Staff

Reach Out and Read Washington State

Jill Sells, MD.  Regional Director

     As Regional Director, Dr. Sells is responsible for the overall strategy and implementation of all aspects of Reach Out and Read Washington State. Dr. Sells worked with Dr. Woodruff and the Reach Out and Read National Center to launch this statewide effort in late 2007. She is delighted to work with medical practices and our partners to help support young children and families across Washington state.
     A fifth generation Washingtonian, Dr. Sells received her BA from Stanford University in Human Biology with a concentration in Child Development and Disability, and her MD from the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM). She trained in Pediatrics at the UW and Seattle Children’s, and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the UWSOM. After practicing primary care pediatrics in the Seattle area, she transitioned her career into early childhood in 2003. Dr. Sells and Reach Out and Read are active partners in early learning and health efforts in Washington and across the nation. She is thrilled to seeing growing support for early learning in Washington state, along with increasing recognition of the important role that doctors and other primary care health providers can play in improving educational outcomes for children.

Mary Ann Woodruff, MD. Medical Director

     As Medical Director, Dr. Woodruff helps develop and implement our statewide recruitment and training programs, and is a vital strategic partner. As a pediatrician focused on child development and family life, Dr. Woodruff joyfully discovered the Reach Out and Read program. She brought it to her pediatric practice in 2001, and she and her Pediatrics NW colleagues will distribute 10,000 books this year at well child visits in Pierce County. She has been a Reach Out and Read trainer since 2004. She shares her enthusiasm for Reach Out and Read with other doctors, nurses and primary care providers. She helps make it feasible and fun for practices across the state to participate.
     A northwest native, Dr. Woodruff has been caring for children in the South Puget Sound for nearly twenty years. She received her undergraduate degree from Seattle University, and her MD from the University of Washington. She trained in pediatrics in the Bay Area, at Mt. Zion Hospital, Stanford, and University of California San Francisco. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Food Connection Food Bank and the Pierce County Library Foundation, and is the Board President for Friends of Pediatrics Northwest.

Jessica Mortensen, MLIS. Program Director

     As Program Director, Jessica is the main point of contact for Reach Out and Read Programs across the state. She provides technical assistance from recruitment through implementation, and is an ongoing source of support for program quality. 
     Jessica joined the Reach Out and Read team in October 2010. She comes to us with 10 years of experience leading programs and supporting professionals in the health care and literacy fields. Most recently she was a Program Officer at the Washington Dental Service Foundation where she worked with community partners and medical and dental providers on improving oral health across Washington. Previously, Jessica coordinated a Reach Out and Read program at the University of Washington where she also earned a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree. In addition, she is fluent in Spanish.