Through this partnership, Henry Schein donates essential oral health and medical care products for the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes programme in Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Healthy Athletes programme's goal is to support the physical and social-emotional wellbeing of people with intellectual disabilities (ID), reduce health disparities, and increase life expectancy.
Henry Schein’s donations are used during screenings in seven Healthy Athletes disciplines:
- Fit Feet (podiatry); FUNfitness (physical therapy)
- Health Promotion (better health and wellbeing)
- MedFest (sports physical exam)
- Strong Minds (emotional wellbeing)
- Healthy Young Athletes (pediatric screening)
- Special Smiles (oral health)
Since 2018, Henry Schein has supported Special Olympics and its athletes by donating a range of essential healthcare products and, most recently, for the June 2023 Special Olympics World Games held in Berlin, Germany.
As a Spirit Partner to the Special Olympics, the company actively serves an important role in Special Olympics’ health programming. In addition, the partnership empowers and encourages healthcare providers to volunteer their time and services to increase the knowledge of best practices in caring for and communicating with people with ID.
According to Special Olympics, despite severe need and higher health risks, individuals with ID are often denied health services and die on average 16 years sooner than the general population.
Jennifer Kim Field, chief sustainability officer at Henry Schein, said, “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Special Olympics, furthering our commitment to the Healthy Athletes programme and health equity as a whole. By joining together with Special Olympics, we are helping to expand access to care for an often overlooked community, which is a core tenet of our corporate citizenship commitment. Team Schein is honoured to play a key role – alongside Special Olympics and healthcare providers – in helping to improve the overall health of athletes from around the world.”
Since its inception in 1997, the Healthy Athletes programme has delivered over two million free health screenings and trained over 300,000 healthcare professionals, clinical volunteers, and students in using adapted screening protocols and in communicating effectively with people with intellectual disabilities.
The training aids in building the healthcare community’s capacity to serve the needs of people with intellectual disabilities outside of Special Olympics events. Providers take these skills back to their practices and provide higher-quality healthcare to people with intellectual disabilities—not just Special Olympics athletes—in their communities.
Annemarie Hill, Special Olympics senior vice president of Global Health Operations, said, “The collaboration between Henry Schein and Special Olympics has already strengthened our ability to provide the high-quality health screenings that our athletes deserve.
“We are pleased to continue the relationship with Henry Schein, reinforcing our shared belief that all people deserve quality healthcare, regardless of their differences.”
The donations to Special Olympics Healthy Athletes are an initiative of Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate social responsibility programme.