For Immediate Release:
Contact: Joy Savulak
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, Public Relations
(203) 586-9417 | jsavulak@gaylord.org
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare Launches Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation
$4.4M Collaborative Hub at Gaylord Hospital to Revolutionize
Rehabilitation Research, Innovation, and Education
WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, February 9, 2024 – Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare systems, today opened its new Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation.
Housed within the Jackson Pavilion of Gaylord Hospital, the 10,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art $4.4 million Institute will serve as a cornerstone of rehabilitation medicine advancements and as a destination for training and education for Gaylord staff and medical professionals throughout the country.
The project launched in 2022 with the announcement of $1.2 million in community project funding – championed by Senator Richard Blumenthal and supported by Senator Chris Murphy and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro – to create a new space for Gaylord’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program. Lead gifts from Linda Morasutti and Robert E. Lee, The Rutledge Family Foundation, The Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, The Werth Family Foundation, the Lyons family, and support from other community donors completed the project.
“Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is taking its world-class reputation to the next level with the creation of a new rehabilitation research, training, and education institute — proving Connecticut leads the way when it comes to healthcare innovation. I am proud to have championed $1.2 million in federal funding to make this institute a reality and I will keep fighting for federal funds to support Connecticut’s non-profit health care providers,” Blumenthal said.
The Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation is comprised of five distinct hubs, including The Center for Education, The Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation, the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency program, the Office of Integrative Medicine, and the Hope Chapel. The hubs are connected by interdisciplinary meeting areas and work spaces for visiting faculty, researchers, and other community collaborators.
The Center for Education
The Center for Education combines advanced clinical education and training and professional development opportunities for members of the Gaylord community, peer institutions, and medical professionals nationwide. The Center for Education encompasses:
- The Linda Morasutti and Robert Lee Nursing Education and Simulation Suite, a state-of-the-art space designed for clinical education and simulation training with high-fidelity manikins. The Suite offers a safe place for staff to continuously hone their clinical skills and for students from Gaylord’s academic partners to partner with the Gaylord nursing education team to learn skills critical to caring for patients with complex medical needs. The Suite also supports Gaylord Hospital’s nurse residency program which immerses newly graduated RNs and LPNs in a robust curriculum during their first year of employment.
- The Center for Clinical Education and Training, an online learning system offering on-demand webinars, lectures, certification classes, and continuing education units on rehabilitation medicine to medical professionals throughout the country.
- The Gaylord CNA Academy prepares students to take the Connecticut CNA certification exam while learning advanced skills to care for Gaylord Hospital’s medically complex patient population. Upon completing the Academy, students may be eligible for immediate employment at Gaylord Hospital.
The Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation
The Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation works closely with Gaylord’s interdisciplinary clinical teams who are experts in the treatment and rehabilitation of brain and spinal cord injuries, complex strokes, amputations, and pulmonary disease.
The Milne Institute provides a collaborative environment for Gaylord’s clinicians to work with the Institute’s dedicated staff to conduct rehabilitation research, develop new evidence-based practices, integrate state-of-the-art applied technologies into clinical practice, and partner with corporations and foundations to conduct data-driven research with the potential to change lives worldwide.
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program
Created in partnership with UConn School of Medicine and Hartford Healthcare, Gaylord’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program is the first in Connecticut and one of only 100 in the country.
The program will tremendously impact the health and quality of life of Connecticut residents and the aging national population by helping to fill the shortage of physiatrists to address the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders that produce temporary or permanent functional impairment. The four-year program will accommodate four residents per year, for a total of 16 residents. The first class of residents commenced rotations at Gaylord Hospital in June 2023.
The Office of Integrative Medicine
The Office of Integrative Medicine offers therapies focusing on wellness, empowerment, and quality of life for patients and staff. From Reiki and massage to music therapy and mindfulness, the programs are donor-funded and complement Gaylord’s clinical expertise by supporting the whole person – mind, body, and spirit.
The Hope Chapel
Adjacent to the Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation, the Hope Chapel is an inclusive sanctuary for individuals of all faiths. The Chapel fosters connections among patients, families, and staff by providing a tranquil space for spiritual well-being and weekly interdenominational services.
“This is a transformative milestone in Gaylord’s history,” explained President and CEO Sonja LaBarbera.
“For over 120 years, people have turned to Gaylord with the confidence that our team of doctors, therapists, clinicians, and researchers will push the boundaries of what’s possible to offer the best chance of regaining their function and enhance their quality of life. The Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation reinforces this legacy.”
“By charting the course for patient care and rehabilitation, we are not just driving the future of discoveries but also shaping the education of the individuals who will steer the course of recovery. This initiative aligns with our culture of innovation and excellence and solidifies Gaylord’s position as a cornerstone for rehabilitative medicine advancements nationwide."
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. 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. Learn more at www.gaylord.org.
###
