Over the past year, BrightStar Care, the medical and non-medical in-home healthcare franchise with over 340 locations across the U.S., faced a major challenge. Adjusting its practices to meet the needs of its franchisees, caregivers, clients, and the communities it serves to ensure all were protected from the spread of coronavirus, this essential business remained strong despite all of 2020’s adversity. By Jessica Jones
Over the past year, BrightStar Care, the medical and non-medical in-home healthcare franchise with over 340 locations across the U.S., faced a major challenge. Adjusting its practices to meet the needs of its franchisees, caregivers, clients, and the communities it serves to ensure all were protected from the spread of coronavirus, this essential business remained strong despite all of 2020’s adversity. And after a full 12 months of strict focus on the safety of its clients and employees, BrightStar execs say the company is stronger because of it.
“BrightStar Care has worked diligently with its clinical team to develop necessary training and protocols based on CDC guidelines, including a complete Respirator Program to ensure caregivers are properly fitted with the N95 masks,” noted Pete First, senior vice president of franchise development for BrightStar Care. First explained how the franchise invested more than $2 million in PPE at the onset of the pandemic, ensuring that its franchisees and their staff would have enough supplies in the ensuing months.
The BrightStar Care team continued to provide in-home care services throughout the pandemic as needed and also began to offer screening services to Fortune 500 brands. The company partnered with fulfillment divisions to accelerate PPE distribution to other franchise brands and supplied registered nurses to assist individuals participating in vaccine trials.
“With vaccines being administered across the country now, BrightStar Care is also providing nurses to administer vaccines within their communities,” First added. “Additionally, select BrightStar Care franchisees have even purchased their own COVID-19 testing machines.”
BrightStar Care is also doing its part to ensure that franchisees consistently receive up-to-date information regarding vaccinations in real time. The company has developed in-depth materials and resources to help franchisees educate themselves and their employees.
“Although the pandemic was challenging for BrightStar Care as a business, the brand was well-equipped to rise to the occasion and ensure franchisees were able to continue providing the highest standard of care while keeping team members and clients safe,” First said. “This is in part due to the exceptional relationships that BrightStar Care has built since its inception in 2005. Being able to introduce our PPE fulfillment center was largely due to these key relationships.”
And those relationships support the idea that BrightStar Care is a wise choice for many potential franchisees.
“According to Family Caregiver Alliance, more than 4.7 million Americans rely on home-care services, and as the population continues to age, this will continue to increase,” First said. “BrightStar Care’s business model allows for multiple revenue streams – including supplemental staffing and partnering with local businesses and Fortune 500 companies to conduct COVID-19 screenings and administer vaccines. Additionally, with vaccinations now available, BrightStar Care is committed to being part of the solution, with the ability to provide nurses to local organizations to administer vaccines and more.”
The company has grown a lot from its experiences this past year. “We’ve learned a lot since COVID-19 hit last March,” First concluded. “As a business, we’ve learned the importance of being nimble, flexible and always being prepared to pivot. Without this, we would not have been able to successfully build out an entire PPE online ordering and fulfillment center, invest more than $2 million in PPE and provide the necessary guidance and training so franchisees could focus on what they do best. These are lessons we’ll take into the future so we can be there for our clients in every stage of life, as well as continue to be a top employer for our team.”
For more information about the BrightStar Care franchise, visit brightstarfranchising.com/home-care.
– Jessica Jones