Henry Schein has announced that Steven W. Kess, the founding president of the Henry Schein Cares Foundation and senior consultant for global professional relations at the company, was honored with a Bridge Builder Special Recognition Award by the National Dental Association (NDA) during the opening session of its annual convention held in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 20.
The Bridge Builder Special Recognition Award has been established to acknowledge individuals who have made substantial contributions to the decade-long success of the NDA-HEALTH NOW program. This program aims to raise awareness about oral health through community outreach and educational initiatives. The award was presented to Mr. Kess by Dr. Marlon D. Henderson, president of the National Dental Association, in recognition of Mr. Kess’s dedication to advancing the mission and efforts of the NDA.
“I am honored to receive such a special recognition from Dr. Henderson and the NDA, an organization that has done so much to provide services, education, and access to thousands in underserved communities across America and around the globe,” said Mr. Kess. “At Henry Schein, we share NDA’s commitment to community, and will continue to help advance the NDA’s mission of leveraging public-private partnerships to serve children, senior citizens, and others without access to health care. We will also continue to support its mission of reducing health disparities, increase oral health literacy and promote prevention in underserved and vulnerable populations. Together, we can help ensure access to necessary oral health care.”
An advocate for underrepresented minorities and a catalyst in helping to create awareness about the importance of oral health, Mr. Kess has been particularly active in efforts to advance health equity and improve access to health care for at risk populations and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has served in a variety of leadership roles in many health care associations and organizations, and currently serves as the Founding President Emeritus of the Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund and Chairman of Project Accessible Oral Health for individuals with disabilities.
He is the Immediate Past President, and an active Executive Management Committee member of the Santa Fe Group, a leading oral health think tank. In addition, Mr. Kess has served on several dental school advisory boards, including at The New York University College of Dentistry, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, and University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
“Mr. Kess’ vision and unparalleled support helped lay the foundation for the NDA-HEALTH NOW program, which has placed mobile health units, equipped for medical screening, vision screening, and dental services in underserved communities,” said Dr. Henderson. “He envisioned the impact that NDA-HEALTH NOW would have, and made a commitment to help advance the mission and work of the NDA. Together with Henry Schein, Mr. Kess helped leverage resources, human capital, and in-kind support to grow a supportive network of like-minded individuals who also embraced the principles of health equity. As a result of his decade-long commitment, NDA-HEALTH NOW has flourished beyond imagination. Mr. Kess is a pillar of the program’s past and future, and will forever remain a part of its legacy.”
For more information about the NDA-HEALTH NOW program, please visit https://ndaonline.org/healthnow/.
About Henry Schein
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a solutions company for health care professionals powered by a network of people and technology. With more than 23,000 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 help 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 300,000 branded products and Henry Schein corporate brand products in our distribution centers.
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 33 countries and territories. The company’s sales reached $12.6 billion in 2022, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 12.1 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.
For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, Instagram.com/HenrySchein, and Twitter.com/HenrySchein.
