Citibank, Henry Schein and NDA Align to Help African-American Dentists

    Business Editors

    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2005--Citibank, Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) and the National Dental Association (NDA), today announced a landmark alliance that will help African-American dentists launch profitable and thriving practices and bring quality oral healthcare to underserved urban communities. The agreement is a result of Citibank's new membership on the National Dental Association's Corporate Roundtable and all three organizations strong commitment to the African-American community. By aligning their resources, Citibank, Henry Schein and the NDA will enhance the opportunities for member dentists to start and expand their practices and make oral healthcare more accessible to underserved communities.
    As part of the alliance, Citibank will offer a complete set of financial solutions to the qualified NDA members seeking to launch or expand their dental practice. The Citi Dental Suite includes working capital loans, equipment leasing programs, commercial and personal banking services, patient financing programs, and dental practice financing offered through Citibank's arrangement with Henry Schein, the largest distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. In addition, Citibank will also make available through its Small Business Administration program $10 million in low interest-rate loans to those dental practitioners who provide oral healthcare in underserved communities and do not qualify for conventional loans.
    "We are excited about working with the NDA and their members," said Ellen Alemany, EVP in charge of Citigroup's Global Commercial Business Group." Together, we will help African-American dental practitioners grow their practice, provide optimal oral healthcare to all their patients and make their communities stronger. We recognize that a healthy community helps to develop a successful community."
    "We strive to be a valuable business partner with our dental customers in all areas of the practice," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Henry Schein. "This commitment includes a comprehensive offering of financial services to help practitioners operate more efficient and profitable practices while delivering the highest level of quality oral healthcare to patients. We are particularly pleased that this new alliance with the NDA will help extend this valuable offering in underserved communities across our country and further bridge the healthcare disparity gap."
    "This is an important partnership for the NDA and one that will further advance our mission and create opportunities for our members and the communities they serve, " said Robert Johns, the Executive Director of NDA. " Since its inception, NDA members have been dedicated to providing affordable oral healthcare to the disenfranchised. By joining forces with Citibank and Henry Schein, we can now provide our members with a set of innovative and responsible financing programs that will help them serve their communities, grow their businesses and achieve their long-term goals."
    NDA members can take advantage of Citi Dental Suite by calling 800-257-8451, ext. 3069.

    About Citigroup

    Citibank is a member of Citigroup (NYSE: C), the preeminent global financial services company, which has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, insurance, securities brokerage, and asset management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, Banamex, and Travelers Life and Annuity. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.

    About Henry Schein, Inc.

    Henry Schein, a Fortune 500(R) company, is recognized for its excellent customer service and highly competitive prices. The Company's four business groups - Dental, Medical, International and Technology - serve more than 450,000 customers worldwide, including dental practices and laboratories, physician practices and veterinary clinics, as well as government and other institutions. The Company's sales reached a record $3.4 billion in 2003. The Company operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, which provides customers in more than 125 countries with a comprehensive selection of over 90,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products. Henry Schein also offers a wide range of innovative value-added practice solutions, including such leading practice management software systems as DENTRIX(R) and Easy Dental(R) for dental practices, and AVImark(R) for veterinary clinics, which are installed in over 50,000 practices; and ArubA(R), Henry Schein's electronic catalog and ordering system. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein employs nearly 10,000 people and has operations in 17 countries. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.

    About NDA

    Founded in 1913, the NDA is the voice of 10,000 African American dental professionals and the communities they serve. In recent years, the focus has been on collaborating with community groups, the NDA corporate partners, and other organization's and government agencies to increase access and eliminate health disparities. The critical shortage of African American dentists and the overwhelming oral health needs in communities of color makes solving this crisis a moral imperative.
    The NDA is dedicated to recruitment, community education and educational scholarships. Programs at the annual convention present advances in healthcare, promotes entrepreneurship, community empowerment and business/financial management. The umbrella organizations of the NDA are: the Student National Dental Association, National Dental Assistants Association, National Dental Hygienists Association and the Auxillairy to the NDA (spouses).

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CONTACT: Citibank Anita Gupta, 212-559-0297

KEYWORD: NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING MEDICAL PRODUCT SOURCE: Citibank

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