Joplin, MO. – Ozark Center Turnaround Ranch hosted members of the Freeman Health System Auxiliary as a way to express appreciation for the Auxiliary’s Board’s recent $8,000 donation, which will be used to further beautify the Ranch property.
The donation comes right in time for some appealing finishing touches to the Ranch’s campus, which has been transformed by way of extensive renovations. Inside the Family Life Center building – where young residents and their families can spend quality time in a comfortable, family-room atmosphere – three new sofas, a large kitchen table and chairs, curtains and blinds now finish out the space.
Outside, meanwhile, shiny new park benches and a picnic table now afford Ranch residents and visitors a relaxing place to enjoy Ranch’s scenic duck pond – signs remind guests to please not feed the ducks.
“As a society, we owe whatever we can do to help young people to be successful,” said Jim Rhea, Freeman Auxiliary vice president and finance committee chair. “The opportunity to help kids here at Turnaround Ranch get the support they need to live a healthy productive life is a small thing we can do for the kids.”
Said Nathan Honeycutt, clinical director of Ozark Center Turnaround Ranch, “These contributions have provided a significant upgrade to the areas the kids and their families use during their visits. The families now have an environment that resembles their own homes and allows them to start the process of using the skills they learn in therapy sessions.”
Following the check presentation, Turnaround Ranch staffers treated Auxiliary members to guided golf cart tours throughout the campus, followed by a reception at the Family Life Center building.
Each year, Freeman volunteers raise money for the Auxiliary through Freeman Gift Galleries at Freeman West and Freeman Neosho Hospitals, raffles, sales, and various other events. Freeman Auxiliary also supports the purchase of hospital equipment, services, scholarships, and various community needs.
Located off West 20th Street, Turnaround Ranch cares for approximately 100 adolescents, ages 13 to 18, who are experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges. The overriding goal of this key Ozark Center program is to teach these young adults how to experience, regulate, and express their emotions in ways that are both socially and culturally acceptable, and to develop the skills they’ll need to live their lives to the fullest.
PHOTO CAPTION:
To express gratitude to the Freeman Health System Auxiliary Board for its recent $8,000 donation to Ozark Center Turnaround Ranch leaders hosted members of the Auxiliary at Turnaround Ranch in West Joplin. Money from the gift is being used specifically for furnishings inside the Ranch’s Family Life Center building and for outdoor seating near a pond. The event included a check presentation, golf cart tours of the property, and a reception.
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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 2025, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers and their experiences. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System one of the Best Hospitals for 2022. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 90 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services, women’s services, and many others for all of the Four State Area. Freeman is also involved in numerous community-based activities and sponsored events and celebrations. Additionally, in the Joplin/Pittsburg areas, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com
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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.
Reference:
Kevin McClintock
KSMcclintock@freemanhealth.com
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