MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners, announced today the nine finalists for the inaugural Henry Schein Cares Medal, an award that will be given annually to organizations that demonstrate excellence in expanding access to care for the underserved.
Since its founding in 1932, Henry Schein has remained steadfastly committed to serving society. Through the Henry Schein Cares global corporate social responsibility program, the Company uses its resources to support health care professionals around the world who provide care for those who would otherwise have little or no access to health care. The Henry Schein Cares Medal honors organizations whose work has been especially effective in bringing care to those in need.
Nine organizations were selected by an independent panel of judges as finalists across three categories: oral health, animal health, and medical health. From those nine finalists, three will receive the Henry Schein Cares Medal, representing one medalist each for oral, animal, and medical health. The medalists, also selected by the panel, will be announced later this year.
In no particular order, the finalists, by category, are as follows:
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Oral health: Apple Tree Dental (Coon Rapids, Minnesota), Diocesan Council for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocese (Phoenix, Arizona), and the San Diego Dental Health Foundation (San Diego, California).
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Animal health: Helping Paws (Escondido, California), Humane Society for Seattle-King County (Bellevue, Washington), and Portland Animal Welfare Team (Portland, Oregon).
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Medical health: Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation (Alhambra, California); Hands Up for Haiti, Inc. (Mount Kisco, New York); and Smile Rescue Fund for Kids, Inc. (Setauket, New York).
"Our Company has embraced the concept of doing well by doing good since its founding, and to that end we have long supported people and organizations that embody this guiding principle," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc. "We created the Henry Schein Cares Medal to recognize practitioners—dentists, physicians, veterinarians, and their teams—who give so much of their time and talent to helping others. Their commitment to expanding access to care for those most in need should serve as examples to all of us."
The nine finalists will each receive $10,000 worth of product from Henry Schein, Inc. Each of the three medalists will receive an additional $15,000 in cash from the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, Inc. to support their charitable work. A panel of expert judges from the fields of medicine, philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and business evaluated the applications, selected the finalists, and will determine the medalists. The medalists will be announced at the Company's national sales meeting for each respective business unit.
To be considered a candidate for this award, applicants must be a non-profit organization or trust that is tax-exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3) and that is a public charity (not a private foundation). The applicant should demonstrate that the program has expanded access to health care for the underserved in a novel and innovative way that is measurable and quantifiable. Emphasis will be placed on expanding access to health care for children (birth to age 18), although all efforts to expand access to care will be considered, including those involving animal health. Programs also should involve an established multi-disciplinary team that demonstrates the expertise needed for a comprehensive solution to expand access to care. Lastly, programs should demonstrate potential for replication and large-scale impact, and should include a business plan or demonstration of financial sustainability. The 2016 application period will be announced later this year.
For more information on the Henry Schein Cares Medal, please visit https://www.hscaresfoundation.org/HSC-Medal.asp.
