The extension supports the Healthy Athletes program, providing health screenings and essential oral health products for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Henry Schein Inc and Special Olympics have extended their collaboration through 2030. The renewed partnership focuses on expanding access to health screenings, education, and wellness resources for athletes at select Special Olympics events globally.
Through the agreement, which began in 2018, Henry Schein donates essential oral health and medical care products for the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program. The donations are used during screenings across nine disciplines, including Special Olympics Special Smiles for dentistry. The initiative also supports Special Olympics Healthy Young Athletes, the pediatric discipline of the program.
“Creating healthier communities requires collaboration and sustained commitment, principles that have been central to Henry Schein since our founding in 1932,” says Kyle Guerin, director of corporate social responsibility for Henry Schein Cares at Henry Schein, in a release. “Extending our partnership with Special Olympics reflects our shared belief that every individual deserves the opportunity to achieve better health and well-being. We are proud to continue supporting programs that help expand access to care, foster inclusion, and equip healthcare professionals with the resources and experience to better serve people with intellectual disabilities.”
Addressing Health Disparities
According to Special Olympics, individuals with intellectual disabilities face higher health risks and have a life expectancy that is an average of 16 years shorter than the general population. Since 1997, the Healthy Athletes program has delivered over 2 million free health screenings to athletes worldwide and trained more than 300,000 healthcare professionals and students to treat patients with intellectual disabilities.
The partnership aims to empower healthcare providers to volunteer their services while increasing their knowledge of best practices in caring for and communicating with this patient population. Recently, Henry Schein donated healthcare products for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, which took place in June in Minneapolis.
“Long-term partnerships are essential to creating lasting change in health outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities,” says Dr Dimitri Christakis, chief health officer at Special Olympics, in a release. “Henry Schein has been a valued partner in helping us reach athletes with critical health services, education, and support. Together, we are working toward a future where quality healthcare is accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of every individual.”
Photo: Henry Schein
