Healthcare industry

The newly merged Central DuPage Health-Delnor Health System last week announced the appointment of Brett Tande to be its vice president and treasurer. He left the private sector where he was a health care banker to join the new system this past spring.

Moody's Investors Service last week downgraded $1.1 billion of Catholic Health East debt to A2 from A1 due to cash-flow margins that fall below similar A-rated health care credits.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Monday is set to sign into law legislation that requires government employees to pay more for pension and health care benefits.

CHICAGO - Standard & Poor's revised its outlook to negative from stable on a small Michigan hospital that is facing the possibility of accelerated debt-service payments on its debt, all of which has been either privately placed with a bank or is in the form a bank loan.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said Monday the state should stick with the current plan to build a $1.2 billion, 424-bed hospital in the city. Construction financing for the University Medical Center includes $407 million of hospital revenue bonds.

Standard & Poor's on Monday revised its rating outlook to negative from stable and affirmed its BBB-plus rating on $5.7 million of Series 2002B bonds issued on behalf of Martin Memorial Medical Center.

The Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority has agreed to borrow $98 million to help Erie County Medical Center Corp. build a nursing home at its campus on Buffalo’s East Side.

Northern Berkshire Healthcare Inc., unable to restructure $43 million in secured bond debt, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Quincy Medical Center missed a $380,000 bond payment due May 31, about a month after it said it would seek a buyer.

CHICAGO - Debate was expected to began Wednesday in the Wisconsin Assembly on a new budget, one day after the state's high court reinstated Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill that raised employee pension payments and health care premiums and curbed most public unions' collective bargaining rights.

CHICAGO - While its issuance levels recently have reflected the national slowdown, the Illinois Finance Authority is seeing some pickup in health-care deal flow with four issues for nearly $800 million in the works, including $533 million for the state's largest health care system and three direct bank purchases.

DALLAS - Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal Monday asked for consideration of an alternative, no-debt financial plan for a proposed $1.2 billion state hospital in New Orleans.

Standard & Poor’s last week lowered its rating on the Nevada Regional Medical Center into junk bond territory due to ongoing strains on the balance sheet.

Kentucky plans to competitively sell $145.8 million of lease-revenue bonds Tuesday to complete work on a new state mental hospital. The deal precedes an estimated $362.3 million offering of lease-appropriation obligations.

DALLAS - A proposal to scrap plans for a $1.2 billion state hospital in New Orleans in favor of a smaller, less-expensive project was outlined Thursday at a joint news conference by U.S. Sen. David Vitter, Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy, and House Speaker Jim Tucker.

CHICAGO - Moody's Investors Service Thursday lowered its rating on Ohio-based Mercy Medical Center to its lowest investment-grade level — and revised its outlook to negative — warning that the facility is suffering from a sharp decline in its fiscal position.

Sierra Kings Health Care District voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a proposed sale of the bankrupt hospital to Adventist Health.

Standard & Poor’s has raised its rating to BBB-minus from BB on revenue bonds issued for Princeton Community Hospital.

The proposed $1.2 billion University Medical Center in New Orleans may be built with the proceeds from bonds supported solely by hospital revenue if federal mortgage insurance is denied for the debt.

Moody’s Investors Service last week affirmed Allina Health Systems’ A1 rating and signaled an upgrade could be in the offing if it maintains its strong financial performance of the last two years.