MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Henry Schein, Inc., the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health, and medical practitioners, announced that it has been selected as the Corporation of the Year by the Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives (AHHE), a national voluntary tax-exempt organization that fosters programs and policies to increase the presence of Hispanic health care executives.
The company was recognized for its commitment to help increase diversity and cultural competency in the health care professions. Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, accepted the honor on behalf of the company at the Quindecennial Healthcare Diversity Awards, held June 25 at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York, N.Y. The event was co-hosted by the AHHE and the National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Health.
"On behalf of more than 18,000 Team Schein Members from around the world, it is a great honor to accept this recognition as AHHE Corporation of the Year," Bergman said. "At Henry Schein, we share the AHHE's understanding of the importance of recruiting more members of the Hispanic community into health care careers, advocating for increased Hispanic faculty at dental and medical schools, and expanding access to and improving equity in health care.The AHHE is an important piece of the quickly changing health care mosaic in the United States, and Henry Schein is proud to be its partner in promoting diversity."
For 2 decades, Henry Schein has supported programs and initiatives dedicated to promoting diversity in health care. In 1995, the company created the Leadership Training and Speaker Development program for the National Dental Association. The company also served as a founding co-sponsor of the American Dental Association Institute for Diversity in Leadership; sponsored the first Dental Diversity in Leadership Conference in New York; and created REACH, Henry Schein's national outreach program to help facilitate the growth of culturally specific health care professional organizations.
Through Henry Schein Cares, the company's global corporate social responsibility program, Henry Schein has also sponsored participants in the Senior Dental Leaders Program, which develops high-level leadership and management capabilities in global oral health leaders. In 2015, Henry Schein began its support of the new Hispanic Dental Association leadership program for the New York City Tri-State area, which it will continue to support in 2016.
"We are delighted to honor Henry Schein for its exemplary commitment to increasing diversity in the health care professions and to bridging disparities in care," said George Zeppenfeldt-Cestero, National President, Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives and National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Health. "The burgeoning Hispanic population in the United States underscores the continuing need to develop the professional and leadership capabilities of U.S. Hispanic health care professionals, and to increase their visibility and inclusion at all levels and settings – from office-based practices to medical and health-related academic institutions. Henry Schein's efforts deepen the impact we have in advancing diversity and Hispanic representation in the health care community."
Lynda Baquero, NBC 4 New York's consumer reporter, was the event's master of ceremonies, and Dr. Philip O. Ozuah, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Montefiore Health System, Inc., was the Keynote Speaker and an honoree. Other honorees included Dr. Amarilis Jacobo, President-elect of the Hispanic Dental Association, who was selected as the Health Care Provider of the Year; Dr. Ram Raju, President and CEO of the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation, who was selected as the Visionary Leader of the Year; Dr. John-Paul Sanchez, Assistant Dean, Diversity and Inclusion, and Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, who was selected as the Academic Leader of the Year; and Nancy Sanchez, Senior Vice President and Vice Dean, Human Resources and Organizational Development and Learning, NYU Langone Medical Center, who was selected as the Healthcare Executive of the Year.
