Gaylord Specialty Healthcare Names Allen Abayao as DAISY Nursing Award Recipient

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, March 13, 2024 - Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare systems, presented its quarterly DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses to Wallingford resident Allen Abayao, RN, BSN, MPA, LLB.

A Gaylord employee for eight years, Abayao was nominated by colleagues who described him as “a silent hero” and a well-known expert in caring for patients with traumatic brain injuries.

“He has a unique way of approaching this complex patient population and the most challenging situations with his calm manner,” wrote his peers.

“Allen is a true professional and keeps his patients at the center of all he does. He is an extraordinary nurse who is always there to support team members and our patients.”

“I am honored to be a DAISY Award recipient,” he said. “I am so thankful to be recognized by my own colleagues who help me every day.”

Abayao said that he is driven to learn “new ways of caring for patients, especially those who are in pain, in despair, or are confused.”

“I love to contribute the little things that make a big difference in my patients’ lives.”

About the DAISY Award:
The international award was created by the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died from an autoimmune disease in 1999. Appreciative of the clinical skills, caring, and compassion exhibited by each of the nurses who cared for Patrick, the Barnes family
created the international award and foundation to say ‘thank you’ to nurses throughout the world.

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.