Remuda Ranch Center

by   Bonnie Stafford,                                                                                                                                     Vol. VIII, No. 3, March 1995

       Vice President of Marketing Services, Remuda Ranch

[This is an unusual article for The Baptist Banner. I am running it because of the serious, often intractable nature of anorexia and bulimia, and because of the very happy experience of a family in our church whose daughter has recently been at Remuda Ranch. TCP, editor]

Remuda Ranch Center is a specialized treatment center for women, exclusively dedicated to the treatment of anorexia, bulimia, and related problems. The ranch is significantly different from the institutional format of traditional hospitals and clinics.

The founders, Ward and Key Keller, chose to turn this former "dude" ranch into a healthcare facility after their family's personal experience with their nine year old daughter's anorexic crisis. The ranch was originally purchased by the Kellers for a family residence as a desperate attempt to create a peaceful environment conducive to healing their daughter. They soon began to realize that eating disorders are not about food and that they are family diseases. This fueled their decision to convert Remuda into a treatment center for women with eating disorders. Following two years of comprehensive research and complete renovation, Remuda Ranch Center opened its doors in January 1990. Since that time over 800 women and their families have come to Remuda to begin their path to recovery.

The treatment program provides a balance of medical, nutritional, psychological, and spiritual emphasis. The spiritual component is based on a Christ-centered, biblically based perspective. This balanced approach genuinely produces a continuing lifestyle change. This treatment philosophy – blended with family involvement – allows each patient to build the necessary confidence to deal with the problems and stress of everyday life without starving, bingeing, or purging.

The Remuda Ranch program is geared toward overcoming the habitual response patterns of an eating disorder and uncovering the root issues that are at the core of the illness, and is designed to assist the patient in stabilizing, consolidating, and applying the productive coping skills and lifestyle management techniques that she has learned.

The extraordinary setting provides a broad range of activities, including a complete equestrian program as an integral part of individualized therapy. Each patient actively participates in every phase of her own recovery. The casual, picture-postcard Western environment can be found nestled in the high Sonoran Desert of Wickenburg, Arizona, 60 miles northwest of Phoenix,

Remuda Ranch is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), with commendation. It is a healthcare facility fully licensed by the State of Arizona. Many insurance policies and carriers cover the cost of treatment, and assistance is provided by Remuda staff to prospective patients who want to determine insurance coverage or other financial options.

Referrals for treatment come from physicians, psychologists, healthcare professionals, pastors, counselors, and other treatment programs. Initial contact may also be made directly by interested family members or the patients themselves. The program is exclusively for women, and admission is based on the initial assessment of each patient.

Visitors are welcome to tour Remuda Ranch. For more information on the treatment program or to arrange a visit, call 1-800-445-1900.