Our Staff at BrightStar Care^® Phoenix / Tempe

I am Todd McDonald, President and co-owner of BrightStar Care Phoenix/Tempe. Arizona has been my home for over 40 years—I went to high school here, raised my family here, and built my life in this desert we call home. Shifting from two decades managing colleges focused on nursing and medical certifications to co-owning this agency has been an incredible journey. With my undergraduate and graduate degrees behind me, I bring a deep respect for caregivers and nurses—rooted in my grandmother, who served others into her late seventies and inspired me with her tireless dedication.

I am hands-on, too. You will find me engaging with our staff and clients regularly—accessibility matters to me. When my wife and I took over in 2018, we asked ourselves: "Would we trust this care for our own family?" The answer was a resounding yes, and since then, we have confidently referred loved ones here, knowing they will receive the quality and comfort we promise.

Why BrightStar Care Stands Out

Our agency shines in three big ways—tailored to Phoenix/Tempe families like yours:

1. RN-Driven Care Every care plan starts with a Registered Nurse. That is not just a buzzword, it means your loved one receives expert, personalized attention from professionals who know their craft. My background in nursing education fuels my commitment to this standard.
2. No Minimum Hours = Flexibility + Affordability Unlike many agencies, we have no hourly minimums—need just an hour or two weekly, or round-the-clock care? We have you covered. This saves you money and lets you or your loved one ease into care at your own pace, because accepting help should feel comfortable, not overwhelming.
3. Licensed and Accredited We are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health and accredited by The Joint Commission. That is your guarantee of top-tier care, backed by rigorous standards—peace of mind for you, straight from the Valley.

My Arizona Story, Our BrightStar Mission

Growing up here, I saw how caregiving transforms lives—my grandmother showed me that. After 20 years leading institutions training nurses and medical professionals, I wanted to bring that same caliber of care to our community. My wife and I acquired BrightStar because its thorough vetting, highly trained team, and client-first focus matched our values. Since 2018, we have served countless Phoenix/Tempe families, many of them friends and neighbors—delivering the kind of care I would want for myself.

Do you have a question? I am just a call away at 480.897.1166. Let us talk about how our team can support you.

I am Molly Schliem, RN, BSN, and Director of Nursing and Clinical Compliance for BrightStar Care of Phoenix. I have been a nurse for over 20 years working in intervention cardiology, pediatric home health and case management and now with BrightStar Care of Phoenix/Tempe. 

I am most passionate about continuing to provide safe and quality care to our clients.  I really enjoy meeting with new and existing clients to let them know that BrightStar has nursing oversight on every client, and then showing them the care plans that the nurses create that are tailored specifically to them.  I will never tire of watching family members of the clients and the clients themselves understand the individualized care they will receive with BrightStar Care and seeing the relief and happiness come across their faces. I also enjoy competency testing and training our staff.  I try and make learning both fun and informative for our team.   In my free time, I enjoy hiking with my family and dogs, cooking something creative in the kitchen and watching old movies. 
 

My name is Ana Rivera, and I am the Branch Manager for BrightStar Care of Phoenix/Tempe.  I work with our team of nurses, schedulers, and caregivers to ensure all aspects of a client’s care exceed expectations.  I also work closely with our clinical compliance team to ensure we meet the high standards of our accreditor, the Joint Commission.  To ensure this happens I frequently go out into the field to meet with clients in their home and communicate with our in-home care team daily. I have been a Certified Nursing Assistant for 14 years and know first-hand what quality client care looks like.  I am passionate about ensuring our clients receive top-notch care and that our team receives the training and support they need to support our clients.  In my free time I enjoy spending time with my 4 children and my beautiful new granddaughter. 

I have worked in Home Care for over 10 years. My primary focus has always been Intake/Staffing Coordinator and Authorizations. I help facilitate communication between the staff and our clients. It is important that our staff has all of the information on the client and that the client knows about the person coming to their home. I love being a part of a team that is always looking to go above and beyond for our clients and our field-staff.

I also help our clients by proactively pursuing skilled professionals for our clients. During orientation I make sure all of our field staff are specially trained.  I make sure all of our Staff is experienced and is screened prior to working with BrightStar.  I complete the Employee onboarding process from start to finish. Although, on-boarding employees is one of the tasks I do here at BrightStar, my passion is building rapport with all employees and building trust with each and every one of our employees. I have 15 years’ experience as a caregiver/CNA, 4 years’ CPR instructor, 4 years’ DCW instructor, and 4 years’ DD intro to Autism (prevention and support).