Summary

BlueStar Pilipinas is a Family Planning (FP) franchise run by licensed midwives (1 midwife per clinic) in 200 clinics. PSPI started BlueStar Pilipinas in 2008 to increase accessible and affordable of quality FP services.

Program goals

BlueStar Pilipinas provides services for family planning and for sexually transmitted infections.

Key program components

BlueStar Healthcare Network is a social franchising strategy to improve access to quality sexual and reproductive health services through existing private providers. To ensure quality, MSI trains BlueStar providers in state-of-the-art service delivery and then regularly monitors quality to ensure agreed standards are met. Providers receive training in areas such as family planning knowledge, counseling, clinical skills, marketing and business management.

Facilities are refurbished and branded with the BlueStar logo, and are then promoted to clients to assist them in identifying and accessing quality services. Franchisees are able to buy family planning methods for their centers at reduced prices, ensuring better profit margins.

To participate in the network, the midwives pay an annual membership fee of US$24 and weekly fee of US$7, which covers PSPI's initial investment for franchised-midwives, including training and initial supplies and equipments, and aids BlueStar Pilipinas management in running and enhancing its operations.

Accreditation of providers and facilities of PhilHealth's Maternity Care Package has entitled BlueStar Pilipinas franchised-midwives to claim US$120 in reimbursement for each delivery of a PhilHealth-enrolled woman, which help franchised-midwives cover operating costs.

Quality assurance (QA) and performance monitoring methods include:

• Site visits (6/year), internal audits (2/year)

• External audits (1/year)

• Client exit interviews (1/year)

• Qualitative reviews with clients (2/year)

• Qualitative reviews with providers (2/year)

The business systems audit verifies client numbers and service statistics that are reported by the franchises. BlueStar uses these findings to improve the reporting mechanisms. The program uses QA data to improve or sustain quality of services.

Population Services Phillipinas Inc (PSPI) uses mobile money within its BlueStar social franchise program. Members of the social franchise make payments to PSPI for stock orders that they have received, such as contraceptives supplies, and for membership dues which they pay weekly and annually through their mobile phones.

Population Services Pilipinas also conducts annual recognition parties to honor exemplary performance in the provision of FP services. The program reports that operational research studies have found high client satisfaction in terms of the quality of services and the competence of the networked midwives.

BlueStar Pilipinas served 123,146 in 2012 and 119,815 clients in 2013. As of 2013, there were 267 franchised-midwives and 267 Clinics.