Inspired by his grandfather, who received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in the South Pacific during WWII, Michael Perez enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1972. Working as a cryptologic technician, operating and managing various computerized information processing systems, Perez served until 1976 before returning stateside and launching a career in sales management that lasted for 30 years. By Jessica Jones
Shelly Sun never intended to launch her own business, let alone build a $500 million company, but after enduring the home health-care journey with a loved one, the Chicago resident felt like she could personally make a difference in the industry. So in 2002, she founded BrightStar Care. By Jessica Jones
As the deadly coronavirus raced across the globe, BrightStar Care founder Shelly Sun recognized the urgency in protecting those working within her in-home healthcare network and its clients. But she also saw an opportunity to assist new franchise owners in making inroads in their communities and to help other frontline healthcare providers. By Jessica Jones
World’s Premier Home Care Franchise Receives Prestigious Honor from The Joint Commission.
GURNEE, Ill. — BrightStar Care, a national private duty home care and medical staffing franchise with nearly 340 independently owned and operated locations nationwide, was awarded The Joint Commission’s 2020 Enterprise Champion for Quality Award, celebrating the brand’s commitment to achieving the highest standards of quality and safety in home care. BrightStar Care is the only organization to achieve the title eight years in a row, with 95 percent of their franchisees being Joint Commission accredited. Additionally, BrightStar Care is one of only two franchisors to receive this accolade since the award’s inception in 2013.
“At BrightStar Care, we pride ourselves in the fact that we deliver the highest quality care and it has truly helped guide our efforts when navigating this new environment,” said Shelly Sun, founder and CEO of BrightStar Care. “This award is a testament of that commitment, and we are thankful to our franchisees and staff for always delivering the highest standard of safety and care. Thanks to the Joint Commission accreditation, BrightStar Care was more than prepared from a protocol standpoint to execute when it came to infectious diseases and disaster plans. We’ll always continue to elevate the bar on safety to help keep the most vulnerable population safe at home.”
The Gold Seal of Approval indicates that franchisees have undergone a detailed on-site review and are demonstrating continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s standards, including integrating the standards into agency policies, procedures and training materials. BrightStar Care conducts regular mock evaluations to help its franchisees uphold the standards. Joint Commission accreditation allows for consistency across the board at each locally owned and operated BrightStar Care agencies when it comes to safety protocols, which has been very important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have truly elevated our standards with the Joint Commission. We’re honored to be awarded The Joint Commission’s Enterprise Champion for Quality Award for the eighth consecutive year, and we’re committed to improving our patient safety and quality of care,” said Misty Taylor, Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations and Quality at BrightStar Care. “Our primary focus at BrightStar Care, is delivering a higher standard of care, and we ensure our franchisees receive the tools and training required to remain a recipient of this esteemed honor. It’s prepared us for the COVID-19 pandemic and has truly helped us keep our clients and caregivers safe during uncertain times.”
“By earning this award, BrightStar Care continues to demonstrate its dedication to clients and caregivers experiencing the safest and highest quality of services,” said Gary Bachrach, executive director, Home Care Accreditation Program, The Joint Commission. “Meeting the nation’s most comprehensive requirements is reflected in the caliber of care BrightStar Care provides. Its ability to maintain that standard during COVID-19 is a true testament to the commitment and talent of this organization’s leadership and staff.”
Listen as Shelly Sun talks with Dawn Glossa MPA, director of Corporate Communications at The Joint Commission, about how BrightStar Care’s pursuit for higher standards helped manage their franchise through COVID-19.
Joint Commission accreditation is a known quality indicator within the industry as it is the same organization that accredits and certifies more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation has allowed BrightStar Care to help its clients continue living safely in their homes and help prevent hospital re-admission.
BrightStar Care provides the full continuum of home care services comprised of companionship, personal care, dementia care, transportation, medication assistance, skilled nursing and more to improve clients’ health and quality of life.
For more information on BrightStar Care please visit www.brightstarcare.com.
For more information on The Joint Commission, please visit www.jointcommission.org.
About The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.
About BrightStar Care
Based in Chicago, BrightStar Care is a national private duty home care and medical staffing franchise with nearly 340 locations which provide medical and non-medical services to clients within their homes, as well as supplemental care staff to corporate clients. BrightStar Care franchise locations across the country employ over 20,000 caregivers and over 3,500 nurses who play a unique role in overseeing the care for each individual client. In addition, BrightStar Care is the only national home care franchise to receive The Joint Commission’s Enterprise Champion for Quality award every year since the award’s inception. For more information on BrightStar Care, please visit http://www.brightstarcare.com.
The timing of Ari Tiktin’s BrightStar Care opening was not ideal. Two weeks after New Jersey’s governor approved sweeping restrictions in response to Covid-19, Tiktin acquired the franchise serving Passaic County and western Bergen County, New Jersey, just miles from Manhattan. By Jessica Jones
With more than 300 locations across the United States and 25 new franchises added in 2019, BrightStar Care laid the foundation for a major expansion in 2020. Then came Covid-19. By Jessica Jones
More Than 100 Franchise Brands Associated With International Franchise Association Access PPE As Result of BrightStar Care and Franworth Partnership.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In the midst of COVID-19, there have been many examples of companies innovating and partnering to solve unprecedented challenges. To ensure the safety of BrightStar Care clients and franchise employees to continue providing the highest quality of in-home care during the pandemic, CEO and founder Shelly Sun and her team leveraged resources across the globe and quickly secured necessary PPE. With over $2 Million invested in the procurement side of the equation, the BrightStar Care team enlisted the help of Franworth, a franchise-focused growth equity firm led by immediate past International Franchise Association (IFA) Chair David Barr and Founder and CEO John Rotche. BrightStar Care leveraged the Franworth’s state-of-the-art Fulfillment Division to facilitate and accelerate distribution of crucial PPE materials for its franchise system. Now BrightStar Care and Franworth are offering access to the PPE inventory to the franchise community at cost.
With nearly 340 locations, each BrightStar Care independently owned and operated agency employs nurses and caregivers who are on the frontline, providing in-home care and ensuring the most vulnerable population can remain safe at home and out of hospitals. Through the rapid capabilities of the Franworth Fulfillment Division proprietary supply chain system, BrightStar Care was able to fill and distribute orders for all franchise owners of essential PPE including N-95 masks, face shields, digital thermometers, disposable gloves and hand sanitizer bottles. As a result, Franworth’s services enabled BrightStar Care’s independently owned and operated small businesses to continue serving and protecting the safety and well-being of their staff and clients.
“It’s been a long journey, but we wanted to support the entire franchise community in the fight against this pandemic by making PPE available for everyone regardless of who they are caring for during these times. Partnering with Franworth has made this all possible,” said Shelly Sun, CEO and Founder of BrightStar Care. “We always want to do the right thing, so we have invested more than $2 million in PPE and vetted all sources thoroughly so that our franchisees can instead focus on their business. Our goal is to protect BrightStar Care clients and ensure that our offices’ employees can continue providing the highest quality of in-home care during the pandemic. We also want to empower the entire franchise industry to truly make a difference in their local communities and taking the workload away from them when it comes to sourcing PPE frees them up to do what they do best.”
With PPE supplies in high demand, many businesses are struggling to determine how to prepare for reopening while maintaining the safety of staff and customers and items remain scarce. As leaders within the franchise industry, BrightStar Care and Franworth have expanded their partnership in an effort to help more franchisors gain access to the materials they need, extending PPE at cost to fellow IFA members through the reliable and unparalleled services of Franworth’s Fulfillment Division. Since the launch of this initiative, BrightStar Care and Franworth have fulfilled PPE orders for more than 100 franchise companies, providing them with the resources they need to reopen their business while following the health and safety guidelines of their local community.
“Limited access to PPE materials is one of the biggest challenges facing businesses today, and we’re proud to be partnering with BrightStar Care and leveraging the capabilities of Franworth’s Fulfillment Division to support the franchising community,” said Franworth President of Procurement Dan Hannay. “We know that our technology and supply chain resources can alleviate some of the burden for franchisors who are trying to support their franchisees through the COVID-19 pandemic. Having an opportunity to make a positive impact on fellow IFA members has been incredibly rewarding and we look forward to helping more brands facilitate their PPE distribution needs and navigate the challenges of these unprecedented times.”
Franworth’s Fulfillment Division is an invaluable warehousing, procurement and distribution resource for its portfolio and affiliate franchise brands, providing value to companies of all sizes.
For more information on how Franworth can help support distribution and fulfillment needs for your business, visit www.franworth.com/liberty.
For more information on BrightStar Care please visit www.brightstarcare.com.
About Franworth
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Franworth accelerates value for brands and independent unit value for franchisees using our proven franchise systems, professional support services and shared resources platform. Partnering with Franworth gives franchise concepts access to an expansive suite of best-in-class processes, talent, technology, proprietary supply chain system and logistics designed to help scale their businesses efficiently to achieve profitability and maximize their potential for success. Led by a team of industry veterans with more than 450 years of combined experience, Franworth’s executive board and leadership team includes Founder, CEO and Managing Director John Rotche, CFE; Managing Director and Partner David Barr; Partner Drew Brees; President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Keil; General Counsel and Chief of Staff Jonathan Koudelka; Chief Financial Officer David Taccolini, President of Procurement Dan Hannay, Operating Partner and Professional Services Division Lead Mike Skitzki; and Operating Partner and CEO of The Lash Lounge Meg Roberts. Franworth’s current portfolio of franchise brands includes The Lash Lounge®, skoah®, CITYROW® and Madison Reed Color Bar®. For more information on Franworth or to learn more about how it can help your company grow, visit franworth.com.
About BrightStar Care
Based in Chicago, BrightStar Care is a national private duty home care and medical staffing franchise with nearly 340 locations which provide medical and non-medical services to clients within their homes, as well as supplemental care staff to corporate clients. BrightStar Care franchise locations across the country employ over 20,000 caregivers and over 3,500 nurses who play a unique role in overseeing the care for each individual client. In addition, BrightStar Care is the only national home care franchise to receive The Joint Commission’s Enterprise Champion for Quality award every year since the award’s inception. For more information on BrightStar Care please visit www.brightstarcare.com.
BrightStar Care Honors Their Nurses by Providing Starbucks to All During National Nurses Week.
GURNEE, Ill. — BrightStar Care, a national private duty home care and medical staffing franchise with over 300 locations, is always looking for new ways to honor their hardworking and trustworthy staff. Nurse-led care has been the differentiator for the brand and celebrating nurses as they go above and beyond to keep their clients safe during this pandemic prompted BrightStar Care to do something special to truly show their appreciation. This year, the independently owned and operated agencies will be honoring their team of over 3,500 hardworking and dedicated nursing staff during National Nurses Week (May 6-12) with Starbucks gift cards to help them get through the late nights and early mornings.
“Our nurses are the heart of what we do at BrightStar Care, and we wouldn’t be where we are without the support and commitment each nurse displays every single day,” said Shelly Sun, CEO and Founder of BrightStar Care. “Their courage to serve with immense passion is something we all strive for. They are the reason our most vulnerable clients can stay at home safely during this difficult time, and we are grateful for all they do.”
BrightStar Care agencies’ nurses and caregivers are front-line heroes against COVID-19 as they continue to provide in-home care to ensure the most vulnerable population can remain safe at home and out of hospitals. BrightStar Care is doing what they can to protect the nation’s elderly demographic and the nurses and caregivers who care for them. Earlier this month, BrightStar Care announced that they created a centralized fulfillment center for their franchisees to equip all independently owned and operated BrightStar Care agencies and their staff with necessary personal protective equipment to be able to ensure the safety of staff and caregivers as they continue to deliver the highest standard of care.
At BrightStar Care, healthcare is not simply a career, it is a calling. As a result of providing the highest quality of care, BrightStar Care has earned the Enterprise Champion for Quality designation from The Joint Commission®, the same organization that accredits the nation’s best hospitals, seven straight years.
For more information on BrightStar Care please visit www.brightstarcare.com.
ABOUT BRIGHTSTAR CARE
Based in Chicago, BrightStar Care is a national private duty home care and medical staffing franchise with over 300 locations which provide medical and non-medical services to clients within their homes, as well as supplemental care staff to corporate clients. BrightStar Care franchise locations across the country employ over 20,000 caregivers and over 3,500 nurses who play a unique role in overseeing the care for each individual client. In addition, BrightStar Care is the only national home care franchise to receive The Joint Commission’s Enterprise Champion for Quality award every year since the award’s inception. For more information on BrightStar Care please visit www.brightstarcare.com.
Personal well-being and health have long been a passion for Melissa Janicke. Before owning and operating a BrightStar Care, she was a personal trainer, worked in medical sales, and then owned and operated a health club franchise for almost 10 years. By Elice Morgenson
Dean Ulizio Joins Leadership Team as CSO.
CHICAGO — BrightStar Care, a national franchise specializing in providing A Higher Standard of Care in medical and non-medical in-home care services, has announced the promotion of Dean Ulizio to the role of Chief Strategy Officer (CSO).
Ulizio brings with him over 14 years’ experience with BrightStar Care. After joining the leading in-home heath care brand in 2006 as a franchisee in Colorado, Ulizio moved to the Franchise Support Center team in 2010 and led the overhaul of BrightStar Care’s technology at a time when the brand was experiencing rapid growth in sales and new units. More recently, he has been serving as BrightStar Care’s Executive Vice President of Global Strategic Development. During that time, he was tasked with responsibility for new brands, product development, innovation pilots and growth through acquisitions. As Ulizio takes on his new role as CSO, his responsibilities will focus on developing and executing the company’s business strategy, including leading and sustaining strategic initiatives that drive top line growth. His overarching goal will be to continuously improve the BrightStar Care model offered to franchisees, driving quality, efficiency, standardization and growth.
“Dean comes with a depth of knowledge of the company and its history – making him well-suited for evaluating strategic growth opportunities and nurturing innovation,” said Shelly Sun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BrightStar Group Holdings, Inc.
In addition, Ulizio’s role will be imperative for driving strategic growth in BrightStar Senior Living communities and overseeing product development.
“BrightStar Care is well positioned to take advantage of today’s powerful healthcare industry trends for increased care in the home and more holistic solutions for people with complex needs,” said Ulizio. “It is an exciting time to be part of this team and have the opportunity to work with our partners to find new and better ways we can deliver the highest quality care to our clients.”
BrightStar Care recently announced a successful 2019 as it was awarded several new rankings, including Entrepreneur’s prestigious Franchise 500, the ninth consecutive year for BrightStar Care on the list. Franchise Business Review named BrightStar Care a top franchise for 2020, marking its 10th year receiving the award. That milestone officially makes BrightStar Care the newest member of the Franchise Business Review’s Hall of Fame, rewarding franchises that have proven their dedication to corporate culture and franchisee success. The brand also hit its 14th consecutive year as a World Class Franchise, as determined by the Franchise Research Institute, and came in at No. 175 on Franchise Times’ Top 200 list. Topping the list, BrightStar Care has kept its recognition as the Enterprise Champion of Quality for the seventh year in a row, the only company to have received this designation from the Joint Commission every year since the award’s inception.
BrightStar Care offers both medical and non-medical private duty home care services, as well as medical staffing. Each BrightStar Care location employs a Registered Nurse as their Director of Nursing who tailors unique, personalized plans of care for each client and oversees a professional care team of well-qualified, experienced caregivers. The company began franchising in 2005, and it has since grown to a $500 million system with over 300 locations across the United States.
For more information about and BrightStar Care, please visit www.brightstarcare.com.
About BrightStar Care
Based in Chicago, BrightStar Care is a national private duty home care and medical staffing franchise with over 300 locations which provide medical and non-medical services to clients within their homes, as well as supplemental care staff to corporate clients. BrightStar Care franchise locations across the country employ over 2,500 registered nurses who play a unique role in overseeing the care for each individual client. In addition, BrightStar Care is the only national home care franchise to receive The Joint Commission’s Enterprise Champion for Quality award every year since the award’s inception. In 2019, the company was ranked #1 by Forbes Magazine as the top franchise opportunity in the low investment category and ranked in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 for the 10th consecutive year. For more information on BrightStar Care please visit www.brightstarcare.com.