Union County nurse ties clinic paintings to Reach Out and Read book program to support child visits

Anna Medlin, a registered nurse for public health, said she has begun creating child-themed artwork in the Union County child health clinic to brighten visits and support early-literacy interactions.

Medlin told attendees that the clinic partners with Reach Out and Read to provide a book to every child at each doctor’s visit and that staff use the books to observe how parents and children interact and how children are developing.

"We partner with Reach Out and Read to provide a book to every child at each doctor's visit," Medlin said. "They're given to see how the parent interacts with the child and how the child interacts to the book." She added that children frequently touch the paintings and that parents point out favorite books, which helps staff assess familiarity and engagement.

Medlin said she selects books by age group and matches paintings to the titles. She cited examples of the artwork she has made: The Hungry Caterpillar, Rainbow Fish with sparkly scales and a recent Llama Llama painting.

She traced the project’s origin to 2018, when, as a high school junior, her art class was asked to make paintings for the new health department. "So I got drawn to do a painting for the new child health clinic," Medlin said, describing the experience as nostalgic and affirming.

Medlin characterized the paintings as small, practical interventions intended to make clinic visits more welcoming and to give staff another cue for observing child development. No formal policy or funding action was recorded during her remarks.