Located in Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit, multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.

Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 as a group practice with the mission of providing “Better care of the sick, investigation into their problems and further education of those who serve.” 

Each year thousands of patients travel to Cleveland Clinic from every state in the nation and more than 132 countries around the world. In 2011, Cleveland Clinic recorded 5.1 million patient visits. 

Cleveland Clinic serves the community by building partnerships with community members and providing numerous health and wellness programs including free health screenings and education. Cleveland Clinic is committed to serving its surrounding neighborhoods and helping people make positive health and wellness choices. In 2011, its community benefit contribution totaled $552.2 million, including $145.6 million in charity care.

A leading medical innovator, Cleveland Clinic counts among its major medical breakthroughs coronary artery bypass surgery, the first near-total face transplant in the United States and the discovery that bariatric surgery controls diabetes.

Cleveland Clinic health system includes eight community hospitals, 16 full-service family health centers, a children's hospital for rehabilitation and one affiliate hospital. Cleveland Clinic facilities can be found throughout Northeast Ohio, as well as in Florida, Nevada, Canada, and Abu Dhabi.

Today, with more than 1,400 beds on Cleveland Clinic main campus and 4,450 beds systemwide, Cleveland Clinic is one of the largest and most respected hospitals in the country. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals, and its heart and heart surgery program has been ranked No. 1 since 1995.

Cleveland Clinic

New Row

Contact expert @[Full Name](fullname), @[Job Title](job_title) at @[Organization](organization) for media, speaking, professional opportunities and more.

@[Full Name](fullname) at @[Organization](organization) | Contact Form

Expert Inquiry

Open Sans

Ohio University 

As Executive Director of Corporate Communications for Cleveland Clinic, one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States, Eileen Sheil oversees internal and external strategic communications, crisis and issues management and media relations, and serves as the chief spokesperson for the health system locally, nationally and internationally.

An expert in crisis communications, Ms. Sheil is a member of Cleveland Clinic’s executive leadership team. She is intimately involved in protecting and promoting the reputation of Cleveland Clinic and highlighting the clinical, institutional and business priorities of the organization. She also serves as a voting member of the Innovation Management & Conflict of Interest Committee.

In 2009, after President Barack Obama visited Cleveland Clinic, Ms. Sheil and her team developed an aggressive media strategy that positioned the organization as a model of healthcare for future. Those efforts and in-depth coverage brought Cleveland Clinic into an international spotlight and gained the health system the most extensive media coverage in its history. Media coverage is the leading source of national awareness to the general public and a key factor in driving patient volume to the hospital.

The Corporate Communications team also is responsible for employee communication, which drives employee engagement, behavioral and cultural changes, and leadership communication to all of Cleveland Clinic’s 42,000 employees.

Ms. Sheil has worked in communications for the past 22 years, mostly in healthcare. She has extensive experience in health policy, crisis communication and issues management. Prior to coming to Cleveland Clinic, she worked in Ohio for Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit HMOs, where she managed public affairs and media relations. She started her career in advertising at Glazen Advertising and moved to public and media relations at University Hospital’s Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland.

Ms. Sheil earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from Ohio University and a master's degree in public administration from Cleveland State University. She has served as a board member for The Providence House, volunteered for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and has served on committees for other nonprofits in the Cleveland community.

Communication Strategy

Working With the Media

Communication Ethics

Crisis Communications

Organizational Transparency

Cleveland Clinic Website

Cleveland Clinic Wellness Initiative - 2012

Media Training 2011

Conflict of Interest/Media - 2010

Emergency Preparedness Crisis Communication 2010

Face Transplant - 2009

Ms. Sheil shares how organizations can effectively work with the media and successfully communicate to both internal and external audiences during a crisis. She also discusses communication ethics and the benefits and challenges of communicating with transparency. Ms. Sheil’s presentation helps audience members prepare to communicate in a manner that resonates with others and inspires teams to be active partners in the process.

Executive Director, Corporate Communications

Hope for the City - Lenten Leadership Series - Eileen Sheil, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, Cleveland Clinic - March 14, 2012.

Select Inquiry Type