National Council on Disability signs MOU with Henry Schein Cares to better educate medical, dental professional communities
WASHINGTON – The National Council on Disability (NCD)—an independent federal agency that advises the President and Congress— has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Henry Schein Cares (HSC).
The MOU, signed at the Dec. 3 Greater New York Dental Meeting in New York City, is a collaboration seeking improved access to care for Americans with disabilities. NCD and HSC developed the MOU to coordinate their efforts and better educate the professional medical and dental communities in disability competency.
“Over 60 million Americans face unequal access to care, and by partnering with Henry Schein, we can bring together the stakeholders relevant to help provide true access to care for people with disabilities,” said NCD Chairman Neil Romano.
The MOU between HSC and NCD will focus on advancing key building blocks for expanding dental care for people with disabilities, including improving oral health literacy and provider cultural competency for treating patients with disabilities, expanding development and utilization of products and equipment for patients with disabilities, assisting Americans with disabilities to access care, and recommending appropriate financing and reimbursement rates.
The memorandum stipulates that NCD will provide technical assistance to HSC, such as reviewing relevant materials to ensure disability-inclusive language is being used, and confirming the accuracy of information HSC is providing in support of its program.
Over the last several years NCD has worked toward better educating and informing members of Congress and federal agencies on the importance of equity in access to medical and dental care for all Americans.
In 2017, NCD published Neglected for Too Long: Dental Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. NCD’s communication efforts since then resulted in the American Dental Association and its Commission on Dental Accreditation making significant changes to professional code and training requirements.
“We look forward to continuing to make progress for the disability community and ensuring that dentists can provide care for this most deserving population, said Chairman Romano.”
To learn more about the Henry Schein Cares, visit their website.
About the National Council on Disability
First established as an advisory council within the Department of Education in 1978, NCD became an independent federal agency in 1984. In 1986, NCD recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and drafted the first version of the bill which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988. Since enactment of the ADA in 1990, NCD has continued to play a leading role in crafting disability policy, and advising the President, Congress and other federal agencies on disability policies, programs, and practices.