[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 91 (Tuesday, July 9, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1213-E1214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORS GAYLORD HOSPITAL AS THEY CELEBRATE THEIR 100TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 9, 2002

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, for one hundred years Gaylord Hospital of 
Wallingford has

[[Page E1214]]

provided care and comfort to those most in need. It is an honor for me 
to rise today to congratulate the Gaylord community, both past and 
present, on this very special occasion. As we celebrate its history it 
is easy to see what has made Gaylord such a success--the spirit of 
compassion and generosity which is at its core.
  At the turn of the 20th century, Connecticut faced a tuberculosis 
epidemic and was lacking a facility which specialized in the care and 
treatment of this devastating disease. Recognizing this rapidly 
increasing problem, the New Haven County Anti-Tuberculosis Association, 
which later became the Gaylord Farm Association, negotiated the 
purchase of the Gaylord Farm. This association, one of the first 
organized in the United States, quickly began to fulfill their mission 
to ``establish a non-profit sanatorium and hospital for the care and 
treatment of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis.''
  Under the leadership of the renowned Dr. David Russell Lyman, who was 
the first director of the hospital and served in that capacity for a 
full fifty years, Gaylord Hospital flourished, becoming internationally 
recognized for its work. Dr. Lyman, who himself has been stricken with 
tuberculosis in his first years as a practitioner, had developed his 
own personal crusade against the ``great white plague'' and used his 
determination and commitment to make Gaylord a success.
  In its earliest days, Gaylord Farm Sanatorium, as it was first named, 
was run almost solely by Dr. Lyman and head nurse, Florence Rudolph 
Burgess. Though its full capacity was only twenty-two beds, this was 
quite an undertaking. Over the next fifty years the efforts of Dr. 
Lyman and Mrs. Burgess culminated in the expansion of the campus from 
two hundred thirty-nine acres to six hundred, from six buildings to 
fifty-five, from a staff of two to one hundred fifty, and an increased 
bed capacity from twenty-two to one hundred forty-four. Even more 
importantly, more than six thousand people, including American 
playwright Eugene O'Neill, sought and received the medical care they 
needed and were restored to health. In fact, my father, Ted DeLauro was 
a patient there from the summer of 1942 to the early spring of 1943. It 
is this legacy of care and dedication that continues to live within the 
walls of Gaylord Hospital today.
  With the discovery of medications that stemmed the progress of 
tuberculosis, Gaylord turned its expertise to other forms of 
rehabilitation. Today, Gaylord is the premier rehabilitation center in 
Connecticut, well-known throughout the region. Continuing in its 
expanded mission, this private not-for-profit facility is making a 
difference in the lives of many--providing patients with the physical 
and emotional care they need to achieve their rehabilitation goals.
  While we, as a nation, have been faced with numerous problems 
concerning our health care system, it is important to recognize that 
our medical facilities have not lost sight of their original mission. 
As they celebrate their centennial anniversary, I am proud to stand 
today to pay tribute to Gaylord Hospital for their invaluable 
contributions to our community and to the millions of people whose 
lives have been touched by their care, compassion and dedication.

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