship, Henry Schein will provide dental supplies to be used for each individual pro- gram throughout the year. In 2010, the six geographic areas targeted for outreach include the tri-island nation of Grenada; Hud- son, N.Y.; Chiquilistagua, Nicaragua; Santo Domingo, Dominican Repub- lic; Fort Yukon, Alaska; with a pro- gram to be initiated in Machias, Maine in the fall. The program’s model is designed to be both clini- cally and financially sustainable. The focus for clinical sustain- ability is in pediatric care, which is obtained through education, pre- vention and comprehensive care. In addition to oral health-care educa- tion, the program provides emer- gency dental services for adults and complete, comprehensive care for the pediatric population, including oral health screenings, fluoride var- nish applications, sealants, restor- ative treatments, root canal therapy and extractions. In many cases, there is also an opportunity to identify and train local members of the community to help extend oral health education and prevention on an ongoing basis. “We are privileged to build on our two-decade strategic relation- ship with NYU College of Dentistry through this valuable oral health initiative that makes an important impact in underserved and at-risk communities around the world, while enriching the professional experience of students and faculty,” said Stanley M. Bergman, chairman and chief executive officer for Henry Schein. “This aligns well with our mis- sion of ‘helping health happen’ through Henry Schein Cares, our global social responsibility program, by underscoring the importance of good oral health prevention pro- grams on a long-term sustainable basis, and improvement in the qual- ity of care for patients who will ben- efit from these outreach efforts.” The first mission for 2010 took place in Grenada. A 43-member team of dental providers and pub- lic health specialists from the NYU College of Dentistry Henry Schein Cares Global Student Outreach Pro- gram spent two weeks in January performing a national oral health survey of the children and providing free oral health care to Grenadians. Henry Schein efficiently facilitated the international shipment of 1,500 pounds of requisite supplies and helped ensure that the team’s clini- cal operations ran smoothly. During the mission, NYU dental team participants conducted a com- prehensive nationwide oral public health assessment, which included the examination of 1,075 children at 22 schools throughout the country. The findings of this assessment, as well as recommendations for the establishment of a sustainable oral health model for the country, were presented to the Grenadian Ministry of Health in June 2010. NYU dental team participants also provided free general and emergency dental care for hundreds of children and adults — including root canals, fillings and extractions — at the Tivoli Medical Clinic in St. Andrew’s Parish. In addition, NYU dental team par- ticipants provided education for par- ents on the importance of preventive oral health care and provided free continuing professional education in both the specialties of pediatric den- tistry and endodontics for dentists throughout Grenada. The NYU Col- lege of Dentistry Henry Schein Cares Global Student Outreach Program plans to return annually to Grenada to maintain the care provided to the children of Tivoli in St. Andrew’s Parish. The second mission for 2010 took place in Chiquilistagua, Nicaragua. A dental team from the NYU Col- lege of Dentistry Henry Schein Cares Global Student Outreach Program travelled to Chiquilistagua and pro- vided free emergency dental care for adult patients. The team also conducted oral health assessments and provided free fluoride varnish treatments and sealants for school- children as part of the program’s sustainability and preventive oral health care model. More than 1,000 adults and children were treated throughout the duration of the pro- gram. Subsequent missions for 2010 included NYU College of Dentistry Henry Schein Cares Global Student Outreach Program participants con- ducting various dental outreach pro- grams in Hudson, N.Y. as well as a two-week trip north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska to Fort Yukon, Arctic Village, Circle and Venetie. “Henry Schein shares NYU’s commitment to advancing global oral health, to providing and shar- ing working models for education and treatment, and to establishing sustainable community-based pro- grams in areas of great need,” said Dr. Charles N. Bertolami, dean of the NYU College of Dentistry. “Over the past 16 years, the NYU College of Dentistry has developed a dental outreach program designed to reduce disparities in access to dental care resulting from geo- graphic, physical, developmental, financial and cultural barriers. This has evolved to become a unique, sustainable model, with teams of dental faculty, students, post-gradu- ate residents and staff annually par- ticipating in a series of week-long visits to underserved communities. “Our relationship with Henry Schein will help us further extend the scope and impact of this impor- tant initiative.” The NYU College of Dentistry pro- vides an extensive array of student outreach opportunities. Students have the opportunity to partici- pate in local outreach programs for schoolchildren, the elderly, people with disabilities, the homeless and other underserved populations. In 1993, the NYU College of Den- tistry introduced an international outreach program, which started in the Dominican Republic and expanded to Jamaica, Honduras, Nicaragua, India and Tanzania. Early models included a venture with Miracle Corners of the World in Tanzania, providing education and clinical services to the communities of Arusha and Songea. The clinical services also have expanded from an initial focus on emergency care to a more com- prehensive approach that includes restorative care, endodontics, pediatric care and clinical sustain- ability. DT DENTAL TRIBUNE | July 2010 Industry News 13A Five-year commitment supports sustainable international and U.S. oral-health programs to educate and treat underserved populations Henry Schein announces sponsorship of NYU College of Dentistry Henry Schein Cares Global Student Outreach Program AD NYU College of Dentistry Henry Schein Cares Global Student Outreach Pro- gram volunteer, Robert Block (above), a 2010 graduate performs oral sur- gery at the Tivoli Medical Clinic in St. Andrew’s Parish, Grenada. NYU Col- lege of Dentistry Henry Schein Cares Global Student Outreach Program team participants (left) provide dental exami- nations for school children in Grenada. (Photos/Provided by Henry Schein)

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