New home health care venture brings 100 jobs to the area

Gurnee, Ill-based BrightStar, a full-service home health care and medical staffing agency, recently opened its third franchise in the Greater Milwaukee area and will bring more than 100 skilled medical and qualified nursing jobs to the area over the next 18 months.  BrightStar of Pewaukee, located at N27 W23960 Paul Road, will serve the residents of Waukesha County as well as the surrounding Lake Country.
Keith Koby, a former GE Healthcare sales executive and his wife Lisa opened the Brightstar location in early August.
“We were definitely looking for a business to start after I left GE and I knew I wanted to stay in the health care realm,” Keith Koby said. “I had worked in the health care industry for nearly 20 years, and my wife Lisa was also a home care nurse and care giver for most of her professional career. This was a unique opportunity for us to team up, and the leadership perspective and growth plan of BrightStar just seemed like the perfect fit.”
The expansion into Pewaukee is part of a national growth plan that calls for 400 total franchises by the end of 2011. Since launching the company’s franchise operations in August 2005, BrightStar has opened and/or signed more than 160 locations in various markets throughout the United States.  They are also planning for international expansion in 2010.
According to Keith Koby, BrightStar offers a unique combination of skilled medical homecare as well as companionship services and physical therapy.
The Kobys have already added 17 employees to its staff within the first month, and plans to add more than 100 skilled medical, certified nursing assistants and registered nurses within 18 months.
“There is such a huge need for this kind of service in Waukesha County,” Keith Koby said. ” I purchased an area development agreement and will spend the next several years expanding across Waukesha and the surrounding areas. I expect to add between 100 and 150 employees over the next 18 months as we grow to serve the needs of the community.”
BrightStar has other Wisconsin locations in Glendale, Racine, Madison and Appleton.