Sonja LaBarbera, president and CEO of Gaylord Specialty Healthcare since January 2019, leads Connecticut’s largest nonprofit rehabilitation system and became its first female CEO.
She began her career at Gaylord in 2005 as director of inpatient therapy and later served as chief operating officer before assuming her current role. Her academic background includes a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Quinnipiac University and a master’s in speech-language pathology from SUNY Fredonia. She is a speech-language pathologist by training.
In February 2024, LaBarbera oversaw the unveiling of the Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation on Gaylord’s Wallingford campus — a 10,000-square-foot, $4.4 million facility housing five program hubs: an education and training center, the Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation, a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency, an integrative medicine office, and a sanctuary chapel.
In mid-2025, Gaylord received “Great Place to Work” certification for the fifth straight year; more than 88% of its employees rated the organization favorably, well above the national benchmark.
LaBarbera also joined the board of trustees of the Legacy Theatre in Branford in early 2024, and holds leadership roles in several professional associations, including the National Association of Long-Term Hospitals and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
In fiscal 2024, Gaylord Hospital reported $99.7 million in revenue and a $2.3 million surplus, according to its consolidated financial statement.