Company Supports the Queens County Dental Society Diversity Leadership Roundtable, Forging A Dialog Between National, State, Local, and Culturally Diverse Dental Associations
The two-day gathering joined representatives from the National Dental Association, the Dominican, Hispanic, Korean, and Puerto Rican Dental Associations, the Diverse Dental Society, and others, to address how to collaboratively strengthen the pipeline development and recruitment of underrepresented populations in the dental profession. Also in attendance were Congressman Adriano Espaillat, American Dental Association (ADA) President Dr. Cesar Sabates, former ADA President Dr. Chad Gehani, and ADA Executive Director Dr. Ray Cohlmia. Henry Schein’s global corporate social responsibility program, Henry Schein Cares, supported the roundtable when it was initially held in 1997, and it had a significant role in assembling the inaugural conference.
“We were pleased to participate in the Queens County Dental Society Diversity Leadership roundtable, which reinforces our ongoing commitment to advocating for diversity in health care professions and increasing access to care for stronger communities,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. “By collaborating, we can continue to foster an environment in which diversity and inclusion are woven into the fabric of the dental profession and our industry.”
During the event, Steven W. Kess, Henry Schein’s Vice President of Global Professional Relations, was honored with a Congressional Recognition from Congressman Espaillat for his lifetime contribution to advancing oral health. Mr. Kess has been instrumental in forging innovative public-private partnerships, which have helped enhance access to care and health equity for underserved individuals. He is also co-founder of Henry Schein Cares, and he served as the Founding President of the Henry Schein Cares Foundation.
“On behalf of the more than 22,000 Team Schein Members, it is a privilege to receive this honor, and it is a testament to Team Schein’s commitment to promoting pathways of opportunity to encourage greater diversity within the health care profession,” said Mr. Kess. “We, along with many of our partners, are dedicated to 'helping health happen' around the world and we look forward to continuing our collaboration on this very important initiative.”
Henry Schein has helped drive the conversation around diversity and inclusion in dentistry for more than two decades. For example, the Company was one of four founding corporate sponsors of the ADA’s Institute for Diversity Leadership, which was created to foster leadership training and a corporate mentoring network within the dental industry to improve the business management skills of dentists from racial, ethnic, or gender backgrounds that have been underrepresented in such roles.
Henry Schein also supported the first annual conference in June 2014 of The Diverse Dental Society, comprised of three minority oral health professional organizations: the Hispanic Dental Association, National Dental Association, and Society of American Indian Dentists. These associations partnered during the COVID-19 pandemic to address unmet needs in under-resourced communities with the goal of drawing attention to care disparities.
“Henry Schein has been a driving force in expanding opportunities in dentistry and beyond for years,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “Steve Kess is an inspiration to each of us and his contributions to diversity, inclusion, and representation are commendable. Congratulations to him and Team Schein on this much-deserved recognition.”
To learn more about Henry Schein’s diversity and inclusion efforts, please click here.
