Blackbird Health Appoints New Medical Chief
Blackbird Health, a provider of pediatric behavioral healthcare, appointed Dr. Michael Tang as its new Chief Medical Officer, effective March 2. The move is intended to advance the organization's whole-child model as it continues to expand regionally.
Dr. Michael Tang is a quadruple board-certified physician in child psychiatry, adult psychiatry, pediatrics, and addiction medicine. He previously served as Vice President of Integrated Care and Head of Behavioral Health at Cityblock Health, a national healthcare provider focused on Medicaid and dually eligible beneficiaries. His background also includes roles as Chief Behavioral Health Officer at The Dimock Center, a community health agency in Boston, and Boston Site Director for Health Leads, a nonprofit addressing social determinants of health. Blackbird Health's "whole-child" model integrates care by examining the interactions between a child's brain, body, and behavior to treat underlying causes rather than just symptoms. The company provides services for conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and autism through a combination of therapy, medication management, and comprehensive evaluations. This approach aims to provide a complete picture of a child's well-being, considering factors from school stress to family dynamics. The organization utilizes a hybrid model of virtual and in-person care to increase accessibility for children, teens, and young adults up to age 26. While approximately 75% of care is delivered virtually, the company operates physical clinic locations across Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New Jersey. This model is designed to shorten the often-long wait times families face for pediatric behavioral health services. Blackbird Health has been undergoing regional expansion, with new clinics recently opened in Media, Pennsylvania, and Mount Laurel, New Jersey, to meet rising demand. The company's growth strategy focuses on building community density by partnering with pediatricians, health systems, and local schools to create strong referral pipelines. This approach is supported by a $17 million Series A funding round intended to help scale the model nationwide. The company employs a data-driven methodology, using proprietary computational models to analyze millions of data points, which assists clinicians in creating integrated and personalized treatment plans. This precision-based care model has shown that 85% of their patients with depression or anxiety experience a clinically significant improvement in symptoms. Furthermore, patients at Blackbird Health are treated with 50% fewer medications than the national average.
