WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, July 1, 2026 — Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, one of the nation's leading rehabilitation-focused healthcare systems, is pleased to welcome Jennifer Russo, MD, as Medical Director of its Inpatient Acquired Brain Injury Service.
Dr. Russo will lead the interdisciplinary care of patients recovering from traumatic brain injuries, stroke, and other acquired brain injuries, while helping to advance Gaylord's nationally recognized brain injury rehabilitation program.
Dr. Russo joins Gaylord from Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, where she served as Associate Program Director of the Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship, assistant professor and core faculty member for the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program, and Clinical Chief of Brain Injury Services. She specializes in brain injury medicine, with particular expertise in the care of patients with disorders of consciousness following severe brain injury.
“We are very excited to have Dr. Russo join our Acquired Brain Injury team. She is an outstanding clinician with a deep commitment to advancing brain injury rehabilitation,” said Dr. Michael Ivy, Chief Medical Officer.
"Her national reputation for caring for patients with the most complex neurological conditions, combined with her passion for research and education, will further strengthen Gaylord's ability to deliver the highest level of specialized rehabilitation to our patients."
"I was drawn to Gaylord because of its longstanding reputation for excellence in rehabilitation and its collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to patient care," said Dr. Russo. "I'm excited to join a team that is deeply committed to helping patients and families navigate recovery after brain injury and to advancing the field through innovation, research and compassionate care."
Dr. Russo's clinical and academic interests include disorders of consciousness, an emerging area of brain injury medicine focused on identifying signs of awareness in patients with severe brain injuries. Her work explores how advanced technologies can help identify patients with "covert consciousness”, individuals who may appear unresponsive during a bedside examination but are able to demonstrate awareness through specialized testing. Her research and national presentations have focused on improving the identification of these patients and translating emerging science into rehabilitation practices that can improve diagnosis, guide treatment, and maximize recovery.
Dr. Russo earned her bachelor's degree in Theater Performance from New York University Tisch School of the Arts before completing an accelerated post-baccalaureate premedical program at Columbia University. She received her medical degree from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, followed by a general surgery internship at North Shore/Long Island Jewish Hospital. She completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and a fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Rusk Rehabilitation.
About Gaylord Specialty Healthcare:
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a rehabilitation-focused, nonprofit health system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut 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.