BrightStar Care News

BrightStar Care Recognizes National Nurses and Caregivers of the Year, Franchisee of the Year, and Rookie of the Year Winners at its 2022 Annual Conference

November 10, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // GURNEE, Illinois - BrightStar Care celebrated milestones and commemorated achievements at its 2022 Annual Conference. The conference was held in Henderson, Nevada at the M Resort from October 25-27 and featured content-rich sessions, presentations, and more. BrightStar Care also honored the winners of its annual Nurse of the Year and Caregiver of the Year awards and its Franchisee of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

This year’s Nurse and Caregiver of the Year award presentation came as a heartwarming surprise, as BrightStar Care CEO and Founder Shelly Sun recognized all eight regional honorees as national winners, granting each recipient a $5,000 reward. BrightStar Care’s nurses and caregivers are the heart and soul of the company, and it is extremely impo…

Third-Party Data Study Released by BrightStar Care Reveals the Importance of Personal Care Services and Delivering High-Quality Care in Medicare Advantage Plans

October 27, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // GURNEE, Ill. - BrightStar Care released key findings today from a Medicare Advantage study conducted by Russell Research. The data study measured insights from Medicare Advantage enrollees and their utilization of their personal care services benefit.

The study showed that 88% of respondents would be more likely to choose a Medicare Advantage plan that offers a larger number of personal care hours. These findings reinforce research from Moving Health Home, which found that 73% of adults support receiving care in their homes and are confident in the quality of care they receive in the home.

The vast majority of respondents feel it is extremely important that their chosen personal care agency accept their Medicare Advantage benefit. In fact,…

October 17, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // WASHINGTON, DC - The International Franchise Association (IFA) announced several BrightStar Care team members as recipients of its first-ever Open for Opportunity Awards, given during the IFA Annual Leadership Summit and Franchise Action Network Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Shelly Sun: Founder and CEO of BrightStar CareAndri Purkanto: Franchisee, BrightStar Care of Baltimore CityDan Price: Franchisee, BrightStar Care of Leesburg Shelly Sun received the IFA Open for Opportunity Award for being a longtime supporter and major donor of the Open for Opportunity platform and other IFA programs. Sun is also dedicated and displays the four pillars of the Open for Opportunity campaign through her work as a franchise executive.

Recipients Andri Purkanto and Dan Price were selected for their outstanding work as speakers during two Open for Opportunity Roadshows in August 2022. Purkanto was a panelist at the Ma…

October 20, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // GURNEE, Ill. - BrightStar Care announced today the acquisition of four new BrightStar Owned (BSO) locations. The latest four locations added to the BrightStar Owned umbrella are located in Arizona and South Carolina.

BrightStar Owned acquired these four locations from former BrightStar Care franchisees Andy Ray and Frank Sanders. Ray’s former offices are in Gilbert and Mesa Arizona, and Sanders in Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina. These acquisitions showcase how the BrightStar Owned program complements the franchise network so well. Ray recently shifted from franchise owner to Chief Operating Officer of BrightStar Care in this case. Sanders was able to sell his location to focus on other business ventures and aspects of his life.

“Ray and Sanders’ agencies truly delivered a higher standard of care within their communities and will be valuable additions to Brigh…

After Successfully Operating Two BrightStar Care Franchises and Contributing to the Overall Growth of the Brand, Andrew Ray Promoted to the C-Suite

GURNEE, ILL // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // October 03, 2022 - BrightStar Care announced that Andrew (Andy) Ray has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. After successfully operating two of his own BrightStar Care agencies in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona, he is taking the next step in his career by entering the BrightStar Care C-Suite. Ray will assume the position of Chief Operating Officer beginning October 17, 2022.

As COO, Ray will have direct oversight of BrightStar Care’s enterprise revenues, unit growth, enterprise EBITDA and franchisee profitability to drive the company forward. Ray will also support operations by leading the brand’s Field Support Coaches who provide resources and support to the robust network of franchisees. Ray will also leverage key learnings from the BrightStar Owned program to sca…

September 08, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // GURNEE, Ill. - BrightStar Care revealed today that it made the annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment - its independent businesses. BrightStar Care ranked No. 4718 on the Inc. 5000 list and had three-year revenue growth of 89%, according to Inc.

“BrightStar Care has held a steady presence on Inc.’s 5000 List for over a decade. We’re honored to achieve this prestigious recognition,” said Shelly Sun, CEO and Founder of BrightStar Care. “This year, we’re celebrating 20 years of BrightStar Care, and this award is a testament to how well we’ve adapted and pivoted over the years to stay ahead of industry trends, challenges and maintain our success.”

The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful but have also demonstra…

The Home Care Franchise Expands its Company-Owned Operations

August 25, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // GURNEE, Ill. - BrightStar Care announced today that it is acquiring eight BrightStar Care locations from its franchisee David Strassburg. The eight agencies are located throughout Alabama and Florida. They will now operate as BrightStar Owned agencies, making it the largest BrightStar Owned acquisition since the brand launched the program in February 2022.

BrightStar Care created BrightStar Owned to expand the brand’s corporate-owned footprint and utilize these agencies as testing sites for new technologies and processes to advance its franchised locations. BrightStar Owned agencies will also pilot new payer and reimbursement models and accept Medicare Advantage plans and other key national account referrals as part of its business model. This is particularly important because the health care ecosystem is rapidly changing in a direction where Medic…

May 17, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // GURNEE, Ill. - BrightStar Care was awarded The Joint Commission's 2022 Enterprise Champion for Quality Award for the tenth consecutive year, reinforcing the brand's devotion to the highest standards of quality and safety in home health care.

BrightStar Care is the only home care organization to achieve this title for the last decade, with more than 95 percent of its independently owned and operated offices accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. Additionally, BrightStar Care is one of only two franchisors to receive this title since the award's inception in 2013.

Receiving the Gold Seal of Approval® from The Joint Commission means that healthcare organizations have completed a comprehensive on-site review and precisely follow the standards and requirements established by The Joint Commission. To achieve accreditation, organization…

For the Twelfth Consecutive Year BrightStar Care Makes the Prestigious Franchise 500® List

January 07, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // GURNEE, IL. - BrightStar Care was recognized as one of the top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500®, the world’s first, best, and most comprehensive franchise ranking. The 43rd annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500®   is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, the 2022 Franchise 500® ranks BrightStar Care as 155 for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.

“For the past twelve years BrightStar Care has had a steady year-over-year presence on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 List,” said Shelly Sun, CEO and Founder of BrightStar Care. “As we head into our 20th year of business, BrightStar Care has proven to provide a prosperous opportunity f…

GURNEE, ILL. // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // February 28, 2022 - BrightStar Care announced today that Pete First has been promoted to Chief Development Officer. After serving as BrightStar Care’s Senior Vice President Franchise Development since 2018, where he grew the number of locations to 365, he is now taking the next step in his career entering the C-Suite.

As Chief Development Officer, First will be responsible for recruiting new franchise owners for all three brands under the BrightStar Group Holdings umbrella: BrightStar Care, BrightStar Senior Living®, and BrightStar Care® Homes™ and will lead operations for start-up brands, BrightStar Senior Living, and BrightStar Care Homes. First will also support the brand's expansion into new markets and territories, bringing opportunities for better experiences for clients in our communities. First’s promotion comes after taking on an expanded role over sales and operations for the BrightStar Senior Living bra…

Recognized for being outstanding franchise owners, BrightStar Care Franchisees, Lisa Marie Swiatkowski, RN, CDP, and Andrew Ray were named Franchisee of the Year

March 17, 2022 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // Gurnee, IL - The International Franchise Association (IFA) named Lisa Marie Swiatkowski owner of BrightStar Care Venice and Port Charlotte, Florida, and Andrew Ray owner of BrightStar Care Gilbert/Mesa, Arizona as Franchisees of the Year. Swiatkowski and Ray were honored at IFA’s 62nd Annual Convention in San Diego, California, in March for their outstanding work owning and operating their home health care franchises.

The Franchisee of the Year Award, sponsored by IFA’s partner Paychex, recognizes leading franchisees who exemplify at least one of IFA’s “Open for Opportunity” core pillars: Community, Workforce, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Veterans. Lisa Marie was awarded Franchisee of the Year for her excellence in the workforce pillar as she ma…