Bluebird Kids Health, a pediatric health care company, is opening two clinics this summer in Jacksonville.
It will open an office July 2 at 6855 Wilson Blvd., Suite 2, in West Jacksonville, and one in September at 5000-3 Norwood Ave. in Brentwood.
The company is based in Palm Beach and has plans to expand into Broward County.
Bluebird locations are usually in shopping centers anchored by grocery stores, based on the belief that parents are more apt to be exposed to the offices where they frequently shop.
“The genesis of Bluebird Kids Health was creating a great clinical model that integrates physical care, mental care and social care all in your pediatrician’s office and then is able to locate clinics in areas that are really easy to be accessed,” Bluebird Kids Health CEO Chris Johnson said.
It costs about $1 million to open a facility.
In March, Bluebird announced it raised $31.5 million in capital for expansion and advancing technical capabilities.
The companies investing in Bluebird are F-Prime Capital of Cambridge, Massachusetts, .406 Ventures of Boston, AIF of New York City and founding partner Juxtapose of New York City.
“We’re also building a lot of technology that supports making it easy for patients and families to access our care. That’s simplifying the ability to book appointments and simplifying being able to get in touch with us if you need triage services,” Johnson said.
There are three locations in Palm Beach County and one in Broward County.
Expansion plans will take the brand throughout Florida and then into the Southeast, Johnson said.
The Jacksonville clinics are taking new patients at bluebirdkids.com.
Bluebird clinics have extended hours on weeknights and there is 24/7 telephone or videoconferencing access on weekends.
A sick child can often be seen that day or the following.
Last year, Bluebird merged with Palm Beach Pediatrics, a 40-year-old practice.
Before forming Bluebird, Johnson was with Landmark Health, a company that provided in-home primary care for seniors. After the company merged with Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group, he changed patient focus to children.
“Across the country in just about every metro area, there are massive pediatric primary care deserts, there are shortages of pediatricians,” Johnson said .
“And not only that, but oftentimes in lower income communities, lower income neighborhoods, there’s dramatically fewer pediatricians than there are in the higher income areas in those communities. I would say as a result of that, those children are not seeing a pediatrician.”
The company treats newborns to 18-year-olds. It takes most insurance as well as Medicaid.
“Over half the kids in the U.S. are covered by Medicaid. It’s the primary payer of children’s health care in the U.S. versus commercial insurance,” Johnson said.
Because Medicaid usually pays less for pediatric services than private insurance does, some practices limit the number of Medicaid patients it accepts, he said.
Bluebird Kids Health acts as a child’s primary care physician.
It is not an urgent care facility. It establishes a relationship with a doctor’s office whereby staff can monitor a child’s development and detect problems like asthma and diabetes at its earliest stages. A child’s eyesight and hearing can be tested there.
The company is talking with area hospitals to form partnerships to provide urgent and emergency care, imaging and testing for its patients.
It aims to be a less expensive alternative for families who do not have access to a regular pediatrician.
“Increasing access, improving quality metrics that are important, reduces the amount of care that’s happening in hospital emergency departments and even sometimes hospital inpatient care that’s really avoidable if they have access to a high quality pediatrician,” Johnson said.
“By seeing a pediatrician versus being in an emergency department the actual clinical outcomes are better, and it’s at a lower cost.”
The clinics monitor a child’s physical and mental development. Though there are no nutritionists on staff, they offer dietary and lifestyle advice to address childhood obesity.