Cross Country Healthcare

To provide leading talent solutions by becoming the leader in workforce solutions and advisory services for healthcare.

Cross Country Healthcare SWOT Analysis

Updated: October 3, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

How to Use This Analysis

This analysis for Cross Country Healthcare was created using Alignment.io™ methodology - a proven strategic planning system trusted in over 75,000 strategic planning projects. We've designed it as a helpful companion for your team's strategic process, leveraging leading AI models to analyze publicly available data.

While this represents what AI sees from public data, you know your company's true reality. That's why we recommend using Alignment.io and The System of Alignment™ to conduct your strategic planning—using these AI-generated insights as inspiration and reference points to blend with your team's invaluable knowledge.

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The Cross Country Healthcare SWOT analysis reveals a resilient company at a crucial inflection point. While its diversified service lines and strong MSP client base provide a stable foundation, the company is grappling with significant margin pressure and a technology gap compared to its more agile, tech-forward competitors. The post-pandemic normalization of the travel nursing market has exposed a dependency that must be addressed. The path to achieving its vision as a workforce solutions leader hinges on executing a delicate balancing act: aggressively diversifying revenue into higher-margin locum and allied segments while simultaneously accelerating the integration of its technology platform. This dual focus is essential to not only defend its market position against intense competition but also to build a more efficient, scalable, and profitable business model for the future. The next 18 months are critical for demonstrating tangible progress on these fronts.

AMN Healthcare Aya Healthcare Medical Solutions CHG Healthcare Services Health Carousel

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To provide leading talent solutions by becoming the leader in workforce solutions and advisory services for healthcare.

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Strengths

DIVERSIFICATION: Growing locum tenens revenue (20%+) offsets nursing dip
MSP PRESENCE: Entrenched relationships with large hospital systems endure
SCALE: National footprint provides access to broad talent and client pools
BALANCE SHEET: Prudent capital management provides stability post-pandemic
LEADERSHIP: Experienced executive team navigating a cyclical downturn

Weaknesses

MARGINS: Gross margin compression from lower bill rates (now ~21% vs 26%)
TECHNOLOGY: Digital platform experience lags behind tech-first competitors
DEPENDENCE: Revenue still heavily reliant on volatile travel nurse segment
BRANDING: Lacks the strong clinician-facing brand of rivals like Aya
SPEED: Slower placement cycles compared to more agile, smaller players

Opportunities

ALLIED HEALTH: High demand in physical therapy, imaging creates growth area
AUTOMATION: AI can drastically reduce costs in credentialing and onboarding
CROSS-SELLING: Leverage MSP relationships to sell locum and perm placement
CONSULTING: Advisory services for workforce optimization is an untapped market
INTERNATIONAL: Sourcing nurses from overseas can alleviate domestic supply shortages

Threats

COMPETITION: Intense price competition from private firms eroding bill rates
LEGISLATION: State-level nurse staffing ratio laws could disrupt demand models
ECONOMY: A recession could force hospitals to cut back on contingent labor
GIG PLATFORMS: Tech startups threaten to disintermediate traditional agencies
TALENT ATTRITION: High clinician burnout rates shrink the available talent pool

Key Priorities

MARGINS: Must reverse gross margin erosion through efficiency and pricing
PLATFORM: Accelerate tech platform unification to improve user experience
DIVERSIFY: Aggressively grow non-nursing revenue streams (locum/allied)
SALES: Deepen enterprise client penetration with cross-selling initiatives

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Cross Country Healthcare OKR

Updated: October 3, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

The Cross Country Healthcare OKR plan is a focused and potent blueprint for navigating the current market. By rightly prioritizing margin restoration and platform unification, the plan directly addresses the core weaknesses identified in the analysis. The objectives are not just financial; they are operational and strategic, linking technology investment directly to profitability and client value. This plan effectively translates the SWOT conclusions into actionable, measurable initiatives that will build a more resilient and competitive enterprise. Success here will create the foundation needed to capture future growth and solidify CCH's market leadership position.

AMN Healthcare Aya Healthcare Medical Solutions CHG Healthcare Services Health Carousel

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To provide leading talent solutions by becoming the leader in workforce solutions and advisory services for healthcare.

RESTORE MARGINS

Drive profitability through operational excellence.

AUTOMATE: Reduce credentialing time by 40% via our new AI-powered verification engine to lower SG&A costs.
PRICING: Increase average gross margin on all new contracts by 150 basis points through disciplined pricing.
OPTIMIZE: Decrease clinician support ticket resolution time by 30% to improve retention and reduce churn.
CONSOLIDATE: Reduce redundant software spend by 20% by migrating teams to the unified tech platform.

WIN WITH PLATFORM

Deliver a unified, best-in-class digital experience.

UNIFY: Migrate 75% of all active clinicians onto the new single mobile application for a seamless experience.
MATCH: Increase the application-to-submission rate by 25% with the launch of our AI-powered job matching.
SELF-SERVICE: Enable clinicians to complete 80% of onboarding tasks via self-service, reducing manual work.
DATA: Launch a V1 client dashboard providing real-time fill rates and spend analytics for our top 25 clients.

DIVERSIFY GROWTH

Become the market leader in locum and allied staffing.

LOCUM: Grow locum tenens revenue by 20% year-over-year by expanding into three new physician specialties.
ALLIED: Increase the number of allied health professionals on assignment by 15% through targeted recruiting.
SCHOOLS: Secure 10 new school district contracts for therapy and nursing services before the next school year.
REVENUE MIX: Ensure non-travel nursing revenue accounts for at least 45% of total company revenue this year.

EXPAND ENTERPRISE

Deepen our partnerships with top healthcare systems.

CROSS-SELL: Achieve a 20% increase in locum and allied placements within our existing top 50 MSP clients.
RENEWALS: Secure 100% renewal rate for all MSP contracts up for renewal this year with expanded services.
PIPELINE: Grow the pipeline for new, full-enterprise MSP deals by $100M through targeted sales efforts.
QBRs: Deliver data-driven workforce optimization insights in 90% of quarterly business reviews with clients.

METRICS

Gross Profit Margin: 22.5%
Adjusted EBITDA: $150M
Days Sales Outstanding (DSO): 60 days

VALUES

Excellence
Integrity
Innovation
Collaboration
Urgency

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Cross Country Healthcare Retrospective

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cross Country Healthcare Q1 2025 Earnings Report & Transcript
Cross Country Healthcare 2024 10-K Filing
Investor Relations Website (investor.crosscountryhealthcare.com)
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2025 Healthcare Staffing Report
Competitor analysis of AMN Healthcare and public statements from Aya Healthcare

AMN Healthcare Aya Healthcare Medical Solutions CHG Healthcare Services Health Carousel

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To provide leading talent solutions by becoming the leader in workforce solutions and advisory services for healthcare.

Toggle Theme

What Went Well

LOCUM: Continued strong double-digit growth in the locum tenens segment
COSTS: SG&A expense management demonstrated strong operational discipline
MSP: Retention of major Managed Service Program clients remained high
ALLIED: Allied staffing segment showed resilience and modest growth
CASH FLOW: Maintained positive operating cash flow despite market headwinds

Not So Well

REVENUE: Overall revenue declined year-over-year due to travel nurse rates
MARGINS: Gross profit margin compressed further due to pricing pressure
NURSING: Travel nurse demand and bill rates continued their normalization
GUIDANCE: Forward-looking guidance was cautious, reflecting market uncertainty
INVESTORS: Stock performance has been weak, reflecting market sentiment

Learnings

DIVERSIFICATION: Non-nursing segments are key to stabilizing performance
EFFICIENCY: Operational efficiency is the primary lever for protecting profit
MARKET: The staffing market is cyclical; must build a resilient model
TECHNOLOGY: Tech-enabled efficiency is no longer optional, it's essential
TALENT: The clinician experience is a critical competitive battleground

Action Items

AUTOMATE: Accelerate investment in automation for back-office functions
CROSS-SELL: Incentivize sales teams to cross-sell services to MSP clients
PRICING: Implement more disciplined pricing strategies on new contracts
INTEGRATE: Continue executing on the unified technology platform roadmap
LOCUM: Double down on investment and growth in the locum tenens division

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Organization	SWOT Analysis	OKR Plan	Top 6	Retrospective

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Cross Country Healthcare Market

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cross Country Healthcare Q1 2025 Earnings Report & Transcript
Cross Country Healthcare 2024 10-K Filing
Investor Relations Website (investor.crosscountryhealthcare.com)
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2025 Healthcare Staffing Report
Competitor analysis of AMN Healthcare and public statements from Aya Healthcare

Founded: 1986
Market Share: Estimated 4-6% of the US healthcare staffing market.
Customer Base: Hospitals, outpatient clinics, and healthcare systems across the US.
Category:
Healthcare Staffing
SIC Code: 7363 Help Supply Services
NAICS Code: 561320 Temporary Help Services
Location: Boca Raton, Florida
Zip Code: 33487
Congressional District: FL-23 FORT LAUDERDALE
Employees: 3200

Competitors

AMN Healthcare View Analysis

Aya Healthcare Request Analysis

Medical Solutions Request Analysis

CHG Healthcare Services Request Analysis

Health Carousel Request Analysis

Products & Services

No products or services data available

Distribution Channels

Cross Country Healthcare Business Model Analysis

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cross Country Healthcare Q1 2025 Earnings Report & Transcript
Cross Country Healthcare 2024 10-K Filing
Investor Relations Website (investor.crosscountryhealthcare.com)
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2025 Healthcare Staffing Report
Competitor analysis of AMN Healthcare and public statements from Aya Healthcare

Problem

Hospitals face volatile patient loads
Clinician burnout and staff shortages
High cost of recruiting and credentialing
Complexity of managing contingent labor

Solution

On-demand access to qualified clinicians
Managed Services Programs (MSP) for vendor mgmt
Permanent placement and executive search
Workforce analytics and advisory services

Key Metrics

Gross Profit Margin %
Number of professionals on assignment
Revenue per FTE (internal employee)
Client retention and fill rates

Unique

Comprehensive service portfolio (allied/locum)
Long-standing MSP contracts with major systems
Proprietary data on healthcare labor trends
National scale with local delivery focus

Advantage

Large, credentialed database of professionals
Brand recognition and 30+ years of trust
Regulatory and compliance expertise
Embedded client relationships via MSPs

Channels

Direct enterprise sales teams
Digital recruitment marketing
Clinician referrals and online portal
Vendor Management Systems (VMS)

Customer Segments

Large, multi-state hospital systems
Small to medium-sized community hospitals
Outpatient clinics and physician groups
Healthcare professionals seeking assignments

Costs

Clinician payroll, taxes, and benefits
Recruiter and sales staff commissions
Technology platform development/maintenance
Marketing and advertising spend

Cross Country Healthcare Product Market Fit Analysis

Updated: October 3, 2025

Cross Country Healthcare provides comprehensive workforce solutions to hospitals, ensuring quality patient care by delivering vetted clinical talent when and where it's needed most. Its integrated technology platform reduces complexity and labor costs, giving healthcare systems the flexibility to adapt to fluctuating patient demand and eliminate critical staffing gaps, ultimately improving outcomes and efficiency.

Delivering quality patient care through vetted, high-caliber talent.

Reducing complexity and cost via our integrated workforce platform.

Providing workforce flexibility to adapt to fluctuating patient demand.

Before State

Manual, slow clinician sourcing and hiring
Staffing gaps lead to clinician burnout
Inconsistent quality of temporary staff
Multiple vendors creating chaos for HR

After State

Fast access to a pool of vetted clinicians
Optimized staffing levels for patient load
A single, trusted partner for all needs
Predictive insights into workforce trends

Negative Impacts

Delayed patient care and poor outcomes
High costs from premium labor/overtime
Compliance risks from poor credentialing
Low staff morale and high turnover rates

Positive Outcomes

Improved quality of patient care delivery
Reduced overall labor spend and costs
Enhanced operational efficiency and safety
Higher permanent staff satisfaction levels

Key Metrics

Customer Retention Rates

~85% for MSP clients

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Estimated 30-40 among clinicians

User Growth Rate

Fluctuates with market demand; currently low single digits

Customer Feedback/Reviews

~200 reviews on G2, mixed sentiment

Repeat Purchase Rates

High within MSP contracts, lower for transactional

Requirements

A unified, easy-to-use technology platform
Robust and rapid credentialing processes
Transparent communication and assignment pay
Strong relationships with clinical talent

Why Cross Country Healthcare

Invest in Marketplace platform development
Use AI to automate credential verification
Provide dedicated support for clinicians
Leverage data analytics for clients

Cross Country Healthcare Competitive Advantage

Our 30+ years of healthcare-only focus
Breadth of services from nurses to execs
Deep integration with hospital VMS/MSP
Proprietary data on supply and demand

Proof Points

Managed over $2B in client labor spend
Trusted by a majority of top US hospitals
Placed thousands of clinicians last year
Industry-leading locum tenens placement

Cross Country Healthcare Market Positioning

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cross Country Healthcare Q1 2025 Earnings Report & Transcript
Cross Country Healthcare 2024 10-K Filing
Investor Relations Website (investor.crosscountryhealthcare.com)
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2025 Healthcare Staffing Report
Competitor analysis of AMN Healthcare and public statements from Aya Healthcare

Strategic pillars derived from our vision-focused SWOT analysis

Integrate all services onto one tech platform

Expand beyond travel nursing into allied/locum

Deepen MSP & VMS client relationships

Become the preferred agency for healthcare pros

What You Do

Provides tech-enabled healthcare workforce solutions and staffing.

Target Market

For healthcare facilities needing flexible, qualified clinical talent.

Differentiation

Comprehensive service portfolio (nurse, allied, locum)
Long-standing MSP relationships with large hospital systems

Revenue Streams

Temporary staffing bill rate spreads
Permanent placement fees
MSP program management fees

Cross Country Healthcare Operations and Technology

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cross Country Healthcare Q1 2025 Earnings Report & Transcript
Cross Country Healthcare 2024 10-K Filing
Investor Relations Website (investor.crosscountryhealthcare.com)
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2025 Healthcare Staffing Report
Competitor analysis of AMN Healthcare and public statements from Aya Healthcare

Company Operations

Organizational Structure: Functional structure with divisions by service line (e.g., nursing).
Supply Chain: Recruitment and credentialing of healthcare professionals.
Tech Patents: Focus on proprietary platform development, not extensive patents.
Website: https://www.crosscountryhealthcare.com/

Top Clients

Board Members

Cross Country Healthcare Competitive Forces

Threat of New Entry

MEDIUM: While traditional barriers are high, tech-enabled platforms that directly connect clinicians to hospitals can enter more easily.

Supplier Power

HIGH: Skilled clinicians (nurses, doctors) are in short supply, giving them significant leverage on pay rates and assignment choice.

Buyer Power

HIGH: Large hospital systems consolidate their spend through MSPs, giving them substantial power to negotiate lower bill rates.

Threat of Substitution

LOW: There is no viable substitute for qualified, on-site clinical professionals for acute patient care, despite growth in telehealth.

Competitive Rivalry

HIGH: Intense rivalry from large public (AMN) and aggressive private (Aya) firms, leading to significant price and talent competition.

Analysis of AI Strategy

Updated: October 3, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

The Cross Country Healthcare AI SWOT analysis highlights a significant, yet challenging, opportunity. The company's core strength is its vast, proprietary dataset—a powerful asset for training sophisticated AI models. However, this potential is constrained by legacy technology and a potential deficit in specialized AI talent. The most immediate and impactful path forward is to deploy AI for operational efficiency, specifically in automating the costly and time-consuming credentialing process. This single application can directly address margin pressures and improve placement speed, a key competitive differentiator. Concurrently, developing an AI-driven matching engine is crucial for long-term defensibility against tech-first disruptors. The strategy must be a pragmatic two-pronged approach: use AI to fix the core business efficiency now, while building the intelligent platform that will define market leadership tomorrow.

AMN Healthcare Aya Healthcare Medical Solutions CHG Healthcare Services Health Carousel

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To provide leading talent solutions by becoming the leader in workforce solutions and advisory services for healthcare.

Strengths

DATA: Possesses a massive, proprietary dataset of jobs and clinician profiles
CLIENTS: Access to enterprise clients for piloting AI-driven solutions
SCALE: Ability to fund and deploy AI initiatives across a national footprint
EXPERIENCE: Decades of staffing data provides a rich training ground for AI
COMPLIANCE: Existing infrastructure for handling sensitive healthcare data

Weaknesses

TALENT: Potential shortage of in-house AI and machine learning expertise
LEGACY TECH: Fragmented, older systems may hinder AI model integration
DATA SILOS: Clinician and client data may exist in disconnected databases
CULTURE: A traditional mindset may slow adoption of AI-first processes
INVESTMENT: AI development requires significant CapEx during a down-cycle

Opportunities

MATCHING: AI can create hyper-personalized job matching for clinicians
CREDENTIALING: Automate verification, reducing placement time from weeks to days
PREDICTION: Forecast client staffing needs and clinician supply shortages
PRICING: Develop dynamic pricing models to optimize bill rates and margins
ONBOARDING: AI-powered chatbots can streamline and improve talent experience

Threats

COMPETITORS: Tech-first rivals may deploy superior AI capabilities faster
DISRUPTION: AI platforms could enable hospitals to build direct talent pools
BIAS: Algorithmic bias in hiring could create significant legal/ethical risk
PRIVACY: Stricter data privacy regulations (e.g., HIPAA) for AI usage
COST: The high cost of compute and specialized talent could be prohibitive

Key Priorities

AUTOMATION: Prioritize AI for automating credentialing to cut placement time
MATCHING: Develop a next-gen, AI-powered talent matching and recommendation engine
INSIGHTS: Leverage AI to provide clients with predictive workforce analytics
EFFICIENCY: Use generative AI to optimize job descriptions and candidate comms

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Cross Country Healthcare Financial Performance

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cross Country Healthcare Q1 2025 Earnings Report & Transcript
Cross Country Healthcare 2024 10-K Filing
Investor Relations Website (investor.crosscountryhealthcare.com)
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2025 Healthcare Staffing Report
Competitor analysis of AMN Healthcare and public statements from Aya Healthcare

Profit: FY2023 Net Income: $65.8 Million

Market Cap: ~$450 Million (as of early 2025)

Stock Performance

Annual Report: View Report

Debt: FY2023 Total Debt: ~$150 Million

ROI Impact: ROI pressured by lower bill rates and higher talent acquisition costs.

SWOT Index

Composite strategic assessment with 10-year outlook

/ 100

Market Challenger

ICM Index

STRATEGIC ADVISOR ASSESSMENT

CCH's societal-level vision is ambitious but faces significant headwinds, capping its achievability. The SWOT reveals more pressing downside risks (margin compression, tech lag) than immediate upside, pulling the score below 50. However, the OKRs and Core Strategy are clear, focused, and directly address these weaknesses, showing strong strategic alignment. The high AI potential from its data assets provides a significant future lever, resulting in a solid 'Market Challenger' rating.

SWOT Factors

Upside: 66.7 Risk: 76.7

OKR Impact

AI Leverage

Top 3 Strategic Levers

Accelerate unified tech platform deployment to boost efficiency

Use AI to automate credentialing and reduce placement times

Aggressively grow high-margin Locum and Allied service lines

AI Disclosure

This report was created using the Alignment Method—our proprietary process for guiding AI to reveal how it interprets your business and industry. These insights are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.

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About Alignment LLC

Alignment LLC specializes in AI-powered business analysis. Through the Alignment Method, we combine advanced prompting, structured frameworks, and expert oversight to deliver actionable insights that help companies understand how AI sees their data and market position.