$12,000 Grant Supports Patient and Staff Safety at Gaylord Hospital
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WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, October 27, 2026 – Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, announces that it has received a $12,000 grant from the Katharine Matthies Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.
Established in 1987 as the legacy of lifelong Seymour resident Katharine Matthies, the Foundation supports education, health, and human services for residents of the lower Naugatuck Valley.
The grant will help Gaylord Hospital purchase two sit-to-stand lifts with slings to support safe patient transfers. The equipment helps patients with limited mobility move between beds, chairs, and toilets with greater stability, reducing the risk of falls and related injuries.
The equipment will also support early mobility and rehabilitation for patients recovering from illness or injury by allowing them to practice standing and transferring with assistance. These movements can help patients maintain or improve strength, balance, and mobility while promoting greater independence in daily activities.
The lifts will additionally reduce the physical strain associated with manually assisting patients during transfers, lowering the risk of workplace injuries for nurses and rehabilitation staff.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Katharine Matthies Foundation for this generous support,” says Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Kalafus, DNP, RN, CENP. “With more than 40 percent of our inpatient population expected to benefit from this equipment, these lifts will help us provide safer transfers, support patients’ mobility and recovery, and reduce the risk of injury to our staff.”
About Gaylord Specialty Healthcare:
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a rehabilitation-focused, nonprofit health system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut that provides inpatient and outpatient care for people at every point in their journey from illness or injury to maximum recovery.
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is anchored by Gaylord Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital, and includes Gaylord Outpatient Services and Gaylord Physical Therapy for patients who require diagnosis and treatment on an outpatient basis. Gaylord's Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation is a hub for accelerating world-class rehabilitative research, technology development and innovation to improve the quality of life and function of people around the world. Together, these entities deliver a complete continuum of rehabilitative care driven by clinical experience, innovation and human compassion.