Recent News

In celebration of National Reading Month, Wayne Pediatrics and Wayne State School of Medicine are partnering to bring books to kids in need throughout Detroit this March 2023. The initiative is a collaboration between the two entities’ literacy-focused programs to distribute free books to Metro Detroit children. 

Wayne Pediatrics, Metro Detroit’s one-stop pediatric practice, has been handing out books for several years as part of its “Reach Out and Read” initiative, distributing free literature to some of the most in-need children in the state. The books donated from the Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) were from a male mentorship literacy program in partnership with a local school.    

According to Data Driven Detroit, 16.4% of third grade students in Detroit met or exceeded grade level standards in English Language Arts in 2020, compared to 45.1% in the rest of the state. This means Detroit children are doing roughly 1/3 as well in reading and writing as their peers in the rest of Michigan. 

“Addressing literacy is essential from a medical perspective, as being able to read and write is actually a predictor of future health outcomes,” Eric McGrath, Wayne Pediatrics infectious disease specialist, said. “These so-called social determinants of health are non-medical factors that can harm a person’s health if not addressed. Being able to read and write helps people get higher paying jobs, meaning more savings, healthier housing and food options, and ultimately a longer life,” McGrath said. 

Wayne Pediatrics and Wayne State School of Medicine will continue to support literacy in Detroit kids not just in the month of March, but all year long.