Company Achievements : FIRSTSTAR Healthcare

Professional Training for Medical/Nursing care professionals


Founding Motivation:
Observing the frequent turnover of newly introduced nurses, we decided to offer training programs for nurse managers and other middle management professionals to enhance their human resource management skills. Our goal is to support the career development of both nurse managers and nurses. Furthermore, we provide consulting services to companies entering the medical and nursing care industries, helping them establish effective business models.

 

// Major Outcomes //

 

  • Implementation of Nurse Management Training Supervised by Johns Hopkins University, USA

    http://www.firststarhc.com/webdata/service/jh2.html

     

  • Implementation of the “Rebuilding the Community through the Power of Nursing” Project in Kamaishi City, Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
    – Launch of a Special Web Page
    – Hospital Observation Tour

    http://www.firststarhc.com/webdata/topics/201504172.html

     

  • Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) – FY 2012 Research Project on the Overseas Expansion of Japan’s Medical Devices and Services
    (Research Project for Assessing the Business Viability of Overseas Expansion)

    Study on the Expansion of Japanese-Style Medical Services in China
    Examination of Business Models and Compilation of Findings

    https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/mono_info_service/healthcare/iryou/downloadfiles/pdf/24fy_mej.pdf

     

  • Planning and Implementation of On-Site Tour of Johns Hopkins University for Multiple Elderly Care Providers.

     

  • Introduction of the Video Series on “Staff Training” Supervised by Johns Hopkins University, USA

    http://www.firststarhc.com/webdata/yuueki/douga2.html

     

  • Collaborative Research on “Competencies in the Cognitive and Thinking Domains of Nurse Managers” with Associate Professor Yukie Takemura from the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Department of Health Sciences and Nursing, until March 2019. A successor collaborative research project commenced in February 2020.

    http://www.firststarhc.com/webdata/yuueki/toudai2.html

    This research received the Oral Award at the 21st Japan Academy of Nursing Management Conference
    Isobe Tamaki, Takemura Yukie, Kunie Keiko, Takehara Kimie, Komagata Kazunori, Ichikawa Naoko, Ikeda Mari, Omiya Chieko, Soma Mitsuyo.
    “Visions Drawn by Ward Nurses: Extracting the Vision of Their Own Ward They Hope to Achieve in a Few Years from Narratives of Practice.”
    Program Abstracts of the 21st Japan Academy of Nursing Management Conference, 2017: 242. (21st Japan Academy of Nursing Management Conference, Yokohama, August 19-20)

     

    – UPDATE –
    The paper on “The Process of Vision Creation and Sharing by Nurse Managers,” a collaborative research project with Associate Professor Yukie Takemura from the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Department of Health Sciences and Nursing, conducted from 2015 to 2019, has been accepted and published in the English journal Journal of Nursing Management. The name of our company, FIRSTSTAR Healthcare Co. Ltd., is also mentioned as a supporter of the research, with the phrase “A part of this study was supported by a joint research grant from FIRSTSTAR Healthcare Co. Ltd.”
    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jonm.13050

     

    – UPDATE –
    The new collaborative research, which started in February 2020, is progressing smoothly. Nishikawa from our company, FIRSTSTAR Healthcare Co. Ltd., is also participating as a visiting researcher in the laboratory.

     

    – UPDATE –
    I am a member of the laboratory of Associate Professor Kotomi Kitamura from the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Department of Health Sciences and Nursing.

     

  • Appointed as a Member of the Project Evaluation Committee at the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) since June 2019.
    https://www.amed.go.jp/koubo/02/01/20190807_kettei_besshi_00001.html

     

    – UPDATE –
    Since February 2020, I have served as a member of the AMED Project Evaluation Committee for multiple projects.

    – 2020 Advanced Medical Devices, Systems, and Technology Development Project
    https://www.amed.go.jp/koubo/02/01/0201C_00076.html
    – nfectious Disease Control Measures (COVID-19 Related)
    https://www.amed.go.jp/content/000064140.pdf
    – AI-Driven Drug Development
    https://www.amed.go.jp/content/000064849.pdf
    – Public-Private Partnership for Young Researcher Discovery and Support Program
    https://www.amed.go.jp/koubo/02/01/0201C_00083.html

     

    – UPDATE –
    2022 Advanced Research and Development of Medical Devices and Strengthening of Development Systems (Infrastructure Technology Development Project) – Field 1: Development of Medical Devices and Systems for Remote Healthcare.
    https://www.amed.go.jp/koubo/12/01/1201C_00019.html

 

 

Achievements : Kuniko Nishikawa

Management Experience in Nurse and Caregiver Recruitment and Staffing Services


Nurse Recruitment and Staffing Agency CEO.


Founding Motivation:
My father has been diagnosed with cancer, and through this experience, I realized how nurses who work with energy and enthusiasm can have a positive influence on patients. This inspired me to support nurses’ bright careers, which ultimately benefits patients. I also recognized the need for a service that sends nurses to homes to provide terminal care for patients, such as those in the final stages of cancer, allowing them to spend their remaining time in peace. This inspired me to start such a service.
 

// Major Outcomes //

 

  • By gaining the trust of institutions that had not previously used recruitment services, such as university hospitals, and turning them into clients, I helped establish a foundation for the nurse talent market. By taking over the recruitment process, which had previously consumed a significant portion of nursing directors’ time, I enabled nursing directors to focus on improving the quality of nursing care.
  • I established and successfully launched a home nursing business, providing terminal care for patients, such as those in the final stages of cancer, allowing them to spend their remaining time at home in peace.
  • Secured funding from foreign investors by developing a compelling business plan and successfully achieving its goals.
  • Established and expanded branches in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Yokohama.
  • Initially, only recruitment of nurses was allowed, but with the revision of the staffing law in March 2004, which partially permitted nurse staffing, I successfully launched and expanded this business.

 

 

 

Details:

Transitioned from a fully paper-based operation to an IT system that created databases for registered personnel and clients, making matching easier and streamlining operations.

Shifted from using magazines as the primary method of recruiting registrants to leveraging web-based registration, utilizing contemporary advertising methods such as listing ads, display ads, and SEO-driven website content (e.g., resume tips, easy search functions, and services exclusive to registered users).

Developed a training program in collaboration with the University of Tokyo Hospital for potential nurses (those with qualifications but not currently working) to help address the nursing shortage.

 


Nurse and Caregiver Recruitment and Staffing Company CEO.


Founding Motivation:
I believe that to truly support nurses’ careers, it’s essential to also support the careers of nursing assistants and caregivers. Additionally, chronic care hospitals and caregiving facilities are, in a broader sense, places for terminal care. By ensuring that nurses, nursing assistants, and caregivers are working energetically, we can contribute to the happiness of those in need of care in various ways. This belief led me to take on this work.

 

// Major Outcomes //

 

  • Developed various systems for gathering registrants, including utilizing the web and other methods.
  • Developed clients from caregiving companies other than the parent company, helping to expand the caregiver talent market.
  • Created a network of nurses who had some connection with the Benesse Group, through an initiative called “The Nurses’ Connection,” and established a system to maintain ongoing relationships.
    https://kango.benesse-mcm.jp/tsunagu/
  • Established and expanded branches in Osaka, Nagoya, and Yokohama.
  • In response to the revision of the staffing law in October 2012, which banned daily dispatching, I developed a system for daily recruitment and streamlined operations to ensure compliance and improve efficiency.

 

 

 
Management Experience in an AI Solutions Company for the Healthcare Industry


AI Solutions Company for the Healthcare Industry CEO.


Founding Motivation:
I wanted to develop AI systems, starting with a fall prediction system, that would allow healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care. I believed that promoting the use of AI and IT in healthcare and caregiving settings would support healthcare workers and related personnel to work with energy and enthusiasm.

 

// Major Outcomes //

 

  • Development and Realization of a Business Model Leading to Revenue
  • Formulation and Promotion of Business Strategy, Including Patent and R&D Strategies
  • Development, Commercialization, and Implementation of a Fall Prediction System for Hospitals
  • Development of a Trustworthy White Box AI for Healthcare Professionals
  • Exploration of Partnerships and Contract Negotiations to Secure Research Funding
  • Understanding and Addressing Legal Regulations Regarding Patient Data Privacy
  • Development of Sales Strategies Based on Consolidation of Department-Specific Needs in Hospitals
  • Understanding Various Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Systems and Examining System Integration Measures

Served as the Project Manager (Business Development Leader) for AMED’s Medical Device Development Program, taking responsibility for organizing and summarizing research outcomes and constructing a business model. This led to high recognition. The project involved developing a system that analyzes patient conversations to assess the degree of cognitive impairment, with correlation to MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) scores, supporting dementia prediction.

  • Collaborated with the university, as the research lead, to advance joint research. Responsibilities included managing research progress, negotiating and managing intellectual property, filing patents, and promoting an understanding and adherence to research ethics.
  • Understanding and compliance with regulations for software medical devices.
  • Carried out “Pre-Development Consultation” with the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) for medical device approval, and drafted the clinical trial protocol.
  • Understanding and building a Quality Management System (QMS) framework for medical device manufacturing registration in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Development and provision of AI solutions for pharmaceutical companies.

  • Understanding the regulatory compliance needs of pharmaceutical companies and converting them into a business model.
  • Understanding the needs and motivations of corporate researchers, and organizing operations, including the design of a user interface (UI) to meet those needs.
  • Handling of confidential information, establishing data integration mechanisms, and building system maintenance frameworks.