Consultant - Healthcare Revenue Cycle, Software

Strata earns HFMA Peer Review designation for 13 consecutive years. Recognition reflects Strata's commitment to delivering customer value and advancing healthcare financial decision-making. CHICAGO, Oct. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Strata Decision Technology today announced that after rigorous review by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), StrataJazz(R) Financial Analytics and Performance platform has once again achieved the "Peer Reviewed by HFMA(R)" designation. This milestone marks 10+ years that Strata has achieved the HFMA Peer Review designation, reflecting a continued focus on delivering value to healthcare providers with innovative solutions that help leaders turn data into better decisions. The HFMA Peer Review program is designed to help healthcare executives identify high-quality products and services based on key purchasing criteria. The rigorous, 11-step process includes a Peer Review panel composed of current customers, prospects who have not made a purchase and industry experts. In the HFMA Peer Review survey, 100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend StrataJazz to colleagues. Further, 94% agreed or strongly agreed that StrataJazz enhances productivity and delivers good value for the cost. "We're honored to once again receive HFMA's Peer Reviewed designation, particularly because it reflects the confidence of the healthcare organizations we serve," said John Martino, CEO of Strata Decision Technology. "Our longstanding partnership with healthcare finance leaders has shaped a platform purpose-built for the complexities of their business. We're committed to continually advancing the trusted data, financial intelligence and planning capabilities they need to understand performance, make more informed strategic decisions and improve financial outcomes." StrataJazz is built for connected financial decision-making, bringing together trusted financial and encounter-level data, advanced analytics and enterprise planning solutions in one healthcare-focused platform. Together, these capabilities help finance leaders understand what's driving performance, evaluate strategic options, build financial and operational plans and measure results - supporting better decisions across the business of healthcare. Continuing its investment in the StrataJazz platform, Strata recently introduced Financial Decision Intelligence, an AI-powered solution that combines proactive insights, conversational analysis and predictive analytics to identify financially significant trends, understand what's driving them and anticipate their future impact. "HFMA's Peer Review process is designed to give healthcare leaders greater confidence when evaluating solutions that support critical financial and operational decisions," said HFMA Chief Mission Impact Officer Richard L. Gundling, FHFMA, CMA. "Strata's continued achievement of the Peer Reviewed designation reflects a sustained commitment to delivering financing solutions that have been independently evaluated for effectiveness, quality and value." About HFMA The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) equips its more than 150,000 members nationwide to navigate a complex healthcare landscape. Finance professionals in the full range of work settings, including hospitals, health systems, physician practices and health plans, trust HFMA to provide the guidance and tools to help them lead their organizations, and the industry, forward. HFMA is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization that advances healthcare by collaborating with other key stakeholders to address industry challenges and providing guidance, education, practical tools and solutions, and thought leadership. We lead the financial management of healthcare. Learn more at www.hfma.org. About Strata Decision Technology Strata Decision Technology provides a cloud-based platform of software, data, and services that helps healthcare organizations gain insights, accelerate decisions, and enhance performance. More than 2,300 organizations rely on Strata's StrataJazz and Axiom solutions for enterprise performance management software and data-driven intelligence. Learn more at www.stratadecision.com. Press inquiries should be directed to: Brad Dennison Healthcare Financial Management Association (708) 492-3385 [email protected]

Health system operating margins rebound to 0.4% in May amid shift in patient demand patterns. Chicago, IL - July 21, 2026 - U.S. hospitals and health systems reported modest improvements in May as operating margins recovered to levels not seen since March, though diverging patient volume trends signal emerging challenges, according to new data from Strata Decision Technology. Health system operating margins bounced back to 0.4% in May, returning to March's level after a slight dip in April, though performance remains significantly below May 2025's 1.1%. The modest rebound was tempered by a notable shift in patient demand patterns, with outpatient volumes experiencing a sharp contraction even as inpatient admissions stabilized. "The sharp decline in outpatient volumes in May is a notable signal, but stable inpatient admissions and continued year-over-year revenue growth point to a more mixed performance picture," said Alina Henderson, Vice President for Healthcare Solutions and Partnerships at Strata Decision Technology. "For CFOs, the question is what those patterns mean in terms of service-line performance. Putting volume and revenue trends alongside forecasts and cost data can help leaders identify which service lines warrant growth investment and where margin improvement should take priority." Key Performance Trends in May: Outpatient volumes experienced a dramatic reversal in May, declining 8.4% month-over-month and 1.8% year-over-year, a sharp departure from recent trends. In contrast, inpatient admissions showed relative stability, growing 2.4% year-over-year and 0.8% month-over-month. Emergency department visits declined 1.2% month-over-month and 2.6% year-over-year. Revenue growth remained solid on a year-over-year basis, with gross operating revenue rising 5.9% and outpatient revenue growth continuing to exceed inpatient at 6.1% versus 5.7%. However, month-over-month trends showed weakness, with total gross operating revenue declining 2.6% and outpatient revenue down 4.5%. Non-labor expenses remain the primary cost driver, rising 6.2% year-over-year despite a 2.1% month-over-month decline. Supply expense growth of 4% and drug expense growth of 3.3% year-over-year continue to pressure margins. Labor costs showed relative stability, increasing 3.9% annually. Physician practices faced continued pressure, with per-physician expenses growing 3.6% year-over-year. Investment levels per physician FTE accelerated to 7.36% year-over-year growth, reflecting increased health system support, while net patient services revenue per FTE increased only 1.42% year-over-year. These findings are drawn from Strata Decision Technology's latest Monthly Healthcare Industry Financial Benchmarks report. About the Data This report uses data from Strata's Comparative Analytics solution and StrataSphere database. Comparative Analytics offers access to near real-time data drawn from more than 149,000 providers from over 15,000 practices and 139 specialty categories, and from 500+ unique departments across more than 2,200 hospitals. StrataSphere is a comprehensive data-sharing platform representing approximately 25% of all provider spend in U.S. healthcare. About Strata Decision Technology Strata Decision Technology provides a cloud-based platform for software and service solutions to help organizations better analyze, plan, and perform in support of their missions. More than 2,300 organizations rely on Strata to provide their financial analytics, planning, and performance solutions. Strata has been named the market leader for Business Decision Support for 18 consecutive years. Strata delivers market-leading solutions and world-class service, with an increased focus on accelerating innovation. For more information, please visit www.stratadecision.com.