Caitlin Devitt

Standard & Poor’s said the announcement of a proposed merger between health care giants Trinity Health and Catholic Health East does not affect their credit ratings yet, but that a consolidation would likely result in a credit with a weaker rating than Trinity’s AA rating.

Wyoming, Mich.-based Metro Health is seeking a strategic partner for a merger to help navigate changes in the health care industry.

Jeffersonville, Ind. last week approved a third and final resolution to issue up to $50 million of bonds for wastewater projects.

Michigan officials Monday opted to push back by two weeks a $100M general obligation bond sale amid market disruption from Hurricane Sandy. The sale, which was set to price competitively Wednesday Oct. 31, will now sell Nov. 15, officials said.

An association representing safety-net hospitals is lobbying Congress to restore cuts that are built into the new federal health care law.

The Civic Federation of Chicago said it supports Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle's 2013 budget, but warns that uncertainty surrounds key revenue sources, and that a structural deficit remains.

Crittenton Hospital, in an affluent suburb of Detroit, comes to market Tuesday with $108M of new-money and refunding bonds.

Michigan officials Thursday named Joyce Parker as emergency manager of Allen Park, the latest city to be taken over by the state for fiscal distress.

Moody's said the ongoing wave of mergers sweeping the non-profit health care sector led to an uptick in upgrades during the third quarter and could reverse earlier expectations that downgrades would outpace upgrades for the full year.

The Indiana Finance Authority Thursday will sell $61M of state appropriation-backed bonds in a deal that will allow the popular state fair begin to hold large-scale, paid concerts again after a devastating 2011 accident.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed its AA rating and stable outlook on the Ohio Turnpike Commission ahead of an expected announcement by Gov. John Kasich of his plans to privatize the 241-mile toll road.

Governing magazine last week named Michigan budget director John Nixon as one of seven Public Officials of the Year in recognition of bringing down the state’s chronic deficits and other efforts.

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle Thursday unveiled a $2.9 billion spending plan that relies on the new federal health care law as well as a handful of new taxes to cure a $267 million shortfall.

Michigan's Trinity and Pennsylvania's CHE would create one of the nation's largest Catholic health care sytems spanning 21 states if their newly announced plan to merge goes ahead.

Indiana plans to tap a final team to partner on its half of the $2.6 billion Ohio River bridges project by mid-November and close the deal by the end of the year, officials said.

Moody's said Monday it is continuing its review for possible downgrade on Detroit amid uncertainty surrounding the future of the state's emergency management law.

Akron, Ohio, and the Summit County Port Authority plan to issue $3.5 million of tax-exempt debt as part of a lease deal aimed at keeping the city's minor-league baseball team in the downtown stadium.

Moody's Investors Service last week lowered its rating on Omaha's special tax revenue bonds to Aa2 from Aa1 following its downgrade of the city's general obligation rating to Aa1 from Aaa last month.

A report out this week estimates Michigan could save nearly $1 billion if it participates in the Medicaid expansion provision that is part of the new federal health care law.

Standard & Poor's last week revised its outlook to negative from stable on the Henry Ford Health System, one of Michigan's largest providers, while affirming its A rating.