Theirs is a field of healthcare whose present growth “directly relates to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” says Jennifer Rayl, who, with husband Steve, owns a BrightStar Care franchise in Scottsdale. The business provides home care in a full continuum from non-medical to skilled, and the BrightStar Care franchise developed its Clinical Pathways Program specifically to address the Affordable Care Act’s outcome-based focus. “When [patients] are discharged from the hospital, we meet with discharge planners and put together a comprehensive plan to avoid readmission,” she says, explaining that readmission is one of the indicators for penalties against hospitals and other healthcare providers under the Affordable Care Act. “We make a positive impact on [hospitals’] outcome.” BrightStar Care developed its Clinical Pathways Program on a national level, after studying key indicators for readmission and strategies to prevent that occurrence, and developed the training program.
The Rayls, who operated a non-medical care service in Wisconsin for 10 years, bought the Scottsdale franchise in January. The response to its service has been positive, according to Jennifer Rayl, but she says they are trying to get involved with the patients earlier in the process, when they are first admitted to the hospital. “Nobody has enough time to talk through everything when [the patient is] discharged,” she says.
BrightStar Care “can work with the whole Metro area,” says Steve Rayl, noting there are five BrightStar Care offices throughout the Valley.
