The American Dental Education Association (ADEA), Henry Schein, Inc. and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have joined forces for an initiative that will provide dental schools and allied dental education programs with KN95 masks to be used for patient care.
In response to COVID-19, ADEA worked with Henry Schein to coordinate FEMA’s donation of 3M-made KN95 masks to ADEA in support of the resumption of routine dental care and the delivery of oral health education services. The distribution of the much-needed masks comes as many dental schools and allied dental programs return to patient care, which has been significantly curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Henry Schein will distribute the FEMA-donated masks to dental schools and programs within the United States that request an allotment from the ADEA. Dental schools and allied dental programs that want masks are only being charged by ADEA for shipping and handling—not the masks themselves. Neither ADEA nor Henry Schein is profiting financially from this initiative.
“We believe this is a great example of how public and private organizations can join together to serve our community of dental educators and oral health professionals,” said ADEA President and CEO Karen West, D.M.D., M.P.H. “ADEA is committed to helping our member institutions, and the dental education community at large, successfully navigate the rapidly changing landscape before us. Providing these KN95 masks is one crucial step in supporting safe dental care. Working together, we can meet today’s challenges and further strengthen dental education.”
In total, ADEA and Henry Schein are distributing close to 3 million masks to 290 U.S. dental schools and allied dental programs.“We are privileged that ADEA approached us for assistance to secure and distribute the KN95 masks to dental schools and dental education programs,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and CEO of Henry Schein, Inc. “As part of Henry Schein’s dedication to ‘helping health happen,’ this partnership represents our mutual commitment to protect the health, safety, and well-being of students and faculty, as well as the patients they serve.”
The #Masks4DentEd initiative is ADEA’s latest effort to help its members and other stakeholders in academic dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic. ADEA has also created a complimentary online Pandemic Resource Guide for Dental Education that provides information and lists of resources related to student affairs and enrollment management. Additionally, the association has produced multiple webinars providing guidance for dental educators and administrators.
Dr. West expressed her gratitude to FEMA, for supplying the masks, and Henry Schein, for working with ADEA to distribute the masks to eligible U.S.-based schools and programs that request them.
“This project would not have been a success without the support of both FEMA and Henry Schein,” Dr. West said. “I thank them for their invaluable help and their commitment to the dental education community.”
As the sole national organization representing academic dentistry, ADEA is the voice of dental education. ADEA members include all 78 U.S. and Canadian dental schools, more than 800 allied and advanced dental education programs, more than 50 corporations and approximately 18,000 individuals. ADEA provides its members access to exclusive information and resources, as well as multiple leadership and professional development opportunities.
About Henry Schein, Inc.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a solutions company for health care professionals powered by a network of people and technology. With approximately 19,000 Team Schein Members worldwide, the Company’s network of trusted advisors provides more than 1 million customers globally with more than 300 valued solutions that improve operational success and clinical outcomes. Our Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions help office-based dental and medical practitioners work more efficiently so they can provide quality care more effectively. These solutions also support dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, as well as other alternate care sites.
Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 120,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 180,000 additional products available as special-order items.
A FORTUNE 500 Company and a member of the S&P 500® index, Henry Schein is headquartered in Melville, N.Y., and has operations or affiliates in 31 countries. The Company's sales from continuing operations reached $10.0 billion in 2019, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 13 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.
For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, and @HenrySchein on Twitter.
