Our experienced and compassionate staff is dedicated to caring for your loved one as if they were family. Get to know our team.
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Karen Abé
BrightStar Care Santa Monica/Marina del Rey and Torrance/Manhattan Beach"There comes a time in everyone’s life when they need a helping hand to overcome the challenges life throws at them, and the philosophy and systems BrightStar Care has in place allows my amazing team to provide the highest quality of care to our community. As specialists in the rapidly growing healthcare industry, we empower our nurses and caregivers to live our values and provide compassionate care and service, anytime, anyplace! We believe in personalized healthcare with RN oversight on all cases and we rarely find any case too challenging. BrightStar Care services the Westside and South Bay and surrounding areas in Los Angeles and Ventura County. We provide unparalleled standards in adult and elder home care/childcare, as well as supplemental healthcare staff for hospitals, alcohol & drug rehabs, mental health and assisted or independent living facilities. BrightStar Care also provides higher acuity medical care at home with skilled RN nursing services, Occupational and Physical Therapy." -
Stephanie Guggenheim
Director of OperationsHow long have you been working in healthcare?
I have dedicated my whole adult life to healthcare in some way. I worked at Johnson & Johnson for over 20 years, mostly in Skincare and Suncare. I created an educational organization and campaign to reduce the incidence of skin cancer in the U.S. and provide free skin checks with Dermatologists. Then I worked in science-based nutrition to reduce the incidence of aging disease like diabetes and cancer. Growing up in a medical family has led me to deeply care for others. It’s in my DNA!
What experience do you bring to BrightStar Care?
I am a marketer at heart, listening to consumers and their unmet needs. I’ve built businesses to become #1 in their field and mentored and coached teams to promote successful careers. I am passionate about my work and people, and nurturing a family atmosphere.
What aspect of your job are you most passionate about?
I strive to make a difference by finding new ways to improve people's lives.
I am making MORE POSSIBLE for our BrightStar Care clients by...
applying my empathy for others with my creativity and drive to delight people and patients and make their lives better. -
Angela Fee
Director of NursingHow long have you been working in healthcare?
I have 24 years of experience in healthcare, with nine of those as an RN.
What experience do you bring to BrightStar Care?
Before I became a nurse I worked with many different populations in different areas of healthcare: geriatric, celebrity clients, pediatric and developmentally disabled. This solid foundation helped me when I became a nurse as I felt I knew how to make almost any patient comfortable under my care. After obtaining my nursing degree at Santa Monica College, I was an ER nurse for 2 years and completed TNCC which is a trauma nursing certification. I have been working full time at BrightStar Care for almost seven years.
What aspect of your job are you most passionate about?
To me, progress equals passion at work. Whether that progress is with clients or employees it makes me happy and supplies the motivation for me to keep working hard. I get excited when a patient tells me we’ve finally found a treatment regimen that works for them! It makes my day when I train another nurse and am able to demonstrate something that makes their job easier.
I am making MORE POSSIBLE for our BrightStar Care clients by...
Our clients lead such interesting lives and I love hearing their story and how they cope with their limitations. As their nurse, I try my best to fit myself into their life as seamlessly as possible and encourage their progress, no matter how small. The goal is to turn their treatment experience into a positive routine. -
Heather O'Neal
Office ManagerHow long have you been working in healthcare?
I have been working in healthcare for eight years. It is an incredibly rewarding experience. Seeing the positive impact on patient's lives made me want to learn and do more. I am very fortunate to work in healthcare, and I look forward to many more years of serving patients and positively impacting their lives.
What experience do you bring to BrightStar Care?
I understand the importance of building trustworthy relationships with patients and their families. I have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, enabling me to connect with patients personally and provide them with the compassionate care they deserve.
What aspect of your job are you most passionate about?
I take pride in managing a team that provides efficient and effective healthcare services. Observing our clients' progress and improvement due to our care is incredibly rewarding.
I am making MORE POSSIBLE for our BrightStar Care clients by...
Providing a comfortable life with greater independence, comfort, and peace of mind. My goal is to empower our clients to live their best lives, regardless of age, ability, or circumstance. -
Erin Kaiser
Payroll ManagerHow long have you been working in healthcare?
I have been actively working in healthcare for approximately 2 years. However, my connection to the field extends even further back. My mother worked as a Home Health nurse during my infancy and until I was around 7-8 years old. After that, she transitioned into Case Management and Healthcare Utilization Management, which further nurtured my familiarity and understanding of the healthcare sector.
What experience do you bring to BrightStar Care?
I began my journey with BrightStar Care as a part-time employee at the Marina del Rey office. Eventually, I transitioned into a full-time role where I primarily focused on payroll management and our skilled care services. Throughout my tenure, I have developed a deep understanding of our clients' needs and have cultivated patience in dealing with individuals across various age groups, from young children to older adults. This experience equips me with the knowledge and empathy necessary to provide exceptional care and support to BrightStar Care's diverse clientele.
What aspect of your job are you most passionate about?
I am deeply passionate about delivering personalized and high-quality care to every client we serve. I enjoy engaging with our clients to address their care needs; discovering their unique identities and listening to the captivating stories of their lives. This aspect of my work brings me immense joy.
I am making MORE POSSIBLE for our BrightStar Care clients by...
Enhancing possibilities for our BrightStar Care clients within our office. I also prioritize the well-being of both our clients and staff, ensuring they receive exceptional care beyond expectations. -
Mayra Rodriguez
Customer Care ManagerHow long have you been working in healthcare?
I have been working in healthcare for going on 3 years in June. I started working in the health care industry as a greeter in LAX for covid testing in 2021 and became a scheduler in 2022. With years of previous administration and customer satisfaction experience in various fields, healthcare has been the most rewarding. I really feel like I am making a bigger difference in home health care for humanity.
What experience do you bring to BrightStar Care?
From 2018 to 2021 I was a caregiver for my 98-year-old grandfather, and we had a care giver come twice a week to help. I was also in a horrible car accident in 2020 and was receiving home health care services myself. These experiences and my previous administration experience have given me compassion, tools, and better understanding of how to provide great service to patients/family. I understand what the patients go through and I administer the care they need. As a team player, I provide any help I can to the rest of the team to make sure our patients and family are receiving the best services.
What aspect of your job are you most passionate about?
Helping others has always been a passion of mine. It brings me fulfillment to bring a peace of mind, a sense of security and proper care to our patients and their families. Speaking with our clients and asking how they are doing and how we can always improve our services more to help bring peace of mind. Making sure they receive great service with comfort, and safety in their own home.
I am making MORE POSSIBLE for our BrightStar Care clients by...
Maintaining a welcoming and approachable environment for my coworkers and field team along with our patients. I care for others and make sure everyone is included and can find solutions together, to make BrightStar Care a fun and collaborative environment. -
Sheila Berdin, R.N.
RecruiterHow long have you been working in healthcare?
I have been with the healthcare industry for about 13 years now. I am a licensed registered nurse and have worked with different healthcare settings from hospitals, in-home private care, occupational nursing, and have facilitated various health care trainings and seminars. I have also worked as a virtual registered nurse and medical assistant helping primary care doctorsreview records and make sure we meet all the patient’s needs. I have also extended my experience in the field of virtual assistance that helped me develop skills in customer service, sales and marketing, recruitment, scheduling, and administrative tasks.
What experience do you bring to BrightStar Care?
I have a master’s degree as a psychiatric nurse. I chose psychiatric nursing because of my passion for helping people and understanding more of the human thought process. This has prepared me for how people respond to certain situations and how I can promote positive thinking. With my education and experience, it has taught me how to effectively communicate with a wide range of hospital staff, caregivers, clients, and patient families. And my vast experience in different professional fields, may it be healthcare, customer service or HR, I have developed patience and resiliency to always provide the best service possible.
What aspect of your job are you most passionate about?
As a nurse, I am very passionate about helping others may it be our clients or our BrightStar Care staff. I want them to have the best experience possible with us. Building trust and lasting relationships with people is what makes me proud to be part of BrightStar Care family.
I am making MORE POSSIBLE for our BrightStar Care clients by...
Being available and responsive to as many inquires and applications and by effectively communicating to the team the immediate concerns our clients have. I can also add more value to our Healthcare staff by responding right away to their needs, especially if it involves patient care.
Our Caregivers and Nurses
Our team of care professionals thoroughly screened and trained to provide the highest quality care to your family or your patients. Learn more about our compassionate and trustworthy nurses and caregivers.
Contact Us
Please contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation or call BrightStar Care Coastal Los Angeles at 310.230.5258.