Hudson Physicians Participates in Reach Out and Read
Hudson Physicians, along with Hudson Hospital, kicks off participation in Reach Out and Read Wisconsin. Reach Out and Read is a nonprofit organization that coordinates with pediatric medical providers to promote childhood literacy. With 90% of children visiting doctors, medical providers are able to reach many children who may not yet be attending school.
Reach Out and Read serves 4.7 million children and their families each year across the nation. Reach Out and Read families read together more often and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills. As a result, these children are better prepared to achieve their potential. Reach Out and Read Wisconsin medical director, Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, emphasizes the importance of this approach by saying, “walking into a well-child exam without a book for that child is like walking in without my stethoscope.” In the last year, Reach Out and Read Wisconsin programs distributed more than 140,200 new books to more than 79,200 children.
Hudson Physicians participates in the program by passing out books and bookmarks to the children who have a well child visit. In doing so, the physicians and clinical assistants strive to encourage a lifelong habit of reading and learning, as well as develop relationships with their young patients that make visiting the doctor less intimidating.
“Reach Out and Read is a wonderful program, and we are proud to be involved,” said Dr. Schertz. “Literacy is crucial to later success in life, and fostering positive relationships with medical professionals can help kids develop healthy habits that will stick with them throughout their lives.”
Research has shown that the methods used by Reach Out and Read have demonstrably positive effects on children’s literacy skills. As documented in scholarly studies, families who participate in Reach Out And Read increase the amount of literacy activity at home, and children who participate in Reach Out and Read score better than their peers on language tests.
Hudson Physicians is proud to be a part of this important and successful program.
