Health industry experts to provide counsel amid company’s rapid growth and broader telemental health adoption

Brightside Health, a telehealth platform that delivers life-changing mental health care to individuals with mild-to-severe clinical depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders, announced today the appointment of health industry experts Jeff Margolis as an independent board member and The Honorable David Shulkin, MD, as an advisor, effective October 1, 2022. Margolis and Secretary Shulkin will provide guidance to the organization as it expands and continues to deliver life-changing mental healthcare to all who need it, including those with elevated suicide risk.

“We’re pleased to welcome Jeff Margolis to our Board of Directors and Secretary David Shulkin as an Advisor to Brightside Health at a time when there is a profound need for telehealth solutions that treat people with more severe mental health conditions,” said Brad Kittredge, co-founder and CEO, Brightside Health. “As Brightside Health continues executing on its next phase of growth, we’re confident that Jeff and David will help us partner with healthcare stakeholders to reach those who need timely, high-quality care the most.”

Margolis is the former CEO and chairman of Welltok, the leading healthcare consumer activation company, and previously was the founder, chairman, and CEO of TriZetto, the first industry vertical SaaS enterprise solution supporting over 130 million insured lives. Margolis currently serves on the board of directors for NextGen Healthcare (NASDAQ: NXGN), Alignment Healthcare (NASDAQ: ALHC), TriNetX, Hydrogen Health, DNAnexus, and Grin. He also serves on several nonprofit boards including Hoag Clinic (Chair) and the Center for Digital Transformation (Chair) at the University of California, Irvine. He is also a senior advisor to Blackstone. Margolis is an alumnus of the University of Illinois, holds a CPA certificate (inactive) and an AICPA Chartered Global Management Accountant designation, and is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow.

“Behavioral health has taken center stage as one of the certain growth segments in healthcare, and Brightside Health is best positioned in the vital area of high-cost, high-complexity mental health,” said Margolis. “I am excited to join the Brightside Health board as the company focuses on converging and scaling digital technology and high-acuity services to deliver excellent customer experiences that help people improve their mental health status; create convenience for provider referrals; and reduce costs for consumers, employers, and health plans.”

Secretary Shulkin was the ninth secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the Trump Administration and the VA’s Under Secretary of Health in the Obama Administration. Shulkin is a widely-respected healthcare executive having served as chief executive of leading hospitals and health systems including Beth Israel in New York City and Morristown Medical Center in Northern New Jersey. He ​​founded and served as the chairman and CEO of DoctorQuality, one of the first consumer-oriented sources of information for quality and safety in healthcare. Secretary Shulkin has served on boards of managed care companies, technology companies, and healthcare organizations and now works with healthcare organizations that are leading the transformation of medicine around the world. Over his career, Secretary Shulkin has been named “One Hundred Most Influential People in American Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare and continues to advocate on behalf of the country’s veterans by serving on the board of numerous nonprofits that serve veterans.

“The ability to deliver high-quality accessible behavioral healthcare is essential to improving healthcare for our communities,” said Secretary Shulkin. “Brightside Health is doing just this and this work is both important and exciting to be part of.”

The appointment of Margolis and Secretary Shulkin reinforces Brightside Health’s position as the leading provider of virtual mental health care. Their guidance will support Brightside Health in their next phase of growth, helping with strategic decisions and market execution that best serve the company’s members and enhance its value proposition.

For more information about Brightside Health, visit www.brightside.com.

About Brightside Health

Brightside Health delivers life-changing mental health care to people with mild to severe clinical depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders, including those with elevated suicide risk. Powered by proprietary AI, purpose-built technology, and a world-class clinician network, Brightside combines precision psychiatry and leading-edge therapeutic techniques to improve patient outcomes across the entire clinical spectrum, affordably and at scale. Brightside Health can be paid for with insurance in all 50 states and DC, with appointments available in 48 hours or less. Learn more at www.brightside.com.

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