About Gaylord
A health system focused on medical rehabilitation
Gaylord’s reputation originates with Gaylord Hospital, where our work in spinal cord injury, stroke, TBI, pulmonary care, and complex medical care is well recognized.
Gaylord serves a mix of local, regional, national, and international patients
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a health system dedicated exclusively to medical rehabilitation. We provide inpatient and outpatient care for people at every point in their journey from illness or injury to the most advanced state of recovery they can achieve.
We strive to maximize functional independence for every level of care
To enhance health, maximize function and transform lives.
To become a nationally recognized leader in optimizing outcomes in rehabilitative,
regenerative, and complex medical care.
Patient-centered care is achieved with a culture that embraces these values: Innovation. Teamwork. Inclusion. Safety. Integrity. Compassion. Accountability. Respect. Excellence.
Inpatient, outpatient and residential offerings provide multiple levels of care for different types of patients
Inpatient: Medically Complex
We specialize in patients who are critically ill or have multiple diagnoses and need specialized daily physician and nursing care to recover. Patients are admitted directly from an acute care hospital's ICU and present with various diseases or conditions, such as pulmonary complications, sepsis, heart failure, arrhythmias, post-surgical complications, and complex wounds. Our physicians are board-eligible or board-certified in various specialties, including critical care, internal medicine, pulmonology, physical medicine and rehabilitation. Many of our nurses are certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and some are certified as Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses (CRRN).
Inpatient: Intensive Rehabilitation
Gaylord Hospital has programs designed and staffed to treat and rehabilitate patients with brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, and neurological diagnoses. Our clinical staff, led by physicians known for their skill in rehabilitation, work in teams that focus on returning each patient to their highest level of function while involving family support. Further, Gaylord features all-private patient rooms, a 12,500 sq ft therapy gym, a large therapeutic pool, and the latest technologies to improve functional outcomes.
Outpatient Services
With nearly 30 programs, Gaylord Outpatient Services supports 9,000 patients annually to continue their recovery outside the hospital. Doctor-led care teams provide ongoing neurological rehabilitation (stroke, concussion, brain injury, and spinal cord injury), pulmonary rehabilitation, long-term COVID-19 therapy, aphasia therapy, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, aquatic therapy, and adaptive sports. Gaylord also offers a comprehensive Concussion Clinic, Neuropsychology, wheelchair assessment services, and on-site orthotics and prosthetics clinic.
Orthopedic and Sports Medicine PT
Gaylord PT focuses on orthopedic rehabilitation involving muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. We provide every patient with targeted, individualized plans based on their personalized goals. We employ leading technologies and proven techniques to accelerate the patient's recovery of motion and function to the highest level possible. We are conveniently located in Cheshire, Cromwell, Madison, North Haven, and Wallingford, Connecticut. Note: No physician referral is needed to schedule a physical therapy appointment. Direct Access allows patients to schedule up to six physical therapy appointments without a doctor's referral for most insurance.
Residential Program
The Louis D. Traurig House is Connecticut's only transitional living center for people with acquired brain injury. When a patient has completed inpatient rehabilitation yet has lingering language, physical, or cognitive impairment, the eight-bed, co-ed house provides an educational bridge to ease the patient from the hospital to home. Residents learn independent living skills together and attend outpatient therapy on our Wallingford campus. They go home on weekends to practice their skills and return to Traurig House during the week to prepare for a triumphant and permanent return to their community.
Gaylord's evolution and history
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare was founded in 1902 as a tuberculosis sanatorium and provided long-term treatment during the 50 years when the disease was endemic. Gaylord's expertise was recognized nationwide, becoming a destination for care. Many well-known individuals took advantage of its services, including playwright Eugene O'Neill. In the 1950s, Gaylord turned its expertise to other forms of rehabilitation, beginning with chronic pulmonary disorders, stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury. It quickly established itself as the state's premier long-term acute care hospital.
Our work today is focused on building and strengthening the organization. In 2020, we launched the Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation, a hub for accelerating rehabilitative research in 2021. The Gaylord Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program — a joint program with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Hartford Hospital — was created to educate the next generation of rehabilitation doctors in Connecticut and beyond. The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Academy was developed in 2022 as a new strategy to address the pressing need for nursing assistants at the bedside. Initiatives like these ensure Gaylord is at the forefront of rehabilitative care.
A restorative, healing environment for our patients and families
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is located in Wallingford, Connecticut, on a beautiful 400-acre campus thoughtfully designed campus surrounding patients with a therapeutic experience that includes expansive green spaces, walking paths, sports and aquatic facilities, and even a greenhouse. All of our rooms are private and each room has a view of either the lush countryside or one of our landscaped courtyards.
Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion Committee
The Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion Committee, also known as the DEBI Committee was created to provide education, insight, counsel, and assistance. Its diverse employee membership assures a wide variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences are shared with the organization. This collaboration helps Gaylord achieve its goal of providing compassionate, cross-cultural care while creating a work environment where all community members feel secure, welcomed, and heard.
Meet our
President & CEO Sonja A. LaBarbera,
the senior management team,
and Board of Directors
Watch our patient stories to learn about their recovery at Gaylord
Measuring Gaylord's Performance & Outcomes
Our Community Health Needs Assessments & Implementation Plans
We use the latest technology to advance your recovery
Where you choose to receive care can make all the difference. Gaylord offers an extraordinary range of technologies and patient services, all based on the latest research and best practices.