Darnell Whitaker
Executive Director
Darnell grew up in Hereford and ran hospital operations in Amarillo for twelve years before he decided he would rather know everybody's name. His office door is propped open with a cast-iron armadillo.
Our people
Meet our team
Eleven people you will see in the halls, plus the caregivers on every shift. Most of us grew up within an hour of here.
Our team
The folks who run the place
Keisha Morrow, RN
Director of Nursing
Keisha writes every care plan and is the person who calls you when something changes. Before Canyon Rim she was a home health nurse covering four Panhandle counties.
Lupe Cárdenas, LVN
Wellness Nurse
Lupe does the morning rounds, the blood pressures and the flu-shot clinic. She speaks Spanish and English and will gently out-stubborn anybody about drinking water.
Dr. Arjun Mehta, MD
Visiting Physician
Dr. Mehta leads the Amarillo house-call practice that sees residents here twice a month. Residents are welcome to keep their own doctors instead.
Marco Benavides
Executive Chef
Marco trained in Dallas, came home to Randall County, and now cooks for fifty-eight of the toughest critics in Texas. He takes requests and keeps a list.
Brandi Kessler
Life Enrichment Director
Brandi runs the calendar, the canyon van, the garden club and the bingo cage. She once got a ninety-one-year-old to try line dancing and has not stopped bragging.
Joanna Pruitt
Community Relations & Admissions
Joanna gives most of our tours and handles the paperwork that comes after. She will tell you plainly if we are not the right fit.
Gary Lindsey
Business Office Manager
Gary answers billing questions, long-term care insurance claims and VA paperwork. He keeps a pot of coffee on for anybody who comes in with a stack of forms.
Rosa Delgado, CMA
Lead Caregiver
Rosa has worked the day shift here since the doors opened in 2012. New caregivers shadow her for their first two weeks, and most of them say it was the best training they ever had.
Rick Ochoa
Facilities & Driver
Rick keeps the building running and drives the Thursday canyon van. He knows every overlook and every pothole on Highway 217.
Rev. Samuel Tate
Volunteer Chaplain
Pastor Tate leads a Wednesday Bible study, visits anyone who asks, and sits with families on hard days. All faiths and none are welcome at his table.
Sample family reviews
What families tell us
Daddy farmed wheat outside Happy for sixty years. He told me he'd never live anywhere he couldn't see the horizon. His window looks straight west, and he watches every sunset.
The Thursday canyon trip is the highlight of Mom's week. She calls me from the van to tell me what color the walls are that day.
They gave us the monthly price, the care-level price and the deposit, in writing, before we even sat down. No surprises since.
I came for a two-week respite while my daughter had surgery. I stayed. The dominoes crowd is too good to leave.
Keisha caught Dad's infection early because she noticed he skipped his coffee. That's how well they know him.
I live in Denver and worry constantly. Joanna sends me a photo of Mom at least once a week, usually holding a tomato.
My wife has some memory trouble and I don't. They found us a two-bedroom where we can still be together. That's all I wanted.
The chicken-fried steak is better than the café downtown. I've told the café that.
When Mom's money got tight, Gary sat down with us and walked through her husband's VA benefit. We hadn't known it existed.
Rosa was there the day Mom moved in and the day Mom passed. She came to the funeral. I won't forget that.
Dad was a mechanic. Rick lets him 'supervise' when the van needs work. Dad thinks he's on staff.
Come see the place. Stay for the chicken-fried steak.
Call or text Darnell and pick a time. Fridays are a good bet.