Henry Schein and Special Olympics Extend Health Partnership Through 2030 to Expand Inclusive Care
Access to quality healthcare can have a significant impact on an individual’s health, independence and overall quality of life. However, people with intellectual disabilities (ID) continue to face substantial barriers when accessing healthcare services. Despite experiencing higher levels of certain health risks and greater healthcare needs, many individuals with intellectual disabilities encounter gaps in preventive care, communication challenges and limited access to healthcare professionals who are trained to address their specific needs.
Against this backdrop, Henry Schein, Inc. and Special Olympics have extended their healthcare partnership through 2030, strengthening their shared commitment to improving access to health screenings, education and wellness resources for Special Olympics athletes.The collaboration builds on a relationship that began in 2018 and focuses on supporting the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® program, which provides free health screenings and health education to people with intellectual disabilities around the world.
Through its corporate citizenship initiative, Henry Schein Cares, Henry Schein provides essential oral health and medical products used during Healthy Athletes screenings at Special Olympics events. The extended partnership is intended to help sustain these services while also supporting healthcare professionals who volunteer to provide care to athletes.
Addressing Healthcare Disparities Among People With Intellectual Disabilities
People with intellectual disabilities can experience significant health disparities compared with the broader population. According to Special Olympics, individuals with ID may have greater health risks while facing obstacles that make it harder to access appropriate healthcare.
Special Olympics reports that people with intellectual disabilities have an average life expectancy approximately 16 years shorter than the general population. The organization also highlights the fact that people with ID may be denied or unable to access healthcare services despite having substantial healthcare needs.
These disparities can be influenced by multiple factors. Individuals may experience difficulty communicating symptoms, navigating healthcare systems or finding providers with appropriate training. Healthcare professionals may also lack sufficient experience in communicating with people with intellectual disabilities or adapting examinations and treatment approaches to individual needs.
Preventive healthcare can therefore play an important role.Early identification of health concerns through screenings can help individuals and caregivers recognize potential problems before they become more serious. Health education can also help people with ID develop healthy behaviors and better understand their physical and emotional well-being.
Partnership Focuses on Healthy Athletes
The Henry Schein and Special Olympics partnership supports these goals through the Healthy Athletes program, one of the organization’s major global health initiatives.Since its establishment in 1997, Healthy Athletes has delivered more than two million free health screenings to Special Olympics athletes worldwide. The program has also helped train more than 300,000 healthcare professionals and students to provide care to people with intellectual disabilities.
The initiative goes beyond providing medical screenings. It is designed to support physical health, mental and emotional well-being, health education and broader inclusion.By bringing healthcare services directly to Special Olympics events, Healthy Athletes can make screenings more accessible to athletes who might otherwise experience barriers to care.
The program also provides an opportunity for healthcare professionals to gain practical experience working with people with intellectual disabilities. This can help improve their understanding of communication needs, clinical considerations and best practices for delivering inclusive healthcare.
Henry Schein Cares Supports Healthcare Access
Henry Schein’s contributions to the program are made through Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate citizenship initiative.The company donates essential healthcare and oral health products that are used during Healthy Athletes screenings. These products support healthcare professionals working across multiple disciplines and enable them to provide screening and preventive services to Special Olympics athletes.
The partnership reflects Henry Schein’s broader focus on supporting healthcare access and strengthening communities.Kyle Guerin, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Henry Schein Cares, said the partnership reflects the company’s belief that healthier communities require collaboration and sustained commitment.
He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that every individual has an opportunity to achieve better health and well-being.By extending the relationship through 2030, Henry Schein and Special Olympics are creating a longer-term framework for collaboration rather than relying solely on individual events or short-term initiatives.
Supporting Multiple Areas of Health
Henry Schein’s donated products are used across a wide range of Healthy Athletes disciplines.The program includes health services covering areas such as podiatry, physical therapy, preventive medicine, audiology, vision, sports physical examinations, dentistry and mental health.
These disciplines include:
- Special Olympics Fit Feet, which focuses on podiatric health.
- Special Olympics FUNfitness, which addresses physical fitness and physical therapy.
- Special Olympics Health Promotion, which provides preventive health services and education.
- Special Olympics Healthy Hearing, which focuses on hearing and audiology.
- Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes®, which provides vision and eye health services.
- Special Olympics MedFest®, which provides sports physical examinations.
- Special Olympics Special Smiles®, which focuses on oral and dental health.
- Special Olympics Strong Minds, which supports mental health and emotional well-being.
- Special Olympics Healthy Young Athletes, which provides pediatric health services for younger participants.
The breadth of these disciplines demonstrates that inclusive healthcare requires attention to multiple aspects of health rather than focusing on one specific condition.
Oral Health Remains an Important Component
Dental care is a significant part of the Healthy Athletes initiative.People with intellectual disabilities can encounter barriers to oral healthcare, including difficulties accessing dentists, communication challenges and a lack of providers experienced in caring for patients with ID.
Through Special Olympics Special Smiles, athletes can receive oral health screenings and education designed to encourage better dental health.
Henry Schein’s position as a major provider of healthcare solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners makes its contribution of oral health products particularly relevant to the program.The company’s support helps provide healthcare professionals with resources needed to conduct screenings and deliver preventive education during Special Olympics events.
Expanding Healthcare Professional Training
An important aspect of the partnership is its potential impact on the healthcare workforce.Healthy Athletes has trained more than 300,000 healthcare professionals and students since the program began. This training can help address one of the barriers faced by people with intellectual disabilities: limited access to healthcare professionals who understand how to provide inclusive and responsive care.
Healthcare providers who volunteer through Healthy Athletes can gain firsthand experience working with people with ID.This experience can improve their confidence in communicating with patients, adapting clinical interactions and recognizing the unique healthcare needs of people with intellectual disabilities.
The benefits can extend beyond the Special Olympics event itself. Healthcare professionals who gain this experience may carry those skills into their regular practices, potentially helping more people with intellectual disabilities receive appropriate care in their communities.
Supporting the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games
Henry Schein recently demonstrated its ongoing support by donating a range of healthcare products for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, held from June 20 through June 26 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.The event brought together approximately 3,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches, 10,000 volunteers and 75,000 fans representing all 50 U.S. states.
Large-scale Special Olympics events provide an important opportunity to integrate health services with athletic competition.For athletes, participation in sports is closely connected to overall health and well-being. Health screenings can help identify conditions that may affect participation, while preventive services and education can encourage healthier lifestyles.
The healthcare component also reinforces the idea that people with intellectual disabilities should have access to the same opportunities for preventive and supportive healthcare as everyone else.
Importance of Long-Term Partnerships
Special Olympics Chief Health Officer Dr. Dimitri Christakis emphasized the importance of long-term partnerships in improving health outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities.
Sustained partnerships can provide organizations with the resources and continuity needed to develop programs over time. Rather than focusing only on individual events, long-term collaboration allows healthcare companies and nonprofit organizations to build infrastructure, expand training and reach more people.
Henry Schein’s partnership with Special Olympics has already been active since 2018. Extending it through 2030 provides additional time to develop the program and expand its impact.The relationship also demonstrates how private-sector healthcare companies can contribute to nonprofit health initiatives through product donations, professional engagement and long-term collaboration.
Creating More Inclusive Healthcare Systems
The partnership’s broader significance extends beyond Special Olympics athletes.People with intellectual disabilities can encounter barriers throughout the healthcare journey, from scheduling an appointment and communicating symptoms to undergoing examinations and understanding treatment recommendations.
Creating more inclusive healthcare systems requires healthcare professionals to recognize these barriers and develop approaches that meet patients where they are.Training is one important component. Healthcare professionals who understand how to communicate effectively with people with intellectual disabilities can help create more positive and productive healthcare experiences.
Accessible screening programs are another component. Bringing health services directly into community settings can help reduce transportation and access barriers.
Education is equally important. Helping individuals, caregivers and families understand preventive health can encourage earlier intervention and better long-term health management.
A Broader Commitment to Health and Well-Being
Henry Schein’s support for Healthy Athletes is part of its wider corporate citizenship activities through Henry Schein Cares.The initiative has reached its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of efforts focused on improving healthcare access and supporting communities.
The Special Olympics partnership fits within that broader mission by combining healthcare resources with a community-based program serving individuals who can experience significant health disparities.The collaboration also aligns with the concept that healthcare access should not depend on a person’s disability.
For people with intellectual disabilities, inclusive care requires both resources and awareness. Healthcare providers need appropriate products and equipment, but they also need training and experience to deliver care effectively.
Looking Toward 2030
The extension of the Henry Schein and Special Olympics partnership through 2030 provides a long-term commitment to improving healthcare access for athletes with intellectual disabilities.Through continued product donations, health screenings, professional training and education, the organizations aim to address some of the barriers that contribute to health disparities among people with ID.
The program’s scale is already significant, with more than two million screenings delivered and hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals and students trained since Healthy Athletes began.Future efforts can build on that foundation by continuing to expand access to preventive care, strengthen healthcare professional education and encourage greater awareness of the needs of people with intellectual disabilities.
Building Healthier Communities Together
The partnership between Henry Schein and Special Olympics demonstrates the role that collaboration can play in addressing healthcare disparities.For athletes with intellectual disabilities, access to screenings and preventive services can provide an important opportunity to identify health concerns, learn about healthy behaviors and connect with healthcare professionals.
For healthcare providers, participation in Healthy Athletes can provide valuable experience and reinforce the importance of inclusive communication and care.For communities, the program helps advance a broader goal: ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities are not excluded from quality healthcare because of barriers related to access, communication or provider experience.
The extension of the partnership through 2030 reinforces the organizations’ shared commitment to that goal. As Henry Schein and Special Olympics continue working together, their efforts can contribute to a healthcare environment in which people with intellectual disabilities receive more accessible, inclusive and responsive care.
Ultimately, creating healthier communities requires more than treating illness. It requires preventive services, education, trained healthcare professionals, community engagement and sustained investment in populations that have historically experienced gaps in care.
By continuing their collaboration through 2030, Henry Schein and Special Olympics are seeking to strengthen these elements and help ensure that athletes with intellectual disabilities have greater opportunities to achieve better health and well-being.
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