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Barbara Galindo has dedicated herself to improving and revitalizing Residential Plaza at Blue Lagoon, the largest assisted living community in Florida.
As administrator of the community for 15 years, Galindo has made lasting changes there and has significantly and positively affected residents and staff members since joining the team, colleagues say.
In 2004, she launched a rental assistance program designed to create solutions for low-income older adults who need help meeting financial requirements for services. Her background in finance also allowed her to effectively reorganize the billing and cost system at the community, which resulted in Residential Plaza’s ability to expand and establish the first memory care program in Miami.
Galindo also developed and organized “Cuban Night for Alzheimer’s,” Residential Plaza’s signature annual fundraising event, which colleagues say has been extremely successful since its inception and continues to be a highlight of the calendar.
Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, Galindo has led her 100-person staff to enact safety initiatives to protect both residents and caregivers while keeping in mind the challenges of the community’s financial limitations. She also reinvented the wellness program at Residential Plaza to support people’s social and emotional needs.
Galindo’s innovative, creative problem-solving and commitment to the community impress staff members and residents daily, as evidenced by the countless strong relationships she has formed with the large team at Residential Plaza.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare, and the Roundtable Sponsor is Paycor.
