Cuno Foundation Awards $65,000 Grant to Gaylord Speciatly Healthcare

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare organization headquartered in Wallingford, is pleased to announce that it has received a three-year, $69,000 grant from the Meriden-based Cuno Foundation.

Established in 1947, the Cuno Foundation supports area nonprofits for public, charitable or educational purposes.

The generous funding will support the implementation of Gaylord’s Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™ to successfully transition new nurse graduates into their professional practice through specialized onboarding, training, and professional development.

According to Lisa Kalafus, MSN, BSN, RN, the new program will improve decision-making skills, enhance clinical skills, promote nursing leadership, and encourage evidence-based research.
“The Nurse Residency Program will help support our new graduate RN and LPNs through the first twelve months of their careers to ensure they are equipped with the skills they need to provide high-quality patient care to our complex patient population,” said Kalafus.

“Gaylord patients recovering from a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, or other medically complex conditions stay in our care for weeks or even months. New nurses caring for this patient population need additional interpersonal communication skills and patient safety knowledge,” she continued.

“We are deeply appreciative of the Cuno Foundation’s generous grant. The skills developed through our Nurse Residency Program will enhance our nurses’ ability to address issues that impact patient care and clinical outcomes. We want to ensure that our new nurses are supported throughout their transition from academia to practice and are enjoying their nursing careers for years to come.”

About the Cuno Foundation:
Charles H. Cuno founded the Cuno Engineering Corporation in 1912 and became one of Meriden's best known industrialists and most generous philanthropists. He was closely connected with the Meriden Boys Club, now known as the Joseph F. Coffey Boys and Girls Club, which named its summer camp at Beaver Pond in honor of Charles H. Cuno and his family. The Cuno Foundation was established in 1947 by Charles H. Cuno. The Cuno Foundation oversees disbursement for three trust funds: The main Cuno Foundation Fund (Cuno Fund), the Frank Davella Educational Fund (Davella Fund), and the Cheshire Fire Department—William Grove II Memorial Scholarship Fund (Grove Fund). https://www.cunofoundation.org/the-foundation/

About Gaylord Specialty Healthcare:
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a rehabilitation-focused, nonprofit health system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut 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.