Henry Schein Helps the American Dental Association Give Kids A Smile Overview The Solution Over the course of six years, Henry Schein (through As a major sponsor of GKAS through Henry Schein Henry Schein Dental) has partnered with the Cares, the Company’s global social responsibility American Dental Association to transform a pilot program, Henry Schein Dental quickly expanded its program in St. Louis, Missouri into an important role far beyond simple financial support. Using its ongoing national access to oral health care initiative close relationships with dental product manufacturers, that has provided free screenings, education and the Company recruited an impressive roster of supplier dental treatment to millions of underserved children partners (nearly 50 partners annually) who donated in communities around the country. products needed by the thousands of dental team volunteers. Each year, Henry Schein Dental furnished The Challenge hundreds of GKAS sites with professional dental screening and prevention kits, which included items In February 2002, the Greater St. Louis Dental such as gloves, masks, patient bibs, dental floss, Society and local volunteer dentists provided free prophy paste and fluoride gel, foam and varnish. The dental treatment to nearly 400 children over a two- Company also dedicated Team Schein Members day Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) clinic, the first such throughout the organization to advancing the program in the country. Seeing the potential of the program—from senior strategic leadership to pilot program to provide care and increase communications support to on-site staffing at GKAS awareness of the importance of access to oral clinics around the country. health care for children, the American Dental Association (ADA) adopted GKAS with the intention of rolling it out in communities around the country. To help achieve this goal, the ADA invited Henry Schein Dental to join with them as the exclusive provider of professional products The Result In the six years that Henry Schein Dental has supported GKAS, the program has significantly increased its reach and become a flagship program for both the ADA and Henry Schein Cares. Over the past four years, an average of more than 550,000 underserved children have received treatment annually on GKAS Day in February, with the participation of an average 42,275 dental team volunteers working at an average 1,981 locations. The average value of the care provided each year through the GKAS program exceeds $42 million.
Young patient learns the fine art of brushing her teeth properly
GKAS also has heightened awareness of the access
care issue among policymakers. In 2005 Congress passed a resolution commending the ADA and the volunteer dentists for GKAS, and underscoring the need to provide access to oral health care for children.
The GKAS program has expanded to include the
GSAS Fund, through which organizations and individuals can contribute to help achieve program goals; an annual Gala Awards Dinner, which further Happy patients at the Give kids a smile event in Longview, Texas. raises awareness; a GKAS Promising Practices Symposium, though which local GKAS leaders can share ideas and experiences; and four key program Additional major sponsors—including Colgate- partners—Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures; Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Dexis Digital X-ray, Henry Schein’s Healthy Children, Healthy Lifestyles; the William Wrigley Jr. Company and CareCredit— Mission of Mercy; and TeamSmile. have joined the GKAS initiative to expand the program. In addition, Steve Kess, Henry Schein Vice President for Global Professional Relations and longtime member of the ADA Foundation Board, was invited by the ADA in 2007 to chair the Give Kids A Smile National Advisory Board—the first non- dental chairman for a major ADA board in 147 years. The GKAS National Advisory Board is working with the ADA to expand the scope of the event beyond a single day for years to come.
July 2008
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