She is the co-founder of AbleChild.org, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights of parents to be informed about the potential risks associated with psychiatric drugs prescribed to children and to ensure parents have access to all information to make informed decisions. Sheila has been recognized for her work in helping pass the first Federal Legislation regarding the prohibition of mandatory medication. This legislation is part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). Sheila has received 3 humanitarian Awards.
Sheila Gallo is an accomplished realtor. She has built a successful career in real estate, working in both Connecticut and Vero Beach, Florida. Her dual roles in advocacy and real estate demonstrate her commitment to serving her community in multiple capacities.
I see a need to ensure that all residents of Indian River County have access to high-quality healthcare services, and I would like to help ensure the well-being of our community when they seek and receive those services.
Patient satisfaction! We must address any shortcomings in the services that are currently being provided and the quality of those services. I would like to audit the Cleveland Clinic Ombudsman's patients' complaints and see if we can turn some of these complaints into action items for improvements. Currently, the district is reluctant to exercise oversight over Cleveland Clinic. That needs to change. Cleveland Clinic is accountable to the District and the District is accountable to the taxpayers.
Cleveland Clinic has the potential to be a focal point of why someone would select Vero Beach to make their home and to visit. The primary role of the district is to support Cleveland Clinic while ensuring accountability, specifically by improving services to meet patients' needs rather than simply approving decisions without scrutiny. I believe our structure provides an excellent foundation for collaborating with Cleveland Clinic on these necessary improvements.
Cleveland Clinic is bleeding out money; it isn't profitable and needs to be in order to sustain its presence. Doctors and Patients are unhappy. I believe that Cleveland Clinic needs to listen to suggestions and take into consideration that doctors are not happy. We need to attract the best and brightest and ensure that specialists want to be associated with the hospital. We need to see why these doctors are jumping ship and right the ship. That takes courage.
I believe that my background in testifying before the FDA while working on legislation across the country on Informed Consent enables me to communicate effectively on behalf of the consumer/patient to those who run our government and agencies. I am willing to listen to those whose voices are not reaching the ears of those in power. It is a passion of mine and believe it will benefit the community. I will bring a fresh perspective to an organization that could be serving the community better. I am a Realtor for One Sotheby's in Vero Beach and the Cofounder of AbleChild.org, a National 501(c)3 organization.
A fresh approach is needed on the Indian River Healthcare District Board to achieve the necessary change in culture.
My career started as an assistant to a scientist at Pepsi, where I learned to approach problems on a factual basis and see how scientific formulas are created, protected, and marketed. Each position along my path working for high-level executives gave me a broad scope of not only the economics of the marketplace, but also how to effectively communicate within it.
As the Cofounder of AbleChild.org over 23 years ago, I’ve had the opportunity to work with families across the Nation who have been voiceless regarding abuses within the mental health system, whether they sought treatment or were forced into it. This highly sensitive issue has allowed to work with those underserved and ignored and advocate on their behalf through powerful articles and actions that have reached the World Health Organization and lawmakers on both sides of the political landscape.
Today, this experience as an advocate on behalf of the voiceless, combined with my real estate background matching buyers and sellers to make deals that work for both to find housing, gives me the unique ability to work with just about anyone creatively and productively. My experience will help bridge the gap between a big hospital and a small-town community hospital. Cleveland Clinic is bleeding money. Patients and healthcare providers working for the hospital and independent health providers in Indian River County are dissatisfied.
A simple google search illustrates this. These are facts. Our community has too much invested in Cleveland Clinic to allow it to fail.
The candidate running against me has been involved with healthcare in our community for a long time. I thank her for her years of service. However, Einstein is reported to have said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
My opponent is on the board of the Senior Resource Association, Inc., which receives approximately $1.3 million in an annual grant from the Indian River Healthcare District. The conflicted of interest is blatant. I encourage you to review her response during our interview on the Treasure Coast Palm editorial board. It is always very important to listen to others and hear their own words.
I believe I have proven qualifications to bring accountability to the District Healthcare Board for both patients with means and those without, and for the future success of the hospital. But success needs to be measured in terms of patient outcomes and hospital performance.
My priority would be to assess shortcomings in patient satisfaction by working with the ombudsman’s office to identify patterns and track a pathway to better outcomes for patients without placing blame. Nurses are the link between the gifted and talented doctors and the lives they save. However, they can feel overwhelmed and overburdened by scheduling and a poor telephone and interoffice communication system. Examining employment turnover would be helpful as well.
One of the Board’s major objectives should be to help Cleveland Clinic retain nurses and attract doctors while supporting healthcare services in the community at large. The Board needs to measure itself by the solutions it comes up with that both help our community and the revenue needs of Cleveland Hospital. Community doctors outside of Cleveland Clinic should be welcomed in, which could add some revenue if done in a creative way.
Also, the Board needs to support programs with measurable outcomes for those in need. As a local community hospital, we need to provide services that people can rely on regardless of income and age. The good news is Vero Beach has many wonderful organizations that are not on the radar for support but can be. A large portion of our patients are 70 plus. An objective factual study on how the hospital provides services for the 70 plus demographic would be useful. The board should follow self audit recommendations for a roadmap to improvements.
As a long-time and experienced patient advocate who works on difficult subject material, I believe my proven ability to ask the difficult but needed question, “How can we improve this situation?” would be useful on the Board. I believe this ability can translate into helping Cleveland Clinic move toward financial stability while cultivating a community hospital that independently empowers nonprofits to present their programs and ideas to meet shortfalls in services to the underserved population with measurable outcomes.
Background and Experience
Sheila Gallo offers a wealth of experience, from leading real estate transactions to advocating for informed consent in healthcare. As a co-founder of the nonprofit AbleChild.org and a seasoned real estate professional in Connecticut and Florida, Sheila combines her advocacy skills with business acumen, making her a strong candidate for the Indian River County Hospital District Board.