Reedsburg Area Medical Center Health

RAMC Foundation Supports RAMC Reach Out & Read Program!

The RAMC Foundation would like to extend a huge thank you to Doug Mittelstaedt and RAMC Employees for funds totaling $888 that were raised through the sale of equipment (fish tanks, an elliptical, and silent auction items) no longer needed in the facility. The RAMC Foundation used these funds to purchase books for the Reach Out and Read program. These books are distributed by providers at the RAMC Physicians Group during patient well-child visits. The books used in the Reach Out and Read program are ordered by Kris Houtler, Assistant Director at Reedsburg Public Library.  Pictured below are Doug Mittelstaedt, Director of Environmental Services presenting a check to Ryan Shear, RAMC VP. 

During well-child visits, RAMC providers talk with parents about the benefits of reading aloud and sharing a love of books with their young children. Parents are shown how to hold books to best engage their child and how to interact with the text and images to help them follow along. Our providers share advice for talking about stories with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Families gain a deeper understanding of why they should make reading a daily habit and are inspired to cuddle up with their young ones and enjoy an age-appropriate book.

At RAMC, doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read's evidence-based, three-part model into regular pediatric checkups:

• Trained doctors and nurses speak with parents about the importance of reading aloud, starting in infancy.
• At each regular checkup from 6 months through 5 years of age, the child receives a new book to take home.
• We are also pleased to create literacy-rich environments that include gently-used books for waiting room use, as well as providing books to siblings.

Research shows that as a result of this three-part intervention at the doctor's office, parents become more engaged and read to their children more often at home. The time spent reading translates into quantifiable gains: research studies show that during the preschool years, children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests. These early foundational language skills help propel children on a path of success when they enter school.

Also pictured (above) are Dr. Joanna Laukant, RAMC Physicians Group, with two of our young patients.  Dr. Laukant has been with RAMC since 1999 and has overseen the Reach Out and Read program since 2014 at its inception.

For more information on how to contribute to the RAMC Foundation, please contact Carol Lankey at 608-524-9088 or by email at clankey@ramchealth.org. You can also donate online by visiting the RAMC website at www.ramchealth.com/ramc-family/ramc-foundation.