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Welcome To Our Newest Programs!
University Health Services, UMASS Amherst
Baystate Children's Hospital,
Division of Newborn Medicine, Springfield
Gerald Hass Center,
South Boston
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Congratulations to Sites with 100% of Providers Trained!
The list of Sites with all providers (and frequently all staff members) trained continues to grow. There are many more that are one or two providers short of this goal; if you are one of them, or aren't sure of your percentage, check out the thermometer on your myror page, and move it from red to green!
Baystate Children's Hospital Div of Newborn Medicine (Springfield)
Fernandes Center for Children and Family, (Fall River)
Framingham Pediatrics
Grove Family
Medicine Assoc (Worcester)
Holyoke Health Center
Lowell Community Health Center
Ludlow Pediatrics
Macony Pediatrics (Great Barrington)
Mill River Pediatrics (Taunton)
Dr. Nora E. Hanke (Easthampton)
Northern Berkshire Pediatrics (North Adams)
Pediatric Associates of Hampden County (West Springfield & Westfield)
Pleasant St Pediatrics (Attleboro)
PMG Physician Associates
(Plymouth)
Quabbin Pediatrics (Ware)
Rainbow Pediatrics (Springfield )
Riverbend Medical Group (Springfield)
Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center
University Health Services, UMASS (Amherst) |
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Save the date for the next Reach Out and Read Massachusetts Journey to Literacy Conference, scheduled for Saturday, December 1, at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield, and targeted to early childhood educators, family childcare providers and parents. Register here for the conference, which will feature Marilyn Augustyn, MD, Chair of the Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center; Jean Ciborowski Fahey, PhD, Early Literacy Research Specialist, Reach Out and Read; and workshops by Parent-Child Home Program. |
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DID YOU KNOW?
If you work for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you can chose to donate to Reach Out and Read through payroll deductions.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Employees Charitable Campaign
(COMECC) is the only authorized payroll deduction workplace solicitation. |  |
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Medical Provider Survey Highlights
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Thanks to the many providers in Massachusetts who took the time to respond to the June survey. We are proud to be the state with the highest repsonse rate! Your input is valuable and helps shape what we do; if you would like to learn more of the survey results, check in with your Regional Coordinator.
Data Point: Despite the fact that 81% of respondents felt time constraints interfered with a consistent, quality message, 91% feel Reach Out and Read makes a difference in changing parent behaviors over time. |
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Notes from National:
QI Project
Reach Out and Read's third national Quality Improvement Project is now underway in 53 sites in 26 states, with more than 140 physicians eligible for MOC (Maintenance of Certification). To date, the QI Project has resulted in increases in both the number of books distributed to children and the amount of anticipatory literary guidance offered to parents. These participating practices have given books in 97 percent of well-child visits, and advice in 93 percent. The next round of QI starts in January, and the application deadline is November 15. For information about how your program can participate in the Reach Out and Read QI Project for MOC, click here. |
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Reach Out and Read New England
Massachusetts Newsletter
Fall 2012
Serving 200,505 Massachusetts children
in 270 Locations |
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Dear Reach Out and Read Colleagues,
With the start of another September, my thoughts have turned back to school and everything that comes with the fall. I have especially been thinking about the boys and girls across Massachusetts who have participated in Reach Out and Read -- and are entering kindergarten ready to learn to read!
One of those rising kindergarteners is a 5-year-old boy who lives next door to me with his family. I met him and his parents this summer when they came to visit. He is energetic, enthusiastic, and very verbal! He noticed the pile of gently-used books I had sitting by my back door and picked out one to read. I told his parents I work for a pediatric literacy program and would be delivering the books to a health center on Monday.
When I mentioned Reach Out and Read, his mom lit up. She said her talkative, inquisitive son had been slow to develop his language skills. It was, in fact, a book about bulldozers that he received from his pediatrician that had sparked his interest in reading. And not surprisingly, he looked forward to his subsequent well-child visits for more books.
The following week, the boy's parents donated 10 copies of a beautiful children's story to Reach Out and Read. They told me they were so happy about the Reach Out and Read books their son had received that they wanted to return the favor.
And so it goes. There are so many wonderful stories of neighbors and children, coordinators and service clubs, and doctors and school groups all doing their part to further the mission of Reach Out and Read.
Thank you for all the work you do, the boxes you unpack, the book drives you organize, the records you keep, and most importantly, the enthusi asm about literacy you share.
Heather
Heather Robinson
Central Massachusetts Regional
Coordinator |
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Welcome Carole Ferguson!
We are delighted to welcome Carole Ferguson to Reach Out and Read, in the newly-created position of Greater Boston Regional Coordinator. The position is being funded thanks to a grant from The Philanthropic Institute. Carole, who will be working with sites in Greater Boston, is an ANCC certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who has provided clinical care in a wide variety of settings, including Children's Hospital and Floating Hospital.
Carole also has experience teaching graduate and undergraduate Nursing as well as doing volunteer healthcare work with Project Hope in Ecuador, Columbia, and Haiti. Her BA in English from UC Berkeley and MA in Journalism from Northeastern support her love for children's literature and for hearing and telling people's stories. We know Carole will fit right in with the Massachusetts team: she has already completed the online CME Course, offered to help sort and shelve books at a program site, and rolled up her sleeves to load books at Cradles to Crayons! We're glad to have you, Carole! |
AAP Makes Reach Out and Read a Priority!
We're pleased to report that Reach Out and Read is mentioned in the AAP's "Early Brain and Children Development: Building Brain, Forging Futures" handout! Check out the handout here--and feel free to share it with your program sites, communities, and social media networks. Happy reading! |
Representative Tierney Visits Cape Ann Pediatrics in Gloucester
On Tuesday, August 28th, Representative John Tierney (D-MA-6) visited the Reach Out and Read program site at Cape Ann Pediatrics in Gloucester. He read several books to an enthusiastic audience and toured the office. We are grateful for the support of Rep. Tierney and many other elected officials throughout Massachusetts.
Dr. Thomas Carbone, Representative Tierney & Dr. Brian Orr
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Thank you to Fox and the Paper Store!
Click here to view a video of Jean Ciborowski Fahey, Ph.D. from Reach Out and Read and Bob Anderson from The Paper Store during the Fox Zip Trip to Carver.
The Paper Store has a wonderful selection of high-quality books that our Sites will be proud to give to their youngest patients, and Fox shines an entertaining spotlight on the diverse communities in its listening area! Thank you to both of our valued partners!
 Thanks to Fox 25 and The Paper Store for their support of Reach Out and Read at this summer's Zip Trips! Books collected at the recent Zip Trips in Hopkinton, Carver and Gloucester are already on their way to Reach Out and Read
program sites in those communities.
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Main Street Pediatrics in Hopkinton Shows Reach Out and Read Pride!
 Artist Monica Erickson and Coordinator Diane Kenney, RN
Coordinator Diane Kenney, RN; Medical Director Irfan Rahim, MD; and the rest of the Reach Out and Read team at Main Street Pediatrics in Hopkinton recently completed a project to bring themed murals to their exam rooms, with the help of Natick artist Monica Erickson (and her company M. Designs).
Monica's murals are colorful and bright, and include themes such as Flower Power, Ice Cream, Pedal Power, and Music. Our favorite mural is the one in the Reach Out and Read room! There, Monica has painted books, sayings, and the bright red Reach Out and Read logo on the wall to be enjoyed by patients, parents, and providers. |
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Reach Out and Read New England Fall Meeting
The Reach Out and Read New England team met on a warm early fall day at Fort Hill Farms in Thompson, Connecticut, to compare notes and brainstorm about Reach Out and Read in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. The setting was beautiful, surrounded by flowers, pumpkins, and a giant corn maze--and the ice cream wasn't bad either!
 | | Chris Garber and Sherry Brohel Connecticut Reach Out and Read |
Thanks to Fort Hill Farms for hosting us, and being literacy champions themselves! |
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Lions Clubs International Partners with
Reach Out and Read
With the launch of the Reading Action Program, Lions Clubs International is working to address inequalities related to literacy by forming a partnership with Reach Out and Read. Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization, with more than 1.35 million members whose motto is "We Serve." They are part of a global service network, doing whatever is necessary to help their local communities.
Reach Out and Read is thrilled to begin this partnership with the Lions Clubs! Meetings have been held in Medway and Weymouth, including clubs from those areas plus Boston and the South Shore, and we are all appreciative of the donations received and book drives scheduled. The MA Coalition is looking forward to matching up clubs with individual Reach Out and Read program sites in Massachusetts; let Heather, Laurie, Nora or Alison know if you would like to reach out to a club in your area. |
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Giving Tree Project
Inspired by Shel Silverstein's classic story The Giving Tree, 13-year-old Isy Mekler sought out artists whom he admired and took inspiration from--inviting them to join "The Giving Tree Project." Isy asked the artists to create original works of art to support Reach Out and Read.
These one-of-a-kind works of art were exhibited at the Danforth Museum over the summer, and sold on eBay during an online auction that ran through Sept 20, with all proceeds going to support Reach Out and Read.
Learn more about "The Giving Tree Project" here. |
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