Henry Schein’s strategy to make the healthcare supply chain greener.
Jennifer Kim Field knows what it takes for the U.S. healthcare supply chain to forge a more sustainable future. The healthcare sector contributes approximately 8.5% of total U.S.-based greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and 4% of total global GHG. Thinking big picture, if the healthcare sector were a country, it’d be the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
Addressing healthcare emissions could make a significant dent in climate efforts. Initiatives include reducing single-use plastics, decarbonizing energy use, reprocessing devices, and switching to greener anesthetic gases.
But those are tasks no one company can undertake on its own. “It’s going to take all of us collectively to make that greater impact,” said Field, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for Henry Schein, Inc. and Interim President for the Henry Schein Cares Foundation.
Indeed, Henry Schein’s Chairman and CEO Stanley Bergman often quotes the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”
A “BOLD” plan
Sustainability is part of Henry Schein’s culture and values, particularly through the “Three Cs”: Community, Caring, and Career. It’s also embedded in the company’s corporate strategic plan known as BOLD+1:
- B – Build complementary software, specialty, and services businesses
- O – Operationalize a unified distribution model
- L – Leverage all businesses to deepen customer relationships
- D – Drive digital transformation
- +1 – Create shared value for all stakeholders (customers, Team Schein Members, suppliers, shareholders, and society)
Henry Schein’s BOLD+1 strategic plan is guided by a detailed blueprint composed of key pillars, each backed by specific goals and commitments. Field said stakeholder engagement is key in shaping these priorities.
A central focus of the plan is the well-being of Team Schein Members (TSMs), who are seen as vital to the company’s success. Efforts to support Team Schein include wellness initiatives, professional development programs, and community involvement opportunities such as the Company’s flagship “Back to School” and “Holiday Cheer” volunteer programs. These initiatives enhance the TSM experience and contribute to broader community health.
Field outlined two additional core components of the strategy: good governance and environmental stewardship. Henry Schein encourages its supplier partners to align with the company’s global supplier code of conduct that outlines clear expectations of environmental practices, labor conditions, and ethical standards. “Having those key policies in place builds the foundation for everything else,” Field said.
On the environmental front, Henry Schein is committed to building a sustainable and resilient supply chain. Earlier this year, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved the company’s near-term and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets, reflecting Henry Schein’s commitment to significantly cut carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
On the supplier side, the company works with business partners to help identify sustainable product alternatives and find ways to reduce packaging waste like single-use plastic (a top question of customers). Henry Schein also works with its partners to help lower emissions throughout the value chain.
In 2023, Henry Schein launched its global Practice Green initiative to empower the healthcare sector (both medical and dental) with ways to reduce their environmental footprint while still providing high quality patient care. The initiative provides customers and suppliers with product solutions that are reusable, made from recycled materials, are recyclable or biodegradable, and are sourced sustainably.
The program includes more than just eco-friendly items – it offers educational content, guidance, and services (such as waste management partnerships) to support sustainability while ensuring top-quality patient care and regulatory compliance.
Practice Green also helps practices monitor savings and environmental improvements, tracking waste reduction and cost savings, from cutting disposable supplies to using energy efficient alternatives. A portfolio of partnerships (e.g., recycling services, specialty consultants) further supports responsible practice operations.
Clean horizons
Field said of all the recent technological innovations, she is most excited about the potential of AI in advancing sustainability efforts. AI is already helping to streamline data consolidation and analysis, which can significantly improve strategic decision making. Within Henry Schein, AI is also being used in innovative ways. For example, Henry Schein One’s Dentrix® Detect AI, powered and manufactured by VideaHealth, is an AI-enabled X-ray analysis tool that provides real-time clinical decision support to dentists.
“There’s a power to AI that we’re just now unlocking,” she said, “but we need to do it in a careful, methodical and intentional way. I appreciate that we, as a company, have an AI committee. We have rules and reviews that are key.”
As far as improvements, Field identified the need to break down silos and foster greater collaboration as two of the biggest goals the industry must work toward over the next five to ten years. She emphasized that while sustainability is now a baseline expectation in the business world, implementing it at scale – especially across a global, complex supply chain – is extremely difficult. Maintaining product quality, affordability, and accessibility while adapting to evolving global regulations and stakeholder demands adds to this complexity. However, she remains optimistic, seeing significant potential for innovation and meaningful impact if businesses and governments work together and stay committed.
Field also stressed the importance of action over perfection. “You have to start somewhere,” she said. “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good.”
She encouraged companies to start somewhere, however small, and to use their collective influence to advocate for change. Despite the complexities and pressures, she points to advancements in AI, renewable energy, digital tools, and sustainable packaging as enablers of more efficient, lower-impact operations. “Whether it’s a big action or small, anything makes a difference,” she said. “You just need to start – take a step now toward promoting a healthier planet and healthier people.”
Sustainability at the individual level – particularly sales representatives engaging directly with physician offices – can take many forms. Field said one impactful approach for TSMs is community involvement, such as participating in local cleanups alongside customers. These activities, often organized through the Company’s “Green Team Schein,” initiative serve not only to benefit the environment but also to strengthen customer relationships in a meaningful, values-driven way. “Green Team Schein” is the Company’s global employee volunteering efforts, such as beach clean-ups and planting gardens and trees.
Another way individuals can make a difference is by integrating sustainability into everyday business conversations, particularly through the Practice Green initiative. Team Schein Members can educate customers on sustainable product alternatives, offer resources such as sustainability checklists, and help health care professionals make more sustainable purchasing decisions. For example, TSMs can review inventory and order history to recommend shipment consolidation.
“So, rather than one or two shipments of one or two boxes going out per day, could customers wait two or three days, get that collectively – and not only have cost savings, but also have emissions savings,” Field said.
These small, practical changes collectively support both environmental and business goals.
Henry Schein’s Practice Green:
- Offers a globally launched, eco-focused framework tailored to healthcare settings
- Simplifies sustainability through a vetted green product portfolio
- Provides holistic support – from education to services
- Encourages accountability through tracking and partnerships