Part 3 of a 3 Part Series

In Part 1 of our series, we explained how the draft 2026 ACDIS/AHIMA Practice Brief addresses compliance with technology-generated and AI-assisted query standards. In Part 2, we clarified the Brief’s guidance on compliant query practice and its relationship to claim denials. In this final installment, we focus on the core issue: what documentation supports code assignment and why a compliant query response suffices once it becomes part of the permanent health record.

The draft of the updated 2026 ACDIS/AHIMA Practice Brief, “Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice, dispels some common myths associated with clinical documentation, like the idea that a diagnosis must be documented throughout the health record to be reportable. This is not a requirement within the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting. The reality is that supportive clinical indicators will be present; otherwise, there would be no justification for a query. However, the terminology used to describe the condition may only be documented in ICD-10-CM terminology within the query. That is the whole purpose of a query: to represent the patient’s clinical scenario and the provider’s intent in terms that align with the billing code set used in that setting.

Payers often cite “the diagnosis only appeared on the query,” or the lack of consistent use of the coding term throughout the health record, or the absence of the diagnosis (in ICD-10 language) in the discharge summary as reasons to remove a clinically significant diagnosis that meets reporting requirements from the claim. Often, queries are issued to obtain an impactful diagnosis (e.g., one that adds a CC or MCC to the claim) that is clinically valid and reportable for inclusion in the discharge summary. This is a huge waste of limited resources and is annoying to most providers. The reference to diagnoses being in the discharge summary is from old coding guidance that advised that the principal diagnosis be listed and that all secondary diagnoses appear in the final diagnosis list or be reflected in the final diagnostic statement. However, since that time, coding guidance explicitly states that coders must review the entire record for diagnoses (not just the discharge summary).

The draft brief specifically states, “If a compliant query has been properly answered and authenticated by a responsible provider and is part of the permanent health record, it is sufficient for code assignment. The response to the query is not required to be repeated elsewhere in the health record.” When querying was first introduced, the preferred query format was open-ended, and the response had to be documented in a subsequent medical record note because there was no other way to include it in the permanent health record. In fact, CDIs used to spend a lot of time following up with providers to remind them to document their query response within the health record.

Open-ended queries were difficult for both the provider and the query professional. The provider did not know coding terminology, so the query response often failed to yield the desired result of clarifying existing documentation into terms that translate into diagnosis codes. The shift to multiple-choice queries began while health records were paper, but became the preferred query format during the transition to EMRs because it added efficiency to the query process for both query professionals and the provider being queried. Additionally, multiple-choice queries provide the provider with coding terms that appear to align with the clinical scenario, thereby increasing their efficacy.

One of the most important inclusions in the draft is the statement that “There is no specific direction as to where a diagnosis must be documented or how often the diagnosis must be documented to allow it to be reported.” Although the query practice brief, once finalized, is only industry guidance, this is an important statement to include in appeals when a diagnosis is challenged because it is documented using ICD-10-CM terminology only once.

Appealing payer denials can be a cumbersome task that requires more than coding or clinical knowledge. In today’s healthcare environment, where profits are limited for both payers and hospitals, those appealing payer denials need to be experts in healthcare regulations, coding, and medicine.

As query expectations change, healthcare organizations need practices that are both compliant and trustworthy, supporting accurate documentation and provider confidence.

The post 2026 Practice Brief Draft: Sources of Documentation for Claims Data appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.

Part 2 of a 3 Part Series

In Part 1, we explored how the draft 2026 ACDIS/AHIMA Practice Brief addresses technology-generated queries and affirms that AI-assisted documentation tools must meet the same compliance standards as traditional queries. In Part 2, we cover another key update: the Practice Brief’s effort to redefine compliant query practice and clarify how the guidance should, and should not, be used in payer reviews and claim disputes.

An unintended use of prior query practice briefs was their use as a payer denial tool. Query experts Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education, and Robin Sewell, Lead Clinical Coding Analyst at Brundage Group, presented at last year’s National ACDIS conference on this topic. The updated 2026 ACDIS/AHIMA Practice Brief, “Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice,” addresses this topic head-on by discussing the draft’s intent and limitations.

First, it is important to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Even though physicians are independently reimbursed for the services they provide, their documentation serves not only as the basis for their professional reimbursement but also impacts hospital finances. Clinical documentation impacts hospital reimbursement through a variety of mechanisms, ranging from determining patient status to MS-DRG assignments to performance on quality-of-care measures. Because clinical concepts often lack alignment with clinical code sets, queries are a necessary “communication tool” used to “ensure documentation integrity and the accuracy of diagnosis, procedure, or service code assignment for an individual encounter in any healthcare setting.”  Queries “support accurate, complete, and clinically valid documentation” so the provider’s intent can be reflected within administrative (claims) data.

The basis of ethical and compliant querying is identifying clinical misalignment with coding concepts that can result in an inaccurate representation of the patient when their encounter must be explained and justified using diagnosis and procedure codes. As payers look to cut expenditures, some have found success by removing diagnoses from claims when they determine a query is “noncompliant.” Their reasoning appears to be that the diagnosis obtained from a query the payer considers noncompliant is the fruit of the poisonous tree and, therefore, must be excluded.

The authors of this updated brief address this payer trend by clearly stating that the brief, “is not intended for use as a basis for denying claims or disputing clinical queries.”  Furthermore, it states that use of the brief “as a stand-alone rationale for claim denials, post-payment recovery, or adverse audit findings is inconsistent with its purpose and scope.” It is sufficient for query professionals to demonstrate “substantial compliance,” meaning the query meets general query requirements even if it may include an “isolated technical deviation, such as a minor formatting inconsistency, a missing source date on a single indicator, or a query title visitable to the provider that is descriptive but not diagnosis-directing.” In other words, the brief was never intended to serve as a payer-denial manual.

The 2026 Practice Brief Draft reinforces an important principle: compliant query practice is designed to support documentation integrity and accurate representation of the patient story, not serve as a standalone basis for claim denials. By clarifying the concept of substantial compliance and reaffirming the intended purpose of queries, the draft provides meaningful guidance for organizations navigating increased payer scrutiny.

Next week, we’ll explore “Sources of Documentation and Claims Data,” examining how the Practice Brief addresses the clinical evidence, documentation sources, and administrative data that support compliant query practices and accurate code assignment.

The post 2026 Practice Brief Draft: Defining a Compliant Query Practice appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.

Part 1 of a 3 Part Series

The draft of the 2026 ACDIS/AHIMA Practice Brief, “Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice,” reflects a sophisticated understanding of the modern documentation environment. The authors wisely include the ambulatory and professional fee environments, recognizing that the impact of documentation integrity is no longer confined to the hospital setting and MS-DRG methodology. This draft serves as a powerful reminder that while industry tools are changing, the core mission remains the same: ensuring the health record accurately reflects the patient’s clinical story.

This update is timely with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) signaling increased scrutiny of AI (artificial intelligence) use in healthcare. As we move deeper into an era that feels like an AI arms race, this draft provides impressive thoroughness. It takes a proactive stance regarding the evolving role of technology and the integrity of clinical documentation. By moving beyond high-level mentions to provide a structured compliance framework for technology-generated queries, ACDIS and AHIMA have provided the industry with a much-needed roadmap. The workgroup deserves significant praise for tackling these complex, “front-line” issues with clarity and foresight.

The draft’s additions on AI governance are essential, as hospitals must balance point-of-care documentation efficiency with billing compliance. Specifically, the brief recognizes that technology is being “increasingly integrated” into electronic health records and expands the definition of querying to include “prompts, nudges, advisories, alerts, or similar terms” for technology-generated documentation clarification opportunities. The brief also attempts to close the query terminology loophole by declaring that “a communication constitutes a query when it presents a provider with a specific diagnosis or documentation option for consideration in connection with a specific patient encounter.” As with prior briefs, this one argues that regardless of what terms are used to describe a documentation clarification tools or when clarification is requested during the encounter, “technology-generated queries are subject to the same compliance standards as manually constructed queries.”

In this article, we looked at how the 2026 Practice Brief Draft addresses technology-generated queries and applies the same compliance standards to AI-assisted documentation tools as to traditional queries. Next week, we’ll focus on another important part of the draft: “Refining a Compliant Query Practice.” We’ll share practical tips for healthcare organizations to improve their query processes, engage providers, and maintain accurate documentation as technology continues to evolve.

The post 2026 Practice Brief Draft: Technology and Querying appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.

In 2009, early in his emergency medicine career at Morton Plant Hospital, Dr. Smith met Dr. Tim Brundage.

“At the time, I didn’t think much about it beyond just having a good conversation,” Dr. Smith recalled. “But I always remember him. He was easy to talk to, thoughtful, and clearly cared about people.”

Years later, after building a career that spanned emergency medicine leadership, hospital administration, and the payer side of healthcare, Dr. Smith would once again cross paths with Dr. Brundage, this time as part of the team at Brundage Group.

That full-circle moment reflects much of Dr. Smith’s approach to healthcare today: relationships matter, collaboration matters, and behind every operational challenge are people trying to do meaningful work.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Smith has worked across nearly every corner of healthcare, from paramedic and phlebotomist to emergency physician, department leader, and payer-side physician reviewer. Those experiences gave him something many healthcare professionals never fully see: the perspective from both sides of the system.

Speaking Different Languages, Chasing the Same Goals

After years spent in clinical leadership and administration, Dr. Smith noticed a recurring challenge inside healthcare organizations.

In many cases, teams are not necessarily working against one another. They are simply operating under different pressures, priorities, and expectations.

“Clinical leaders, financial leaders, and operational leaders are often trying to accomplish the same things,” Dr. Smith explained. “But they’re speaking different languages.”

For clinicians, the focus is on delivering quality patient care. For hospital leadership, it maintains operational stability while continuing to serve the community. For financial and utilization management teams, it is ensuring the organization can sustain that care long-term.

The problem, according to Dr. Smith, is that those efforts often become siloed.

Departments can unintentionally end up operating independently, managing their own fires, metrics, and responsibilities without the time or resources to fully align with one another.

That disconnect creates friction, slows decision-making, and often increases the burden placed on already overwhelmed clinical teams.

The Role of a Trusted Advisor

Dr. Smith believes Physician Advisors play a critical role in helping bridge those gaps.

That perspective became even clearer after Dr. Smith transitioned to the payer side of healthcare.

“There were so many things I remember thinking, ‘I wish I had known this earlier,’” he said. “Simple things that could have helped hospitals and physicians tremendously if we had understood how documentation and medical necessity were being evaluated.”

Now working as a Physician Advisor with Brundage Group, Dr. Smith uses those experiences to help hospitals navigate increasingly complex payer expectations, patient status decisions, and documentation requirements.

Rather than adding to the administrative burden clinicians already face, he believes Physician Advisors should function as collaborative partners who simplify complex processes and provide clear, actionable guidance.

“If clinicians have trusted support behind them, they can focus more of their attention on where it belongs, on patient care,” he explained.

Turning Insight Into Action

As healthcare continues to evolve, Dr. Smith sees the need for proactive support becoming even more important.

Hospitals today are balancing staffing shortages, growing payer scrutiny, changing regulations, and increasing operational demands, often all at once. Many organizations are forced into a reactive cycle simply because they do not have the time or resources to stay ahead of every change happening across the industry.

That is where the combination of physician expertise and proactive analytics becomes especially valuable.

Through solutions like Certus Radar, Brundage Group helps hospitals identify patterns, recognize emerging risks, and address issues before they escalate into larger operational or financial problems.

For Dr. Smith, the value is not simply in preventing denials or improving the accuracy of patient status. It is helping hospitals achieve stronger alignment between the people delivering care and the systems that support it.

Building Stronger Partnerships in Healthcare

At the center of Dr. Smith’s philosophy is a simple idea: healthcare works better when people trust each other.

Whether he was leading an emergency department, reviewing cases on the payer side, or supporting hospitals as a Physician Advisor today, Dr. Smith has consistently focused on helping people work together toward shared goals.

Because ultimately, the challenges facing healthcare are rarely solved by one department alone.

They are solved through collaboration, communication, and trusted partnerships that help organizations move forward together.

The post Spotlight: Dr. Gregory Smith – A Career Built on Understanding Both Sides appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.

What Role Does Technology Play in Hospital Revenue Cycle Operations?

“Technology is the connective tissue behind what our clinical experts do every day,” says Fulmer.

Brundage Group uses healthcare analytics and workflow technology that automatically identifies missed documentation and coding opportunities, preventing revenue leakage for hospitals.

The organization’s technology integrates with electronic health records (EHRs) and operational workflows, combining clinical, coding, and financial data into a single view to identify areas in need of attention.

Our tools highlight mismatches between clinical care and reimbursement, Fulmer explains. This enables physician advisors and Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) specialists to prioritize their efforts for greater impact.

What Is the Mid-Revenue Cycle?

The mid-revenue cycle is the stage between patient care and reimbursement, during which hospitals manage clinical documentation, coding accuracy, utilization review, and revenue integrity processes.

“It’s where what the clinician did at the bedside gets translated into accurate documentation, coding, and ultimately a clean claim,” says Fulmer.

Accurate documentation during the mid-revenue cycle is essential because it affects:

How Does Workflow Automation Improve Hospital Operations?

Healthcare workflow automation reduces manual steps, streamlines hospital operations, and directly improves efficiency by allowing staff to focus on complex tasks.

Brundage Group uses intelligent workflows to automate:

• Case prioritization
• Query routing
• Worklist generation
• Opportunities
• Risks

“Every hour we give back to a CDI specialist or Physician Advisor is an hour spent on the cases that matter most,” Fulmer explains.

How Can Healthcare Technology Support Clinicians Without Adding Complexity?

Fulmer believes healthcare technology should integrate into existing workflows rather than force clinicians to change their workflows.

“Good technology should feel like a quiet assistant, not another inbox,” Fulmer explains.

Why Are Fragmented Healthcare Systems Inefficient?

One of the biggest operational challenges hospitals face is fragmentation between systems.

“A single patient encounter touches EHR systems, coding, CDI, utilization review, billing, and multiple other platforms that often don’t communicate effectively,” Fulmer says.

Disconnected systems create:

• Duplicate work
• Incomplete information
• Delayed decisions
• Administrative inefficiencies
• Increased labor costs

“The inefficiency isn’t in the people,” Fulmer explains. “It’s in the gaps between systems.”

Fragmentation is not the only issue hindering hospital operations; legacy systems also struggle to keep pace with current demands.

Many hospital systems were built for a healthcare environment that no longer exists.

“A lot of hospital infrastructure was designed for fee-for-service environments with simpler payer requirements and lower data complexity,” Fulmer says.

Today, hospitals face:

• Larger data volumes
• More payer scrutiny
• Complex reimbursement models
• Increased regulatory requirements
• Faster operational demands

“Legacy systems were built to document what happened,” Fulmer explains. “Modern healthcare organizations need systems that can interpret risk, surface opportunities, and support proactive decision-making.”

How Does Technology Help Address Hospital Workforce Challenges?

Hospitals continue to face workforce shortages across CDI, coding, case management, and physician advisory roles.

“These are highly specialized roles that are difficult to recruit and retain,” says Fulmer.

Brundage Group uses technology to decrease administrative burden by automating routine processes, freeing clinical experts to focus on higher-value patient care decisions.

 How Is AI Changing Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management?

According to Fulmer, healthcare is moving from reactive systems to predictive systems powered by AI, enabling earlier identification of denial risks and more proactive revenue management.

“We’re moving from systems that record what happened to systems that anticipate what’s about to happen,” he says. hospitals that embrace this approach will operate very differently in the next five years,” Fulmer predicts.

Why Is Human Expertise Still Essential in Healthcare Technology?

Despite advances in AI and automation, Fulmer emphasizes that technology alone cannot replace clinical judgment.

“A flag from an algorithm is only a hypothesis,” he says. “It still takes a physician to determine whether documentation accurately reflects the patient’s condition and the care delivered.”

That is why Brundage Group maintains a physician-led approach to revenue integrity and clinical documentation improvement.

“The technology accelerates the work,” Fulmer explains. “But the decisions that affect compliance, reimbursement, and patient care still require clinical expertise.”

Why Does Revenue Integrity Matter for Hospitals?

According to Fulmer, strong revenue cycle performance directly affects a hospital’s ability to serve its community.

“A hospital that captures the revenue it has earned is a hospital that can retain staff, sustain services, and continue caring for patients locally,” he says.

When hospitals maintain financial stability:

• Communities retain local access to care.
• Critical services remain available.
• Staffing stability improves.
• Patient outcomes improve.
• Long-term sustainability strengthens.

That’s the larger purpose behind every workflow, every algorithm, and every chart review,” Fulmer says. “Keeping hospitals open so they can keep their communities healthy.

The post How Technology Helps Hospitals Reduce Denials and Strengthen Revenue Cycle Performance appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.

Today’s hospitals are operating in an increasingly complex environment, marked by shrinking margins, rising payer denials, and evolving regulatory demands. In response, Utilization Management (UM) has become more than a compliance function; it is now a critical driver of both financial performance and patient access to care. Dr. Simon Ahtaridis, MD, MPH, CHCQM, Lead Physician Advisor for the UM service line, shares how Physician Advisors help hospitals navigate these challenges and where opportunities remain.

Connecting Clinical Care with Reimbursement

As the gap between clinical care and reimbursement continues to widen, hospitals are facing a familiar challenge: delivering appropriate care that isn’t always fully reflected in the medical record. While physicians are highly skilled at diagnosing and treating patients, they are not always trained to clearly demonstrate medical necessity in documentation, an issue that has become increasingly important as payers intensify their review processes.

This is where the Physician Advisor plays a critical role. By working alongside physicians, case management, and Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) teams, Physician Advisors help ensure that the patient’s story is accurately captured in real time. These collaborative efforts not only strengthen compliance but also support more accurate reimbursement.

Moving from Reactive to Proactive Utilization Management

For many hospitals, Utilization Management has traditionally been reactive, identifying issues after a patient has been discharged, when opportunities to correct documentation or clarify status are limited. In today’s environment, that approach is no longer sustainable.

Competing priorities, limited resources, and complex electronic medical records can make it difficult to consistently capture patient complexity during the hospital stay. As a result, missed opportunities often translate into avoidable denials and lost revenue.

Leading organizations are shifting toward a more proactive model, focusing on early identification of patient status, stronger alignment across UM, CDI, and case management, and the use of real-time insights to guide decisions during the inpatient stay. This shift allows teams to address issues before they escalate, reduce denials, and improve overall performance.

Helping Hospitals and Communities Thrive

The impact of these challenges extends beyond hospital operations. Financial instability can directly affect access to care, particularly in rural communities where resources are already limited. When hospitals are not reimbursed appropriately, the consequences can ripple outward, impacting staffing, services, and long-term sustainability.

Addressing these challenges requires coordinated effort across clinical, operational, and financial teams. Physician Advisors play a key role in bringing these groups together, aligning priorities, and ensuring that care decisions are both clinically sound and financially supported.

At the same time, many hospital leaders lack the tools needed to fully interpret their data and identify where opportunities exist. As Dr. Ahtaridis notes, having clear visibility into performance is essential for making informed decisions. Advanced analytics can help bridge this gap, turning complex data into actionable insight and enabling a more proactive approach to Utilization Management.

As healthcare continues to evolve, so does the role of the Physician Advisor. Increasing complexity demands deeper expertise, a more proactive approach to Utilization Management, and stronger collaboration.

Ultimately, the goal is clear: ensure hospitals are accurately reimbursed for the care they provide so they can continue delivering high-quality services to the patients and communities that depend on them.

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Why Workflow-Driven Physician Advisor Programs Are Defining the Future of Healthcare

After the National Physician Advisor Conference (NPAC), we spoke with Cheryl Ericson, Senior Director of Clinical Policy and Education, to identify what stood out and where healthcare organizations still have work to do. She made it clear that hospitals continue to face challenges, but people now expect faster and better responses.

Validation: The Industry Is Catching Up—We’re Already There

A main takeaway from NPAC was that Brundage Group is moving in the same direction as the industry. Cheryl pointed out that federal regulations and payer expectations are becoming increasingly complex, yet many organizations still only react rather than embed compliance into their daily work.

At Brundage Group, we use our regulatory expertise and real-world workflows to stay ahead. Instead of just explaining rules, we embed them in the daily decisions clinicians and Physician Advisor teams make.

From Compliance to Competitive Advantage

One big theme from NPAC is that hospitals need to do more than react to compliance issues. They need to strengthen their Physician Advisor programs not only to minimize the risk of denials but also to improve teamwork and financial health.

This is where Brundage Group’s model stands apart:

• At Brundage Group, we combine strict compliance with payer-level sensitivity, enabling us to adapt quickly to new payer behaviors and regulatory changes.
• Brundage Group uses insights from diverse clients to spot trends early, giving hospitals a broader view than they could achieve on their own.
• At Brundage Group, we put these insights into workflows so they drive real action, not just reports.

In short, Brundage Group helps turn Physician Advisor programs into high-performing, best-practice teams. Our clients have seen measurable results, including fewer claim denials, faster case reviews, higher throughput, and a stronger bottom line—showing the value of a workflow-driven approach.

The Shift in the Physician Advisor Model

Another important point is that the usual setup for Physician Advisor programs needs to change.

On-site Physician Advisors often spend too much time on routine review tasks. Cheryl stressed that it’s time to rethink this model and let internal Physician Advisors focus on the work for which they are best trained.

A Modern Approach Makes It Possible To:

• Leverage Brundage Group’s external Physician Advisors to handle high-volume, transactional reviews, ensuring consistency and scalability.
• Work more closely with IT and clinical teams to remove barriers and improve workflows.
• Clarify the division of Physician Advisor roles:
  • Transactional tasks such as case reviews, initial chart assessments, and routine documentation checks are best handled by external Physician Advisors, freeing up internal teams for more strategic activities.
  • Internal Physician Advisors can make an impact by working with the C-suite, leading committees, teaching providers, interacting with revenue cycle teams, developing policies, improving documentation, and supporting complex case consultations.
  • This clear delineation helps executives allocate resources efficiently and position their teams as organizational leaders.

In conclusion, Cheryl’s insights showed that the future of utilization management and Physician Advisor programs is already happening. The organizations that adapt the fastest will see the biggest benefits.

The post NPAC 2026 Takeaways appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.

Pinellas Park, Fla. – May 1, 2026 

Brundage Group is proud to announce it has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Tampa Bay for the third year in a row. This distinction matters because it is based on direct feedback from employee surveys, reflecting the voices and experiences of the people who power the organization every day.

This award reflects Brundage Group’s ongoing commitment to a workplace culture rooted in its core values: integrity, collaboration, accountability, and innovation. Earning this recognition for a third consecutive year underscores the company’s consistency not only in defining those values but also in actively living them across all levels of the organization.

“Our people are the foundation of everything we do,” said Tim Brundage, MD, CEO and Founder of Brundage Group. “To receive this honor three years in a row, based on their feedback, is incredibly meaningful. It validates that we are creating an environment where employees feel supported, valued, and empowered to do their best work.”

Employee survey results showed strong marks in leadership transparency, team collaboration, professional development opportunities, and overall workplace satisfaction. We continue to invest in initiatives that support employee well-being, career growth, and a sense of purpose aligned with our mission.

As Brundage Group expands its impact in healthcare solutions, we keep a people-first culture at the heart of our strategy. This recognition serves as both a milestone and a motivator to keep raising the bar.

About Brundage Group
Brundage Group is a leading provider of physician-led, tech-enabled clinical and revenue integrity solutions for U.S. hospitals and health systems. Its team of top-tier Physician Advisors, proprietary analytics, and educational programs empower health care providers with ensuring inpatient care is thoroughly documented, clinically justified, and compliant with regulatory standards. Founded in 2007, Brundage Group is dedicated to enhancing clinical accuracy, regulatory compliance, and financial health for hospitals and health care systems nationwide, so they can focus on providing exceptional care to their patients and communities.

Media Contact:
Lacey Thompson
Senior Director of Marketing, Brundage Group
lthompson@brundagegroup.com

The post Brundage Group Named Best Place to Work in Tampa Bay for Third Consecutive Year appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.

In a recent executive spotlight by Capital Analytics Associates, Dr. Timothy Brundage, CEO and founder of Brundage Group, shares a clear mission: helping hospitals stay financially strong so they can keep caring for their communities. With health systems facing tighter margins, more regulations, and higher denial rates, this focus is more important than ever and sets his approach apart.

The Expanding Role of Physician Advisors

A key part of Dr. Brundage’s view is how the role of Physician Advisor has changed. Instead of just reviewing cases, Physician Advisors now work at the intersection of clinical care and business performance. By focusing on medical necessity, accurate documentation, and payer alignment, hospitals can ensure proper reimbursement while staying compliant and maintaining high-quality care.

Breaking Down Silos in Healthcare Operations

Dr. Brundage points out that lasting success depends on better teamwork between areas that are often separated, like utilization management, clinical documentation, and revenue cycle. When these areas are disconnected, it can lead to problems such as denials and compliance risks. Working together under physician leadership helps improve accuracy, makes processes easier to defend, and builds a stronger operation.

Scaling Impact Through Growth and Innovation

The spotlight also highlights Brundage Group’s steady growth, fueled by national demand for physician advisory services and advanced analytics. Strategic investments have helped the firm expand its reach while staying focused on clinical expertise. By combining expert advice with technology, they help health systems withstand greater payer scrutiny and more complex operations.

AI as an Enabler—Not a Replacement

When it comes to artificial intelligence, Dr. Brundage believes AI should support, not replace, clinical judgment. Used well, it can make workflows smoother, reveal useful insights, and help people make better decisions. But its real value lies in fitting into actual clinical processes and being carefully integrated into provider workflows.

Physician-Led Vision for the Future of Healthcare

Since its founding in 2007, Brundage Group has focused on the idea that clinical leadership is key to running a successful operation. Dr. Brundage keeps stressing the need to connect care quality, compliance, and financial results, which helps the company and its clients adjust to the fast-changing healthcare world.

The post Spotlight on Leadership: Dr. Brundage appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.

Pinellas Park, Fla. – April 27, 2026 

Brundage Group, a physician-led leader in revenue cycle management (RCM) consulting and Physician Advisor services, today announced the launch of its newly redesigned Certus Navigator Utilization Management portal—a configurable, workflow-driven platform designed to deliver personalized, role-based experiences and real-time patient and case management. 

The platform represents a major transformation, enabling healthcare teams to manage patient records, track cases, and act directly within the system. Users can leverage Certus Radar to view patient census data, identify actionable items, and execute built-in workflow actions, from submitting cases to updating records, without leaving the portal.

Key enhancements include: 

• Role-based experiences tailored to user responsibilities  

• Real-time patient and case management through Certus Radar with actionable workflows  

• Built-in workflow actions that allow users to submit and manage cases directly from patient records  

• Enhanced dashboards with advanced, configurable filtering for customized insights  

• Built on Salesforce Experience Cloud with Apex-powered data integrations, ensuring seamless connectivity and performance  

The redesigned Certus Navigator portal underscores Brundage Group’s commitment to delivering technology-enabled, physician-led solutions that support the evolving demands of today’s healthcare environment. 

About Brundage Group 
Brundage Group is a leading provider of physician-led, tech-enabled clinical and revenue integrity solutions for U.S. hospitals and health systems. Its team of top-tier Physician Advisors, proprietary analytics, and educational programs empower health care providers with ensuring inpatient care is thoroughly documented, clinically justified, and compliant with regulatory standards. Founded in 2007, Brundage Group is dedicated to enhancing clinical accuracy, regulatory compliance, and financial health for hospitals and health care systems nationwide, so they can focus on providing exceptional care to their patients and communities.

Media Contact:
Lacey Thompson
Senior Director of Marketing, Brundage Group
lthompson@brundagegroup.com

The post Brundage Group Launches Redesigned Client Portal  appeared first on Physician-Led Advisory & Revenue Cycle Analytics.