BrightStar Care

BANNOCKBURN, ILL — BrightStar Care, a leading franchiser of home care services providing premium home health care and medical staffing with a higher standard of clinical excellence and compassion, announced today its winners for the company’s Best & Brightest Nurse of the Year and Caregiver of the Year Awards. These awards honor exceptional nurses and caregivers on a regional and national level who exemplify a commitment to client care and embody BrightStar’s core values, including compassion, integrity, excellence, trustworthiness, accountability and reliability.

Every year, BrightStar Care invites clients, family members and fellow employees who have been positively impacted by the company’s dedicated nurses and caregivers across the country to share their stories and nominate these professionals for this prestigious award. These awards recognize the commitment and compassion of BrightStar Care’s professional caregivers, while also showcasing the company’s dedication to honoring and supporting its care team.

Hundreds of nominations are submitted for the awards annually and this year, BrightStar Care is recognizing eight individuals that represent excellence in the West, Midwest, Northeast and Southeast regions. Each winner will receive a $5,000 prize in recognition of the true impact they have made on individuals and their families by going above and beyond to ensure they are providing a higher standard of home care through compassion and clinical excellence. Out of this remarkable group of regional winners, Gabiola Jean from Norwalk, CT and Christina Roddy from Aurora, CO, were also selected as BrightStar Care’s national caregiver and nurse of the year, respectively.

“At BrightStar Care, our caregivers are at the heart of everything we do. Each year, these awards give us the opportunity to honor the nurses and caregivers within our network who truly go above and beyond,” said Andy Ray, CEO of BrightStar Care. “Recognizing their dedication reinforces appreciation for their work and reflects the company’s unwavering commitment to supporting and celebrating the people who make a tangible difference every single day.”

Best & Brightest Award Winners

Gabiola Jean, also known as Gabby, was awarded caregiver of the year for her genuine compassion and overall calming presence. Gabby’s nominator detailed how, over the course of nearly two years, she has become not just a caregiver, but a trusted friend and confidant for her patient in Norwalk, Connecticut. She has significantly improved said patient’s quality of life by encouraging them to do what brings them joy, from outdoor activities and woodworking to cornhole, live music, and bocce ball, all from the comfort of their wheelchair.

In Aurora, CO, Christina Roddy was selected as nurse of the year for helping her patients rediscover parts of themselves they thought were lost. Her nominator included powerful and deeply moving words in their submission: “Christina is more than a nurse – she is the reason I’m still here.” This patient went on to detail how Christina never treated them as a task, but as someone truly worth fighting for. She became their advocate, pushed for better treatment, and spoke up when things didn’t seem right, exemplifying what it means to provide excellent medical care with empathy and kindness.

Regional winners awarded for their outstanding attention to their patients include: Julia Allen (Asheville, NC), Nasteho Omar (Burnsville / South St. Paul, MN), Natasha Thibodeau (Carlsbad, CA), Madelyn Leader (York, PA), Landon Carson (Charlottesville, VA) and Ainsley Burlingam (Centerville / South Dayton, OH). To find out more about the 2025 Best and Brightest Winners, please visit www.brightstarcare.com.