Portland Resident Named Gaylord Employee of the Year

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, announced that Portland resident Jillian Cacopardo, PT, ATP/SMS, has been named the Joseph A. Lindenmayer 2022 Employee of the Year.

A Gaylord employee since 2003, Cacopardo is an outpatient physical therapist and the Gaylord wheelchair program coordinator.

Cacopardo was nominated by a patient’s family member who wrote, “Jillian has taken care of my son several times and every time she proves to be brilliant in her field. She listens and connects with my son and goes above and beyond to assure that he can accomplish a comfortable space in his chair. Though he is immobile and can barely speak, Jillian takes all the time she needs to provide exceptional care accompanied by a few humorous moments.”

“As a result of her knowledge and professionalism, we can trust that my son is getting the best possible care at Gaylord.”

Supervisor, Jacob Hunter, said that Cacopardo is Gaylord’s resident expert for all wheelchair and adaptive mobility needs and is one of the most highly credentialed seating and mobility specialists in the region.

“Jill is hyper-focused on getting every patient exactly what is needed and does not settle for anything less. She fights for her patients without exception to make sure the appropriate equipment they need for a better and healthier quality of life is approved by insurance,” he said.

“She is one of the hardest workers I know … and one of the most compassionate for our patients,” he continued. “She is truly an asset and personifies the reputation that Gaylord is so well known for.”

Hunter noted that Cacopardo is frequently published in national news outlets such as Rehab Management Magazine and Directions Magazine. She is also a member of the Assistive Technology Committee, a member of the National Clinician Task Force, and is on the clinical advisory board of Sunrise Medical.

Calling the award an honor, Cacopardo said, “The personal connections I have made with patients have really humbled me and have made me feel so fortunate to work at Gaylord for so long.”

The annual award was established in 1992 by the grateful family of Joseph A. Lindenmayer, a former Gaylord patient. According to his daughter, Josephine L. Gierer, the award acknowledges the immense kindness that Gaylord employees had shown to her father throughout his care. Cacopardo is the 31st recipient of the award since its inception.

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.

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