A Georgia mother recently shared an adorable video of her toddler, Riley, having a lively conversation with a Wellstar East Cobb Medical Assistant (MA). The animated exchange has since gone viral on social media with more than 14 million views.

Casey, a MA from East Cobb Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, did an excellent job of intentionally engaging the toddler in conversation. In the TikTok clip, appropriately titled “Letting My Toddler Run Her Doctor’s Appointment“, Riley chatters enthusiastically as Casey listens to her attentively and explains what to expect as she examines the toddler. Casey modeled strong literacy development behavior, and then helped the parents recognize the child’s engagement.

This technique is an example of how Wellstar trains Certified Medical Assistants to model good language nutrition and to include the patient in their care. This strategy is a core component of Small TALK, Wellstar’s Literacy and Justice for All initiative. Small TALK aims to improve high school graduation rates and social determinants of health by promoting early language development during the most impactful first three years of life, when 80% of brain development occurs.

Last fall, the Callaway Foundation awarded the Wellstar Foundation $1.1 million to expand the Small TALK program to a variety of Wellstar Pediatric and OBGYN offices in West Georgia. The program first launched at Wellstar Kennestone Medical Center and its affiliated Pediatrics and OBGYN offices in November 2022. Since launch, Wellstar has engaged and coached more than 60,000 families on the importance of early literacy development.