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November 13, 2023 / 2023 Connecticut's Healthcare Heroes Awards

2023 Healthcare Hero: Gaylord Specialty Healthcare

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, Exercise for Life (EX4), a program of Gaylord Physical Therapy, Cheshire Team Led By: Philip Silverio and Kimberly Hopkins Return to the honorees homepage  
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Winner Category | Advancement in Healthcare - Prevention

Noting a significant gap in community exercise resources available to individuals with paralysis and other physical disabilities, a team from Gaylord Physical Therapy, Cheshire, created Exercise for Life (EX4L), a free, high-intensity exercise program that has been shown to improve participants’ strength, function, and ultimately, their quality of life.

What have been the team’s significant contributions to the organization in the past year?

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare’s Exercise for Life program has empowered more than 50 individuals with varying physical capabilities to pursue their individual fitness goals and regain their independence. The program fosters strong social connections among participants, creating a sense of community that promotes inclusion and mutual support.

EX4L program leaders volunteer their own personal time to run and staff the program’s sessions on evenings and weekends, and have spent countless hours applying for funding to purchase adaptive exercise equipment to accommodate people of all abilities and to keep the program free to all participants.

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What are some major challenges the team had to overcome?

The pandemic disrupted in-person classes for our participants, many who were already dealing with social and emotional isolation due to their injuries.

At the height of COVID, we connected participants to virtual exercise classes. When in-person sessions resumed, safety measures were implemented, including additional classes, reduced-capacity classes and increased spacing.

What’s the team’s next major goal and/or challenge?

Our next major goal is growth. By increasing funding to hire staff to lead classes and integrating the existing program into the Gaylord Sports Association, the state’s largest adaptive sports program, we aim to enhance accessibility to the underserved population of individuals with physical disabilities across the state.

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