Ozark Center, an entity of Freeman Health System, opened Reconnect Eating Disorders Clinic in 2018. It is the first and only outpatient program in the area specializing in the treatment of anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, and co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety, mood disorders, substance use, self-harm and body dysmorphic disorder.
At Reconnect Eating Disorders Clinic, providers have received specialized training in evidence-based practices. Reconnect clients receive care from a multidisciplinary team, which includes a psychologist or therapist, a registered dietitian, a psychiatric provider, a primary care physician, a Reconnect coach and the individual seeking treatment.
Treatment may include family-based therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and/or dialectical behavioral therapy. Behaviors associated with eating disorders may include:
- Constant adherence to increasingly strict diets, regardless of weight
- Habitual trips to the bathroom immediately after eating
- Secretly bingeing on large amounts of food
- Hoarding large amounts of food
- Increase in consumption of laxatives, diuretics or diet pills
- Exercising compulsively, often several hours per day
- Using prescription stimulant medications and/or illicit stimulant drugs to suppress appetite
To learn more about Reconnect Eating Disorders Clinic or to schedule an appointment, visit ozarkcenter.com/eatingdisorders or call 417.347.8080.
About Ozark Center
An integral component of Freeman Health System based in Joplin, Mo., Ozark Center provides comprehensive behavioral health services to children, adults and families in an area that includes more than 450,000 residents from Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Ozark Center continually looks for innovative ways to address the mental health needs of the community and promote awareness of mental illness in an effort to eliminate the discrimination associated with it. For more information, visit ozarkcenter.com or call 417.347.7600.
About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2019, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. With more than 300 physicians on staff representing more than 70 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.