Gaylord’s Lorraine Cullen Lauded by Quinnipiac Chamber

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-based healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut, is proud to announce that Senior Director of Clinical Services Lorraine Cullen, MS, RRT, RRT-ACCS, was honored with the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Achievement Award.

According to the Quinnipiac Chamber, the award is given to women leaders who have “exhibited exceptional business or community leadership skills, noteworthy results and are an active participant in business or community organizations.”

Cullen was recognized in the program’s first-ever excellence in healthcare category. The Berlin resident was nominated by her peers who called her a “champion” for eagerly taking on any challenge that will improve patient-centered care.

“We are very fortunate to have her as part of our team,” said Peter Grevelding, PT, MSPT, NCS, Vice President of Clinical Operations.

“She quietly organizes and achieves success in even the most complex endeavors. She is very well-respected within the organization and we are all better because of her continual growth as a leader. I am very proud of her and even more excited to see what she will accomplish in the future.”

Cullen is responsible for developing and managing the continuity of patient care, programs, and research and growth strategies across Gaylord’s service lines. A respiratory therapist by trade, she oversees both the respiratory therapy and radiology departments. Under her leadership, she helped Gaylord achieve its highest-ever vent-weaning rate last fiscal year.

She staunchly believes in the power of research to affect positive outcomes for patients. She is a key operational member of Gaylord’s newly opened Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation and is chair of the Gaylord Institutional Review Board which approves, reviews and audits Gaylord’s research projects.

Her contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic have been invaluable. Keeping staff safe as they treated others with a respiratory-borne illness was her top priority, a daunting task given the constantly-evolving situation.

Cullen is instrumental in the time- and labor-intensive preparation of Gaylord’s successful CARF reaccreditation process which has earned the institution a unique set of accreditations held by only a handful in the world. She successfully manages and continues to develop the inpatient telehealth program and is currently developing the Office of Integrative Medicine, a new collaboration for wellness and holistic care for patients and staff alike.

During the online awards ceremony, Cullen urged other women leaders to “dare to take chances” and “keep your eyes open for opportunity”.

“Because of the chances I took in my career, I find myself doing things that I never dreamed of doing,” she said.

“I am humbled to be recognized by my colleagues and the Quinnipiac Chamber for something I am truly passionate about: helping people regain their lives after catastrophic injury or illness.”

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. Together, these entities deliver a complete continuum of rehab care driven by technology, research, clinical experience, and human compassion. For more information visit www.gaylord.org.

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