BRIGHTSTAR HEALTHCARE ANNOUNCES CAREGIVING NETWORK EXPANSION

By: BrightStar Care | 0 Shares 215 Reads

CHICAGO – While the concept of franchising traditionally brings to mind visions of sandwich shops and retail stores, BrightStar Healthcare finds itself at the forefront of a relatively untapped segment in the more than $229 billion industry. Responding to the population's growing need for personal care, the only woman-owned franchise in the healthcare industry is continuing to embark on its first large-scale growth initiative throughout the United States.

Since launching the company's franchise operations in August 2005, BrightStar Healthcare has opened and/or signed 34 locations in various markets throughout the United States, with 400 franchises and seven corporate locations slated to open by the end of 2010. The burgeoning franchise is currently targeting, among others, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and Washington for expansion.

"National studies continue to show that the healthcare industry is ripe for growth," said Shelly Sun, founder and president of BrightStar Healthcare. "BrightStar is at the forefront of the movement, setting industry standards as a growing national franchise that is providing every level of care for aging adults, as well as anyone else in need of assistance."

With health care spending in the United States projected to reach nearly $3 trillion by 2009*, BrightStar Healthcare is answering the call for high-quality care. Inspired by a family experience, BrightStar is a full-service healthcare staffing agency that specializes in providing medical and non-medical homecare to private clients within their homes, as well as supplemental healthcare staff to corporate clients such as hospitals and nursing homes. While senior citizens make up the majority of the company's private duty clientele, BrightStar also works with high-tech pediatric and workers' compensation cases, long term care and Veteran clients, as well as private trust and public guardian payers.

In Loving Memory of Grandma Pat
The inspiration for BrightStar Healthcare came from J.D. and Shelly Sun, a husband and wife team, who faced a situation that is becoming ever more common in the U.S.

When their late Grandma Pat was suffering from cancer, Shelly and J.D. struggled to find quality healthcare professionals to help care for her. It became apparent there was a void in the industry as they searched for people they could trust to help provide care. This experience inspired Shelly, a 13-year veteran of corporate America, to develop a healthcare staffing business that would provide full-service and reliable caregivers to all in need.

"We are intimately involved with the families we serve and support our clients and staff with every means possible," Sun added. "We are people who care about people. Our mission is to give 'peace of mind' to our clients by providing the highest quality healthcare staffing solutions to families and businesses. We empower our team to live our values and provide compassionate care and service; anytime, anywhere."

BrightStar recognizes that every client has individual needs and tailors each care plan accordingly. BrightStar carefully partners aides with clients based on personality traits, the level of care required and the client's personal preferences. Whether assisting clients who require high levels of medical care or simply providing a loved one company, BrightStar caregivers strive to improve their clients' quality of life, maintain their dignity, and relieve the stress that their families face on a day to day basis.

A "Bright" Franchise Opportunity
According to Sun, BrightStar Healthcare is seeking franchisees with a strong desire to continue to grow a new concept within the rapidly growing healthcare industry. Prospective franchise owners should have a background in business development or sales, and "a drive to make a positive difference". Franchising opportunities range from single- and multi-unit ownership to "empire builders" willing to develop large geographic markets that can be served by having multiple offices. No medical experience is required.

With a franchise fee of $35,000, the initial investment to own and operate a BrightStar Healthcare is typically $105,000 to $165,000. With a large investment in technology, BrightStar has created a scalable business opportunity that can be managed any where a franchisee can access the internet, enabling franchisees to do bookkeeping and recruiting from their homes in the evenings – an ideal situation for parents looking to own their own business. The business day is for developing relationships to grow the business. BrightStar's proprietary cutting-edge web-based management system integrates personnel management, payroll and billing, and sales. One of the system's highlights is that it enables franchisees to bill insurance providers directly – improving an often difficult part of the healthcare process for clients.

A typical BrightStar location employs up to 50 field staff, of which approximately 95 percent are medically trained and certified caregivers. Individuals who are not professionally certified are required to have at least one year of relevant experience and are not assigned to clients with medical needs.

About BrightStar Healthcare
Based in Chicago, BrightStar Healthcare is a full-service healthcare staffing agency that provides medical and non-medical homecare to private clients within their homes, as well as supplemental healthcare staff to corporate clients such as hospitals and nursing homes. Our well-qualified, attentive caregivers provide peace of mind to clients and their families. We work to understand the needs of our clients and provide a customized care plan to match them with a qualified, pre-screened caregiver who is compatible with their needs. Serving the Chicagoland area for more than five years, BrightStar is one of the few home healthcare providers that offers both medical and non-medical homecare. BrightStar is available to all clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In January of 2005, BrightStar Franchising was founded.