BENSALEM, PA — July 2026 — David Sichel spent years in active addiction. At one point, he was exactly the kind of person addiction treatment centers were trying to reach — a name sitting in someone’s CRM that never got a follow-up call. Nobody reached out. That moment never left him.
Now 12 years into recovery, Sichel is the founder and CEO of Blueshirt Media (www.blueshirtmedia.com), a company that builds HIPAA-compliant AI call answering and lead recovery systems exclusively for addiction treatment centers. The platform handles more than 650 calls per month for treatment centers across the country, ensuring that no call from someone seeking help goes unanswered.
From the Back Seat to the Business
Before Blueshirt Media, Sichel ran a sober transport company, driving people to treatment facilities across the region. His rescue dog Henry rode along on every trip.
“Sitting in the car with someone on the way to treatment, you see everything,” Sichel said. “You see how stretched thin admissions teams are. You see how many calls go unanswered after hours. You see leads go cold because nobody had time to follow up. These aren’t sales metrics — these are people in crisis.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down his transport operation, Sichel pivoted. The problem he’d seen firsthand — treatment centers losing potential patients because of overwhelmed staff and outdated systems — became the foundation for Blueshirt Media.
A Missed Call Isn’t a Lost Sale
“A missed call in this industry isn’t a lost sale. It’s potentially a lost life,” Sichel said. “That’s not a tagline. That’s the reality I built this company around.”
Blueshirt Media’s platform operates 24/7, answering inbound calls for addiction treatment centers, qualifying callers, and executing live transfers to admissions teams. The system also runs outbound lead recovery campaigns, re-engaging contacts that were never properly followed up — integrating directly with behavioral health CRMs including Kipu, Lightning Step, BestNotes, Salesforce, and HubSpot.
The company currently handles more than 650 calls per month across its client base, with 34 live transfers to admissions teams monthly. The platform operates in three languages — English, Spanish, and Russian — and maintains zero missed calls.
Built for Behavioral Health — Nothing Else
Unlike general-purpose AI answering services that serve dozens of industries, Blueshirt Media works exclusively with addiction treatment centers and recovery programs. Sichel says the distinction matters because behavioral health admissions calls are fundamentally different from any other business call.
“The caller may be in crisis. They may be calling on behalf of a loved one in crisis. The timing of follow-up isn’t a convenience issue — it’s a clinical one,” he said. “And the regulatory environment — HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2 — has zero tolerance for shortcuts. Generic AI tools handle none of this correctly.”
Every Blueshirt Media client signs a Business Associate Agreement before onboarding. All call recordings and transcripts are encrypted at rest and in transit, with full audit trails and crisis escalation protocols built into every conversation flow.
Recovery as a Foundation
Sichel is open about the role his own recovery plays in how he builds and runs the company. He is an active member of Narcotics Anonymous and says his personal experience informs every aspect of the platform — from the language used in conversation flows to the urgency built into follow-up protocols.
“I understand this space because I lived it,” Sichel said. “I know what it feels like to finally be willing to ask for help and have nobody on the other end of the phone. That’s the problem we solve.”
About Blueshirt Media
Blueshirt Media provides HIPAA-compliant AI call answering, lead recovery, and alumni re-engagement exclusively for addiction treatment centers and recovery programs. The company integrates directly with Kipu, BestNotes, Lightning Step, Salesforce, and HubSpot. All setup and support is U.S.-based.
To learn more or schedule a demo, visit www.blueshirtmedia.com.
Media Contact: David Sichel Founder & CEO, Blueshirt Media dave@blueshirtmedia.com www.blueshirtmedia.com
