News

WALLINGFORD, CONN., July 31, 2023 — Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare organization headquartered in Wallingford, is pleased to announce that it has received a three-year, $69,000 grant from the Meriden-based Cuno Foundation.

Established in 1947, the Cuno Foundation supports area nonprofits for public, charitable or educational purposes.

The generous funding will support the implementation of Gaylord’s Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™ to successfully transition new nurse graduates into their professional practice through specialized onboarding, training, and professional development.

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, July 13, 2023 - Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, has named Yazmin Ortiz, RN, of Meriden as the Joseph A. Lindenmayer 2023 Employee of the Year.

A Gaylord Hospital employee since 2017, Ortiz is a unit nurse leader who was nominated by her nurse manager Jillian Mattson, BSN, CRRN.

Calling her “accountable, respectful, and courteous,” Mattson said that Ortiz “holds herself to high standards” and “always chooses to do the right thing, even when doing the right thing isn’t easy.”

Republican-American
Matt Tobin
June 25, 2023

WALLINGFORD – In 2019, Chelsea Michaud of Wolcott was in college studying to be a nurse when she began experiencing shortness of breath and paralysis from the waist down. Over…

NBC Connecticut
By Jolie Sherman
June 24, 2023

Hundreds of people braved the rain in Wallingford Saturday. Athletes of all abilities participated in what's known as the Gaylord Gauntlet, a 5K obstacle run that celebrates adaptive athletes. These are people who have experienced spinal cord injuries, amputations, strokes or other mobility impairments.

"Some of these adaptive athletes will be either paraplegic or quadriplegic and have certain different levels of strength in their arms. But they may require a wheelchair for parts of the course and their team is there to assist them get through the hard parts," said Steven Holland, race director and Chief Medical [Director] at Gaylord Hospital.

Hartford Courant
By Lori Riley
June 24, 2023

WALLINGFORD – Rome Leykin lost his prosthetic leg for the first time Saturday in the mud pit, the first obstacle at the Gaylord Gauntlet race.

As he started to clean the mud out the socket of the artificial limb, his friend, Malek Sabr, another bilateral above knee amputee, was still trying to get through the obstacle, his running blades dragging furrows in the mud as he pulled himself along with his arms.

The two friends continued together through the first few obstacles of the 5K race which runs through woods and fields of the Gaylord Hospital campus but Leykin struggled to keep his prosthetic legs attached on the rough terrain and over the obstacles. 

WFSB News Channel 3
By Susan Raff
June 20, 2023

Conn. (WFSB) - Athletes will be competing in the “Gaylord Gauntlet” to raise money for Gaylord Hospital this Saturday.

Close to 1,000 men and women will be competing in this year’s gauntlet – 22 are adaptive athletes.

Some say they are racing because they know how the hospital has helped them firsthand.

Cameron Senna was hit by a car riding his motorcycle. He had 20 major injuries and lost his right leg. Senna spent over a month at Gaylord Hospital.

He will be competing in an obstacle course to show himself and others what is possible.

“It’s about strengthening yourself and being a survivor,” said Senna.

CT Post
By Andy Tsubasa Field
June 18, 2023

SEYMOUR — Chris Pranger was rounding a curve on his motorcylce in October 2021, when he collided head-on with a car and lost his right leg. 

A nearby Seymour police officer saved his life by quickly applying tourniquets to stop bleeding from the missing limb, according to Gaylord Hospital where he did his therapy.

Now, less than two years later he will be among the nearly 1,000 people expected to take part in a 5K trail and obstacle course run this month. 

WTNH News Channel 8
By Rich Coppola
June 19, 2023

MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — While Korene Valano lost a leg to cancer, that hasn’t stopped her from continuing her education and career — and training to compete in triathlons.

She credits Gaylord with helping her get back on her feet.

“And, because of that, I am able to work full-time, be an athlete,” she said. “I went to medical school during my amputation, so I’m a physician in private practice.”

She was surprised with a check when the Great River Golf Club hosted the annual Gaylord Golf Classic on Monday in Milford.