Reach Out and Read® Staff

Olivia Thomas, MD

Reach Out and Read® Medical Director
700 Children’s Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43205

Olivia Thomas, MD, serves as Medical Director of the Reach Out and Read® Program at Nationwide Children’s. She is Chief of the Section of Ambulatory Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Thomas is responsible for the implementation of Reach Out and Read® and continues to be actively involved in all aspects of program operations.

Claudia Barrett, BS, DTR

Health Literacy Program Coordinator
700 Children’s Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43205
Phone: (614) 355-0518
Fax: (614) 355-0509

Claudia Barrett,  Health Literacy Program Coordinator for Nationwide Children’s, which includes the Reach Out and Read® Program and The Mediglyphs™ System, a pediatric health literacy program. She holds a dual Bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership and Business Administration from Franklin University and an Associate degree in Clinical Dietetics from Kettering College of Medical Arts. She is currently completing her Master's in Health Administration from Ohio University. She has been with Nationwide Children's for more than 20 years and is responsible for designing and implementing both Reach Out and Read® and Mediglyphs™ System. Ms. Barrett is the Chair of the Ohio Reach Out and Read Working Group and is on the Board of Directors for Future Possibilities, Inc. She is actively involved in literacy efforts throughout Ohio.

Shareena Casey

Reach Out and Read® Program Coordinator
700 Children's Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43205
Phone: (614) 355-0519
Fax: (614) 355-0509

Shareena Casey, Program Coordinator for the Reach Out and Read Program, helps to oversee all components of Reach Out and Read.  Shareena is a graduate of Otterbein University with a BA in Business Management.  Shareena’s music background enables her to implement a music curriculum for the Primary Care center patient population.  Shareena is a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s Education Committee and is an advocate for the arts and literacy. 

Janel Field

Reach Out and Read® Volunteer Coordinator
700 Children's Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43205
Phone: (614) 355-0520
Fax: (614) 355-0509

Janel Field, Volunteer Coordinator for the Reach Out and Read Program, coordinates all volunteer components of Reach Out and Read.  Janel is a graduate of the University of Dayton with a BA in English and received her Adolescent to Young Adult Teaching Licensure from Otterbein University.  Janel’s background in education enables her to implement a literacy curriculum for the volunteers to use with the Primary Care center patient population.  Janel is a freelance writer, a member of the Board of Governors of the Robbins Hunter Museum & Gardens and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or comments about any of the Reach Out and Read® programs, email
ReachOutandRead@NationwideChildrens.org.