Putting Their Lives on the Line

I was attending the HoCo Coffee Tailgate and struck up a conversation with Karen Holstein, family resource specialist with BriteStar Care of Howard County. She had a powerful story to share:

“In March of 2020, the Home Care Industry changed overnight. What began with a two-week goal to flatten the curve still exists today 13 months later. At first, companies like BrightStar Care wondered how do we adapt, protect our caregivers and serve our community. These were tough decisions to make in the face of an unprecedented health crisis. Operators erred on the side of caution and ultimately chose to honor the commitment to protect their caregivers.

About six months in, Max Minevich, owner of BrightStar Care of Howard County, began to notice a few things. One, families were calling in crisis with a real need to have someone come in to serve their Covid positive loved ones. There was no one serving the Covid positive people in home. Two, Senior Living Communities needed a way to care for their Covid positive residents but minimize the exposure to their existing staff to prevent spread. Three, a particular caregiver segment was not afraid to serve on the front lines and care for Covid positive clients with proper infection control procedures in place. Max, along with our Director of Nursing, crafted a plan.

We began to spread the word, to communities, to our competitors, and to the public that we have created a Covid team and will work with Covid positive folks. The phone started to ring. To their credit, our competitors put aside competition to serve families in need and referred to us. Assisted Living communities found a much-needed solution in our BrightStars Staffing program, which controlled the spread but served their residents with Joint Commission Accredited, nurse-directed Covid care. The public finally had a resource to call to keep them safe and care for their loved ones; they finally had support.

Max and BrightStar Care further filled a need by expanding into Covid screening and testing. Max put a plan in place to serve local food manufacturing facilities by partnering with a lab in a staffing capacity and assist with group Covid testing. BrightStar found a way to assist corporate clients who needed a peace of mind before and immediately following corporate travel and needed to be tested. Max also found a local resource who could conduct PCR testing for our employees, with quick turnaround time, before sending those caregivers to our clients’ homes.

BrightStar Care is just one example of the many businesses that had to adapt overnight to continue to serve and to not only survive but thrive in the face of a global pandemic. “

Thank you Karen for this inspiring story and BriteStar Care for easing the pain during this most challenging time!

 

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