News

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, September 18, 2023 – Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a rehabilitation-focused nonprofit healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, is pleased to announce that it has received a grant award of $7,500 from Connecticut Community Foundation. The generous donation from the Waterbury-based foundation will help fund high-quality bedside and group music therapy sessions for hundreds of Gaylord inpatients and outpatients recovering from life-altering neurological injuries and illnesses. “Music therapy has been shown to improve patients’ quality of life and make a difference in their physical, social, and psychological function,” explained Katie Butler, certified therapeutic recreation specialist.    

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, September 18, 2023 — Gaylord Specialty Healthcare today announced that it has been named a “Top Workplaces 2023” by Hearst Connecticut Media for the third consecutive year. The nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system ranked among large employers in Western Connecticut with more than 500 employees. Gaylord also received the region’s “Top Workplace Culture Excellence Award - Innovation,” which recognizes an organization that has embedded innovation into its culture and created an environment where new ideas come from all employees. Hearst Connecticut Media additionally named President and CEO Sonja LaBarbera as the winner of the region’s “Top Leader” award within the large employer category. 

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, September, 2023 - Patients recovering from life-altering illnesses and injuries will have the opportunity to gain essential mobility skills needed to be­­ independent after discharge in Gaylord Hospital’s new Rutledge Family Garden, a transformative and multi-functional outdoor rehabilitation courtyard. The innovative space was made possible with a lead grant from Greenwich-based Rutledge Family Foundation and additional funding from The Timken Foundation of Canton.     Spanning 5,700 square feet, the bi-level courtyard was designed by The Project Studio for Landscape Architect and Spatial Studies, Towers/Golde Landscape Architects and Site Planners, CAMA, and Redniss & Mead Civil Engineers with input from Gaylord therapy staff to ensure that construction met the...

Funding to support research on effect of vision loss on balance among concussion patients WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, July 18, 2023 – Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, announces that it has recently received a $30,000 grant from The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. The funding is part of a three-year, $90,000 cumulative grant to Gaylord’s Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation to learn about the effect of peripheral vision loss on balance among concussion patients. Conducted in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University, the study will inform and shape clinical best practices for treating this patient population. “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from the Community Foundation for...

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, July 18, 2023 - Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, has presented the National 2023 PHIL Award to Respiratory Care Practitioner and Southington resident Brittany Brown, BS, RRT. Brown, an eight-year Gaylord employee and a well-respected resource for the night shift, was nominated by a former patient who applauded her patient-first approach to care. "I was admitted on a ventilator and had a lot of questions and concerns,” the patient wrote, “but Brittany spent a lot of time patiently explaining everything. She gave me the courage and the reassurance to get through the process of ventilator weaning. Because of her care and

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, July 14, 2023 - Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, is pleased to announce that Naugatuck resident Laura Phipps has recently been recognized with the 2023 Distinction Winner Award from the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts Communicator Awards. The national award honors excellence in strategic, effective, and meaningful communication. Entries are evaluated by a prestigious global panel of industry-leading professionals. A 16-year Gaylord Specialty Healthcare employee, Laura was lauded for her exceptional work on the “Spirit of Gaylord” history book that was rewritten and redesigned to commemorate Gaylord’s 120th anniversary. This is Laura’s second Communicator Award; she received the honor in 2017...

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, May 12, 2023 — Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare organization headquartered in Wallingford, is pleased to announce that Seymour resident and nurse Emily Clifford, RN, BSN, was honored with the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing. One of Connecticut’s most prestigious nursing honors, the Nightingale Award annually recognizes nurses who go above and beyond the call of duty in various clinical and educational environments. Clifford cares for medically fragile patients at Gaylord Hospital who are recovering from life-altering illnesses and injuries. Her peers say that Clifford pours love into her practice and inspires everyone around her to do the same. “Emily is a dedicated nurse who provides compassionate care and is a role model to...

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, May 9, 2023 — Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system, is proud to announce that it is the first healthcare organization in the nation to use the Phagenyx® Neurostimulation System from Phagenesis, Ltd. to treat dysphagia among stroke patients. Dysphagia – or the difficulty or inability to swallow – affects millions worldwide and is a common diagnosis among adult patients at long-term acute care hospitals, including Gaylord Hospital. Dysphagia following stroke is most often caused by damage to the parts of the brain that control and coordinate swallowing and can lead to serious medical complications, including aspiration pneumonia. The device uses first-of-its-kind Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation (PES) technology to precisely target and...

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, February 23, 2023 — Patients with dysphagia in long-term acute care hospital settings may benefit from a Free Water Protocol, according to a new feasibility study by Gaylord Specialty Healthcare’s Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation that was published today in the journal Scientific Reports. Dysphagia – or the difficulty or inability to safely swallow – is a common diagnosis among adult patients in long-term acute care hospitals. Dysphagia can be caused by a number of factors, including neurological damage and disorders, intubation, radiation, and damage to the esophagus. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, dysphagia can lead to many serious consequences if not addressed, including aspiration pneumonia.