Healthcare industry

Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health are in negotiations that could result in creation of the nation’s largest nonprofit hospital chain or another form of “alignment.”

Illinois-based Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare received an A rating from Fitch Ratings as it prepares to come to market to refund old debt issued by the two systems that joined forces in 2013 and establish a new obligated group.

Wisconsin-based Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital Inc.'s rating fell deeper into junk after a three-notch downgrade from Moody's Investors Service.

The Illinois Finance Authority signed off on $800 million of borrowing plans by several Illinois-based not-for-profit health systems and a Chicago art museum joining the parade of issuers to hit the market this quarter with both new-money and refunding paper.

Vanderbilt University received an upgrade to triple-A ahead of its first foray into the bond market since separating financially from its medical center.

Oaklawn Hospital in Calhoun County, Michigan plans to convert its variable rate paper to fixed-rate debt in an upcoming $74 million hospital revenue bond refunding.

Fort Wayne, Indiana based Parkview Health System’s improved operating performance earned it a one notch upgrade into the double-A category.

Hidalgo County Health Services Corp. debt issued for the Mission, Texas, Regional Medical Center moved closer to a default rating as S&P Global Ratings dropped $26.7 million of bonds to CCC from B-minus.

After turning around its operating performance, the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Bronson Healthcare Group received an upgrade of its credit outlook to stable as it prepares to refund $109 million of debt.

San Diego-based Palomar Health is set to issue more than $400 million of refunding bonds in the next two weeks, split between investment-grade general obligation debt and junk-rated revenue bonds.