Dr. Nathan Chomilo: The role of early childhood literacy in advancing racial and health equity

Our guest today is Dr. Nathan Chomilo. Dr. Chomilo is both a pediatrician and doctor of internal medicine. He works in Minnesota and serves as the Medical Director of Reach Out and Read Minnesota. His advocacy work includes the impact early childhood intervention and healthcare access have on the long-term prospects of our children and how physicians and health systems can address racial & health equity.During this episode, he shares his work with to address racial & health equity, importance of early childhood literacy, work with Reach Out and Read, resources to help parents address race, and book recommendations.Bio:Dr. Nathan Chomilo received a Zoology degree from Miami University (Oxford, OH) and graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He completed his combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and was the Pediatric Chief Resident at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital. He practices as a General Pediatrician at Brookdale Clinic and an Internal Medicine Hospitalist at Methodist Hospital with Park Nicollet Health Services/HealthPartners. His advocacy work includes the impact early childhood intervention and healthcare access have on the long-term prospects of our children and how physicians and health systems can address racial & health equity. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Early Childhood and Section on Minority Health, Equity & Inclusion, is one of the Early Childhood Champions for the MN chapter of the AAP, currently serves as the Medical Director of Reach Out and Read Minnesota, is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School where he is a clinic preceptor and a member of the Medical Schools Admissions Committee, has been appointed to the Governors Early Learning Council and helped start the organization Minnesota Doctors for Health Equity (MDHEQ) where he serves as the Vice-President. His advocacy work with Reach Out and Read MN & MDHEQ has been recognized by Mpls.St Paul Magazine in their 2018 Top Doctors: Rising Stars edition, by Reach Out and Read National which awarded him the 2018 Medical Champion Achievement Award and the City of Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights which recognized him as a 2019 History Maker at Home recipient. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife & son.Twitter: @ChomiloMDFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrNateMN/Links to organizations discussed:Minnesota Doctors for Health Equitywww.mdhealthequity.comReach Out and Read Minnesotawww.reachoutandreadmn.orgThink Smallhttps://www.thinksmall.orgEmbrace Racehttps://www.embracerace.orgRaising Race Conscious Childrenhttps://www.raceconscious.orgBooks for kids:*Please, Baby,Please *by Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee (Authors), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)Little Blue Truck Series by Alice Schertle (Author), Jill McElmurry (Illustrator)Africa's Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight (Author), Anne Sibley O'Brien (Illustrator)