News Australia 2018
Welcome to the latest edition of our Henry Schein Cares Newsletter. Henry Schein was founded in 1932 based on the belief that we can fulfil our responsibilities as a corporate citizen by giving back to the communities and industries we serve. Ever since then, we have pursued the ideal of “doing well by doing good.” This spirit of corporate citizenship is exemplified through Henry Schein Cares, our global corporate social responsibility program. Annually Team Schein Members participate in outdoor activities linked to charity donations
Here in Australia we truly believe that if every person helps just one other person in a small way, the world will shift for the better. This newsletter outlines some of our success stories but it is only a fraction of what we do. We need as many people as possible to be involved to really make a change, this can be by donating time, money or other resources. If you are looking for ways to volunteer or would like to apply for a donation contact us via email: scheincares@henryschien.com.au Meet Moo Schein! Team Schein Members raised money to support Australian Dairy Farmers by ‘adopting’ a cow to feed for the winter. The drought here in Australia affects us all
Team Schein Members visit the remote village of Naleba Naleba in Fiji providing gifts for the locals and sharing a meal with them
www.henryschein.com.au | 1300 65 88 22
Poche Centre for Indigenous Health The Poche Centre for Indigenous Health is an example of the power of partnership in achieving real change and genuinely contributing to closing the gap in life expectancy for Australian Aboriginal people. Established and funded by philanthropists Greg Poche AO and Kay Van Norton Poche, Poche Centres seek to leverage the best of the best in Universities with communities and governments to seek solutions that address complex health problems faced by Aboriginal people. Greg and Kay have gifted more than $50m to Aboriginal health in the past seven years. The Poche Centre at the University of Sydney draws upon a combination of Commonwealth, State and philanthropic funds and partners with Aboriginal Community Controlled and other organisations to:
Not much more than two generations ago Aboriginal people had excellent oral health. Now oral health for many Aboriginal people is dire, and significantly impacting the overall health of children and families. We know this is a problem that can be tackled simply and locally. The Poche Centre works in partnership with Armajun Aboriginal Health Service and Pius X Aboriginal Medical Service to deliver a full scope of dental treatment and oral health promotion with eight communities in the Central Tablelands of NSW. Fixed, mobile and portable equipment along with innovative technologies are used to support the practice. There are three key components to the Poche oral health service:
• Oral health advisory and capacity building; • Oral health promotion; and • Oral health service delivery.
• provide specialist health services for Aboriginal people;
• build and support education and career pathways for Aboriginal people;
• develop opportunities for students and graduates to participate in Aboriginal health service delivery; and
• develop and sustain collaborative evidence to practice research.
The Poche Centre always works in partnership with communities and existing health and other services to promote sustainability and the development of solutions that work.
A large element of the oral health service delivery is a free denture and mouthguard service. Aboriginal people living in the Central Tablelands of NSW receive custom made mouthguards and acrylic dentures in four days. Poche Centre have a wonderful pool of volunteer dental prosthestists who spend 4 days in a community manufacturing and issuing the dentures and mouthguards using the mobile laboratory. Henry Schein Cares has only recently been involved with this excellent organization and we are excited for the future partnership.
The independence and flexibility of Poche Centres enables innovative solutions that are not limited by program boundaries, funding pathways, or state and territory borders.
If you would like to volunteer your time or donate, please visit http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/poche/
Their three-year Strategy, Healthy Kids, Healthy Teeth, Healthy Hearts is available at: http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/ public-health/poche/about-us/strategy.php Our Healthy Teeth Strategy
(02) 9114 0829 poche.admin@sydney.edu.au
Would you like to volunteer in Tanzania? Around 75% of the world’s population has no access to even the most basic emergency dental care. In Tanzania, there are only 495 dental professionals for a population of 55 million people! Be part of the solution! Henry Schein Halas through the Henry Schein Cares Foundation have teamed up with Bridge2Aid launching in Australia! We are pleased to announce two scholarships for volunteering Australian Dentists and Dental Auxiliary Staff to volunteer with Bridge2Aid in Tanzania. Bridge2Aid originated in the United Kingdom and since 2004 have trained over 500 health workers, providing access to urgent care for more than 5 million people. For the first time in August 2019 they will send a full outreach of Australian dentists into the region and you could be one of them! To find out more about Bridge2Aid visit www.bridge2aid.com.au or to apply for one of the scholarships please request an application form by emailing scheincares@henryschien.com.au
Congolese Dental School
Graham and Wendy Toulmin have been visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for over thirty years where they have both lived for extended periods as well as visited for shorter stays. They have one important mission, to improve the level of dental care in an impoverished nation. DRC is the size of Western Europe and welltrained dental practitioners are few and far between. The people in the country live in tremendous poverty with many health issues and political challenges. In August 2015, Graham and Wendy arrived in the town of Aru where they left the comforts of Australia behind to run a dental school. Having a learning facility that teaches through practical application ensures that when they leave after their 4 year commitment, the community will still be able to provide dental care for their residents. It hasn’t been easy for the two, who constantly battle to achieve simple things we take for granted here in Australia. When they left in 2015, Henry Schein Halas through the Henry Schein Cares Foundation donated an abundance of weird and wonderful products. Some they asked for and some they did not, however everything can be used in the DRC! Wendy who has the patience of a saint spent hours of her time trying to get an old OPG working. When we included it in the shipment, we had no idea how many issues they would have but after years of persistence in November 2017 it finally paid off! They now have the first and only functioning OPG within the region! In July 2016 the first group of dental students graduated with a second group following in 2017. Now they can really see the fruits of their labour and when they return to Australia they will do so leaving a legacy to be proud of.
HSH3301
Would you like to volunteer or be involved? Email scheincares@henryschein.com.au
Timor Leste Dental Program
Now in its 16th year, the Timor Leste Dental Progam (TLDP) is the longest running dental program in Timor Leste. The program’s mission is to contribute to the improvement of oral health in Timor Leste. To achieve its aims, 4-6 dental teams head to Timor Leste annually. These teams provide treatment directly to communities in remote and rural Timor Leste, support Timorese clinicians with clinical mentoring and supplies, and facilitate the oral health education of the Timorese people via oral health workshops. 2018 has already been a big year. The second team has just returned home after a 2 week stint, treating people in the villages of Railaco Vila, Raliaco Leten, Tokoluli, Nasuta, Kasait and Maubara. Team 1 was in Timor in April and treated the people of Turiscai, as well as the children of Samoro, Rimori, Vatuvou, Edire and Vatunau. Together these 2 teams treated over 627 people, doing over 1447 extractions, fillings and preventive treatments - worth more than $318K. There are 3 more teams to go in 2018. The TLDP believes that for long term sustainability, a program must have local ownership. Last year they employed their own dental therapist, Nicolau Tolentino Faria Pires, who works out of their base in Maubara. He delivers a toothbrushing and oral health education program to 18 schools in the Liquiça and Loes subdistricts, screens the children before the teams arrive, and treats general patients in the Maubara Clinic. He is helped by Ana Paula Dos Santos Tavares Salgado, a Timorese, Brisbanetrained, dental assistant. This year they have pledged financial support for a young Carmelite nun to attend university in Indonesia. Sr Delfina hopes to become a dentist. The vision is that once she graduates and gains experience, she can take over the coordination of the program. The TLDP is also working to improve cooperation between the various dental programs that work in Timor Leste, introducing new dental programs to the Timorese local leaders and establishing links between existing health and oral health programs. This allows the dental programs to support each other in this challenging environment. “The Timor Leste Dental Program is inordinately grateful to Henry Schein Cares. Your unwavering, generous support allows us to continue our mission in Timor Leste. Without it, we would not be able to help as many people as we do, nor give so much support to Timorese clinicians.” said Dr Blanche Tsetong – Program Coordinator Henry Schein Halas through the Henry Schein Cares Foundation is pleased to offer ongoing support to the teams of Australian Dental Professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to improve the lives of people who don’t have access to care. Would you like to be involved? Contact Dr Blanche Tsetong tsetongb@hotmail.com
Australian Dental Health Foundation From Strength to Strength For 10 years, we have brought to you updates on the National Dental Foundation (NDF) and the amazing work they do in Australia to ensure people have access to care. The original model, where dentists opened their private practice one day a year to see patients for free, was remarkable as it allowed a large volume of patients to be seen with low overheads. This has continued to grow resulting in the need for reinforcements! In July 2017 the NDF merged with the Australian Dental Association Foundation (ADAF) to form the Australian Dental Health Foundation (ADHF). Bringing these two foundations together ensured an improved use of resources where the NDF could draw on their current experiences and access a full database of dental professionals (ADA members).
conjunction with Race Dental and Southern Cross Dental Labs as well as Common Ground Community Outreach Clinic in Adelaide. In recent years Pacific Smiles Group has been their major sponsor to ensure coordinators are available to run the program efficiently. Henry Schein Halas through the Henry Schein Cares Foundation is honoured to have been involved from the beginning, providing volunteer dentists with a package for each dental rescue day. We have also worked in collaboration with our supply partner Colgate to support the program Would you like to be involved? Contact the National Coordinator - Lesley Morgan via email headoffice@adhf.org.au
The last 12 months have been hugely successful with the ADHF now offering more customised options to dental professionals who would like to be involved. This ranges from the original model where private surgeries are available for dentists volunteering to St Pats Clinic, a dedicated dental facility in WA used for ADHF activities. They now offer the option to “adopt a patient� where a dentist can see only one patient who may have very complex issues and requires regular follow up. This flexibility has ensured that everyone who wants to be involved can be and the results speak for themselves. In 2015/2016 the NDF provided $600,000 of free dental treatment. The ADHF is now providing almost $1,000,000 per year of free dental treatment! The ADHF shows clearly how collaboration between different organisations builds strength in the community. They work in
Armin Roth Scholarship Winner of the first Armin Roth Scholarship in Dentistry Announced!
In 2018, Henry Schein Halas together with The University of Sydney School of Dentistry awarded the first Armin Roth Scholarship in Dentistry. The scholarship was created in honour of Armin Roth who was a long-standing Henry Schein Halas Team Member for over 40 years. Sadly, Armin passed away in 2017 and Henry Schein Halas wanted to ensure his passion for dentistry would live on for years to come. Scholarships are important motivators for students and this merit-based scholarship will be awarded annually to a dental student who demonstrates excellence and progression in their course.
From L to R:
We are thrilled to announce the winner for 2018 Dayna Fairweather, currently in her second year of the DMD program at the Sydney Dental School. We are confident Dayna will be a valued member of the dental community in the future and are so happy to help her on her way.
Dayna Fairweather, Elizabeth Roth, Suzie Dracopoulos, Mike Covey
Armin Roth
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Medical Ship Did you know there is only one dentist for every 100,000 people in Papua New Guinea (PNG)? A country in such close proximity to Australia, it is strange to think their access to care is so vastly different from ours. The Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Medical Ship first set sail in 2010 and over the last 8 years has made an enormous contribution to the health and wellbeing of the PNG population. In 2015 they upgraded their ship to the MV YWAM PNG which currently spends 10 months of the year in PNG and includes a state-of-the-art dental facility as well as medical and optical services. Henry Schein Halas through the Henry Schein Cares Foundation have been supporting YWAM Medical Ships - Australia since 2010. Our support has included the annual provision of dental consumables and equipment for their dentistry programs. In 2015, in addition to our regular donation, we installed four brand-new dental chairs in partnership with Planmeca. The chairs were installed into the clinic aboard their newest vessel, the MV YWAM PNG. This upgrade to the on-board dental clinic allows four dentists to operate at once while giving capacity for local dental workers to receive hands-on training and experience alongside YWAM Medical Ships’ volunteer dentists. We are also grateful to our other supply partners GC, Hu-Friedy, 3M, Kavo Kerr and more recently Septodont and Komet who have all been generous in supporting our contribution. Since 2010, YWAM Medical Ships, with the support of Henry Schein Halas, have provided more than 32,800 dental procedures to over 19,500 individuals in rural and remote communities in six provinces of PNG. In May 2017, Gordon Anderson (VP ANZT Region, Henry Schein) attended his first outreach with the ship and later in May 2018, Mike Covey (VP & Managing Director, Henry Schein Halas) was also fortunate enough to spend time with the team. Both Team Schein Members have returned with new found energy and excitement for the cause. Their stories have motivated the wider Henry Schein Team with numerous Team Schein Members raising their hands to volunteer in the future. When asked, Mike Covey said “One of our values as a company is to expand access to care for at-risk and underserved populations through the support of not-forprofit organisations. We’ve found YWAM to be an excellent partner in helping to achieve this.” He went on to say “Prior to my visit I knew the demand was large and the work that the team at YWAM were doing was remarkable, but I was speechless to see with my own
eyes the vast need and the professionalism and speed in which the YWAM team were able to access and treat patients.” As a result of our long standing relationship with YWAM, in March 2018, Henry Schein Halas was awarded the ADIA’s Dental Industry Partnership Award which recognises the corporate success in building cooperative partnerships with dentists and allied oral health professionals that reflect the truly symbiotic relationship that exists between dental industry and dental professionals. We happily accepted this award but are ultimately proud to be able to contribute to an organisation who tirelessly work to close the gap between people needing treatment and availability. Would you be interested in volunteering? YWAM are currently recruiting dentists, dental assistants, dental therapists and hygienists to participate in two week outreach programs. For more information or to apply visit www.ywamships.org
Community Outreach Dental Program “Collaboration, interdisciplinary are words that we hear so frequently- I am very proud to say that the Community Outreach Dental Program – Adelaide Dental School is completely immersed in this philosophy.” Said Margie Steffens, Director Community Outreach. Community Outreach Dental Program is run by the Adelaide Dental School at Common Ground and services Adelaide’s most vulnerable residents who have limited access to dental care. Common Ground provides tiered accommodation for people who are residentially and socially disadvantaged providing an opportunity to rebuild healthy communities with specific support systems in place. In September 2011, they opened the Community Outreach Dental Clinic. Working in conjunction with the University of Adelaide, the clinic runs using a core group of volunteers as well as undergraduates from dentistry, oral health, medicine and nursing students. The significant experience gained by the students sets them up for a future career while at the same time treatment is offered to people who would not otherwise get access to care. Common Ground have just completed a project with Flinders University looking at the future health and oral health needs of an aging homeless population. The results will provide great insight into the current state of affairs and how we can best tackle a deteriorating situation. The Dental Students of Adelaide University are also planning to collaborate with the Community Outreach Dental Program and the ADA during Dental Health Awareness week and will visit one of St Vinnies Migrant and Refugee Support Centres. They have, over time created a great relationship with St Vinnies and this allows them to provide care for people who attend the centre and are unfortunately making up a larger part of Adelaide’s homeless population. This month they will visit, together with ADA members who will be part of the dental screening and service provision. Community Outreach Dental Program are looking to expand their services. Henry Schein Halas through the Henry Schein Cares Foundation are delighted to be the major donor for their annual fundraising dinner. The funds raised allows them to continue providing dental care to over 1000 of Adelaide’s most disadvantaged people. Increased funding will allow them to see a greater number of people, who with this boost to both their health and self-esteem will be given the opportunity to get back on track. Would you like to donate or be involved? Contact margie.steffens@adelaide.edu.au