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September 30, 2024 / 2024 Power 25 Health Care

2024 Power 25 Health Care: Sonja LaBarbera

Sonja LaBarbera
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Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a provider of rehabilitation services, has been undergoing a transformation under CEO Sonja LaBarbera.

In February, LaBarbera debuted the latest addition to the organization’s Wallingford campus: the Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation, which includes various hubs, such as a home for the state’s first physiatrist residency program.

It also includes The Center for Education, which combines advanced clinical education and training and professional development for Gaylord staff, peer institutions and medical professionals nationwide.

“We wanted to create a space here at Gaylord where our staff could come together with leaders from the community in biotech research, academia, our own research team, our own physiatry residents,” said LaBarbera of the new institute. “So we have the first residency program in the state of Connecticut for rehab physicians, where the nursing education, physician education and therapy education merges with cutting-edge research and technology.”

LaBarbera has led a multiyear, multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion at Gaylord, which includes a 137-bed hospital that provides rehabilitation services to patients who have experienced a variety of health situations, from accidents to strokes.

LaBarbera became the first woman to ever lead Gaylord when she stepped into the CEO post in early 2019. She started working at Gaylord in 2005, with her first role as director of inpatient therapy.

Her background is as a speech language pathologist, and she rose through the hospital ranks, serving as chief operating officer prior to her current role.

Gaylord has also expanded its footprint beyond Wallingford, with locations in Cheshire, Cromwell, Madison and North Haven.

In fiscal 2022, the not-for-profit Gaylord Hospital reported 1,141 employees, $92.3 million in revenue and a $1.8 million surplus, according to its 990 tax form.

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