About Reach Out and Read Gateway

The Reach Out and Read Gateway Coalition was founded in Fall 2005 as part of the expansion efforts of the Reach Out and Read National Center. Prior to this, beginning in 1999, the federally funded Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers hosted 3 ROR sites. Over the past 6 months, 30 additional primary care sites throughout the Greater St. Louis and Metro East Illinois region have been recruited into the Coalition. This Coalition’s region encompasses St. Louis City and County, East St. Louis, Illinois and surrounding communities, and sites in rural Missouri. The ROR sites are located in private practices, federally-funded neighborhood health centers, two University-affiliated primary care residency training clinics, a High Risk Newborn Follow-up Clinic, and a large air force base. In addition to the University affiliated programs, many of the ROR practices serve as community-based residency training sites.

In this large metropolitan area reside 69,887 children between 6 months and 5 years of age living below 200% of the poverty level. There are two adjacent counties represented in rural southern Missouri- Perry and Ste. Genevieve (1000 children between 6 months and 5 years of age). In the state of Missouri, an estimated 69,736 children under 5 years of age live below the poverty level - a rate of 18.7%. By far, the highest concentration of children living in poverty resides in the City of St. Louis (17,775) and St. Louis County (20,259), the areas where the largest number of ROR practices are located.

In its first year of operation, the coalition sites are projected to collectively reach 54,000 children ages 6 months to five years of age and are slated to distribute more than 105,000 books to high risk infants and children and provide early literacy anticipatory guidance to their parents and caretakers.

The ROR Gateway Coalition is unique as a result of its close partnership with Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and Foundation, a highly respected tertiary care children’s hospital affiliated with St. Louis University School of Medicine. Patients and their families from a wide, surrounding geographic region of Missouri and Illinois seek primary and specialized pediatric care at the Medical Center. This close affiliation allows the hospital and medical school to serve as the ROR fiscal agent and fundraising partner, to professionally manage and distribute the funds awarded under this contract.

The Coalition Leader, Monica Ultmann, M.D., is a Developmental Pediatrician at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and a Professor of Pediatrics at St. Louis University School of Medicine. Her background in child development and resident education lends a focused emphasis to the Coalition activities.

Coalition Announcements

Barnes & Noble in Ladue, MO will hold a holiday book drive to benefit the Gateway Coalition. Please visit Barnes & Noble on Ladue Road to purchase a developmentally and culturally appropriate book to benefit Reach Out and Read!

The Gateway Coalition is pleased to announce the endorsement of the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. We look forward to working with MO-AAP for the benefit of Missouri's children!

The first Gateway Coalition dinner Business Meeting and CME Program will take place on Thursday, December 7 at 6 pm at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. Dr. Ultmann will be presenting the first of two presentations, “Using Books as Assessment Tools: The Typically Developing Child”.

Advisory Board Members

Jim Orsund
Executive Vice President for Development
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center & Foundation

Bob Davidson
Director, Public Relations
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center

Tim Fete, M.D.
University Pediatrics ROR Medical Coordinator
Professor of Pediatrics
St. Louis University School of Medicine

Alison Nash, M.D.
St. Louis Pediatric Practitioners
ROR Medical Coordinator

Colleen Seematter, M.D.
Mother Child Center
ROR Medical Coordinator
Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation

Jennifer Lynch
Community Relations Manager
Barnes and Noble Booksellers
Ladue, MO

Barbara L. Rascoe
Marketing Consultant
Reignmaker Consultants

Yvonne Buhlinger
Coordinator ROR programs
Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers

Susan Stepleton
Executive Director
Parents as Teachers National Center

Nahid Hashemi, Ph.D
Director
St. Louis Parents as Teachers Program

Lori Geismar-Ryan, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Clayton Family Center
Clayton, MO

Vickie Newton
Television News Anchor KMOV
CBS News Affiliate
Adult Literacy Champion

Mrs. Chris Clermont
President
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center Hospital Guild
Community Fundraiser

Mrs. Peggy Ritter
Community Fundraiser