Bluebird Kids Health, a new healthcare services company designed to deliver value-based pediatric primary care, announced the closing of a $31.5 million capital raise co-led by F Prime and .406 Ventures, with participation from AIF and founding partner Juxtapose.
Bluebird Kids Health offers an innovative approach to pediatric care. Now, roughly half of children in the US are enrolled in Medicaid and struggle to get appointments with doctors, often because those providers don’t accept Medicaid or have located their practices far from low-income neighborhoods—creating pediatric care deserts.
Bluebird Kids tackles this disparity by building pediatric practices in access-starved neighborhoods, using a modern and tech-enabled approach to care delivery, and implementing a high-performing model built specifically for pediatrics and value-based care (VBC). And by establishing VBC arrangements with commercial and Medicaid payers, Bluebird Kids drives more access to pediatric care, cost savings, quality improvements, and significantly better outcomes for patients.
Johnson features a unique set of experiences to building modern, patient-focused healthcare delivery. Prior to founding Bluebird Kids, he worked as CEO of Landmark Health, which was acquired by Optum in 2021. Landmark provided in-home primary care to seniors in value-based care arrangements with payors.
With Johnson’s vision, Bluebird Kids Health aims to combine a welcoming, community feel with modern medical practices. And as an NCQA-designated patient-centered medical home, Bluebird Kids provides the physical, mental, and social care that children need to thrive. The clinics offer 24/7 access to care, exceptional pediatricians and care teams, and convenient locations with integrated virtual care.
Last year, Bluebird Kids Health acquired a pediatric primary care practice in Palm Beach County. The Bluebird Kids care model already results in some of the highest performing clinical practices in Florida. And with three locations, Bluebird Kids now serves about 20,000 active patients and will expand by applying its care model to brand new de novo practice locations. Construction is already in progress in Jacksonville and more communities are on the horizon.
Plus, Bluebird Kids Health is introducing a proprietary tech platform to proactively manage and coordinate care, using AI to enhance and simplify the experience for its clinical team. And as Bluebird Kids expands, it will build regional hubs that offer extended urgent care and specialized programs, with expanded 24/7/365 remote clinical care and support services.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are on a mission to provide access to high-quality, compassionate care, regardless of a family’s income or location. This investment will help us launch new practices in a variety of markets, including challenging pediatric care deserts. We’re excited to bring a tech-enabled, value-based approach to pediatric care, and scale this vision to communities that need it dearly.”
– Bluebird Kids Health CEO and Founder Chris Johnson
“After nearly 20 years of backing innovative companies providing full-risk primary care for Medicare populations, we are thrilled to partner with Bluebird Kids Health as they apply this proven approach to pediatric care. Chris and his team are uniquely qualified to build a value-based delivery model that brings world-class care to underserved children.”
– Kathryn Taylor Reddy, Principal at .406 Ventures
“We are excited to partner with Bluebird Kids Health as they deliver exceptional care through a value-based model that makes it possible to achieve sustainable, high-quality outcomes in the pediatric space. By expanding convenient access to integrated physical and mental healthcare, Bluebird is working to ensure that proactive, holistic care is available to more children in communities with limited access to care—meeting families where and when they need it most.”
– Brett Cook, Partner at F-Prime
“The unique approach from Bluebird Kids Health of combining value-based care with an underserved market represents a clear path to improving outcomes for children while reducing overall healthcare costs. Seeing the early results, and the profoundly positive impact the company is having on children, I am convinced this is among the most important efforts in U.S. healthcare right now.”
– Ben West, Partner at Juxtapose, a leading creation-oriented investment firm
