COM Outlook Summer/Fall 2019

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 35 I experienced such soul healing whenever I had the opportunity to sit near a creek, listen to the water run over the rocks, dig in the dirt to plant flowers and fruit trees, or hike the mountain in my backyard,” she explained. “I wanted to share this emotional resto- ration with colleagues who are suffering extreme work-related stress.” In 2017, while visiting various locations that would serve as the perfect spot to raise their children and offer solace and serenity to her work-weary peers, the Moodys found the ideal 75-acre parcel of land in northwest Washington, just outside Mount Rainier National Park. “We searched for a place with an airport within easy driving distance. On the must- have list were a creek with the water-over-rocks sound, open green spaces, and mountains, as well as an abundance of beautiful forests and hiking trails. We found paradise,” she admitted. WELLNESS RANCH BRINGS BLISS Signing the purchase papers for what would soon become Glacier Rock Wellness Ranch allowed Moody to finally smooth over the remaining emotional potholes naysayers had placed in her path and offer fellow physicians respite on the expansive property. “The ranch is a destination for physicians to come together and share the joys and challenges of practic- ing medicine. We support one another for healing, education, and inspiration. It’s a place to play, to laugh, to relax, and to challenge one another to find creative solutions in today’s health care climate,” she explained. “We leave behind the stresses of everyday life to hike through the woods, sit by the glacier-fed creek and river, share stories around a bonfire, and so much more,” added Moody, who works full-time in the emergency department at Capital Medical Center, as does her husband. “The ranch provides physicians with the time and space they need to reflect on who they are and why they decided to dedicate their lives to practicing medicine in the first place.” The wellness ranch, which offers a range of membership options, currently has more than 400 members from throughout the United States and Canada. Members have 24/7 access to the private ranch for camping, hiking, and spending time with their family or other physician members. “We also have an outdoor venue for physicians to utilize for their group retreats or continuing medical education (CME) conferences,” said Moody of the ranch, which hosted its inaugural CME event called Docs in the Wild in June. “We have glamping pods on the river, a cottage, a pavilion, a large covered arena, and a 20-stall barn I plan to renovate into sleeping rooms, plus an open venue for barn dances, weddings, and other events.” Moody is the first to admit that her life has been anything but conventional or easy. Through it all, however, she endured, emerging as a true portrait in perseverance thanks to the support of her husband and children. “Our lives were, and continue to be, filled with love, risk, uncertainty, and emotional exposure,” she said. “Matt and I had the courage to trust our hearts, to trust each other, and to know we were strong and resource- ful enough to figure things out as they unfolded. We have each other’s back—and always will.” o FAST FACTS K KAY MOODY, D.O., M.P.H., FACEP Hometown • Texarkana, Arkansas Professional • board certified in emergency medicine • emergency medicine physician at Capital Medical Center in Olympia, Washington • former president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Tennessee Chapter • founder and CEO of Glacier Rock Wellness Ranch Residency Training • emergency medicine residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Personal • married to class of 2007 KPCOM alumnus Matt Moody, D.O. • mother to Lorenz, 31; Dillon, 29; Dustin, 27; Grace, 13; and Faith, 11 Most Extraordinary Occurrence “The first time I made straight A’s in ninth grade was a game changer for me. It sounds like no big deal, but for me, it changed the way I felt about myself. Until then, I did not consider myself to be a smart kid. My parents divorced when I was in middle school, and I watched my mom work a minimum-wage job while we lived in poverty. I promised myself I would not repeat history, and I decided that education was my ticket out of poverty.”