MELVILLE, N.Y., Aug. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Henry Schein, Inc. (HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners, announced today that the 2012 Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities program will provide free medical and dental services to more than 8,000 children and their caregivers. Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities events are being held in cities throughout the United States through the end of the year. The 2012 season kicked off with events held recently at the Doris Ison Clinic in Miami, Fl. and the Marlboro County High School in Bennettsville, SC.

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A flagship program for Henry Schein Cares, the Company's global corporate social responsibility program, Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities promotes access to health care, prevention, and wellness for underserved communities by providing free medical and dental screenings at events that are fun and engaging for the community. Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities is annually co-sponsored by state and local community health organizations and supported by Henry Schein's supplier partners. The Henry Schein Cares Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports and promotes dental, medical, and animal health by helping to increase access to care globally, provided financial support for the program as well.

"Henry Schein is deeply grateful for the commitment of our partner community health organizations and for the generosity of our valued supplier partners in working together with us to enhance access to care for the underserved in cities across the United States," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc. "The success of the Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities program underscores the importance of preventive care in the fight against chronic diseases, and the powerful impact that securing a 'Health Home' can have in the improvement of the overall health of patients."

At each Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities event, local physicians, nurses, dentists, and community volunteers screen for five diseases and associated risk factors that commonly affect children and caregivers: hypertension, asthma, diabetes, obesity, and poor oral health. In addition, participating children and their caregivers receive educational materials about ways to prevent and treat these problems, information about returning for a flu vaccination later in the season, and assistance in finding a local community health center where they may receive health care on a regular basis. The program seeks to create a "Health Home" for participating children and their caregivers, so that they have a place to receive ongoing care throughout the year.

The 2012 program's first events were held in Miami, Fl. at the Doris Ison Clinic and in Bennettsville, SC at Marlboro County High School. At these first two events, more than 1,500 children and their caregivers were screened. The third 2012 Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities event will be held in Bridgeport, CT on August 25th at the Park City Center.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases account for approximately 80 percent of deaths in the United States and 75 percent of health care costs. The CDC also notes that heart disease, cancer and stroke account for more than 50 percent of all deaths each year among Americans. According to the World Health Organization, chronic diseases account for more than 60 percent of deaths globally.

The Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities program underscores the integral link between oral health and total health by providing free medical and dental services during one visit for participants. Increasingly, studies including those by the CDC, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Dental Association have demonstrated the link between oral health conditions to overall health among adults, such as links between periodontal disease and diabetes, coronary heart disease, preterm birth, and low birth weight.

Henry Schein's Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities Supplier Partners:

American Diagnostics Corporation Ansell Limited Aso, LLC Becton, Dickinson and Company Colgate-Palmolive Company Covidien plc DUKAL Corporation HealthLink, Inc. LifeScan, Inc. Metrex Research Corporation Microflex Corporation Midmark Corp. Omron Healthcare, Inc. Professional Disposables International, Inc. Safetec of America, Inc. Seca Corp. Welch Allyn Inc. Terumo Medical Corporation TIDI Products LLC

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