The Emily Program, a national leader in eating disorder specialty care and behavioral health services, today announced the launch of nasogastric (NG) tube services at its Anna Westin House (AWH) in Saint Paul and Anna Westin House West (AWHW) in Minneapolis. This expansion broadens recovery options to better serve people with eating disorders and underscores The Emily Program’s commitment to personalized and effective care.

“At The Emily Program, we continuously evaluate how to best meet the medical and nutritional needs of our patients. After careful clinical review, we are proud to add NG tube support for adults in these facilities,” said Dr. Mary Bretzman, Minnesota Regional Medical Director at The Emily Program. “This intervention makes it possible for our team of expert staff to treat patients’ medical and nutritional needs on-site, minimizing disruption of care and providing crucial stability.”

NG tubes can provide necessary intervention based on a patient’s individual medical and nutritional needs. While NG tube treatment is not needed for all eating disorder patients, timely intervention can be an important component of treatment for patients whose medical and nutritional needs warrant it.

“When an NG tube becomes necessary for the treatment and recovery, time is of the essence,” said Dawn Boettcher, Executive Director of Anna Westin House West. “Having this service available within our residential programs allows our teams to respond to our patients’ needs while minimizing disruption to the treatment and support they are already receiving.”

Both AWH and AWHW are 16-bed residential treatment programs for adults. AWH was the first eating disorder residential facility in Minnesota when it opened in 2002, and the programs have since helped expand access to specialized residential eating disorder care throughout the state.

“When we talk about expanding access to eating disorder care, that means more than simply opening additional treatment programs,” said Caleb Kaihoi, Executive Director of Anna Westin House. “It also means making sure our existing programs have the clinical capabilities and resources necessary to meet people where they are in their recovery. Bringing NG tube services to both of our adult residential programs is an important step in that continued evolution of care.”

About The Emily Program

The Emily Program is nationally recognized for its compassionate and evidence-based approach to eating disorder treatment. With locations across the country and robust virtual care options, The Emily Program provides accessible, expert care that addresses the physical, emotional, and social aspects of recovery. For more information about The Emily Program’s services, visit www.emilyprogram.com or call 1-888-272-0845.

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