Healthcare industry

Voters in Arizona's Maricopa County may be asked in November to approve a $935 million bond proposal to revamp the county's public hospital system.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn unveiled the draft of a five-year plan to overhaul its Medicaid program in hopes of snaring $5.2 billion in additional federal funding.

The Illinois Finance Authority board gave preliminary approval to a nearly $200 million financing planned by Centegra Health System to build a new hospital far northwest of Chicago.

Cadence Health and Rockford Health System, two Illinois hospital systems that signed a letter of intent to merge in November, have decided cancel the proposed union.

Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago won an upgrade from Standard & Poor's in recognition of its improved balance sheet and successful transition to its replacement hospital.

S&P revised the outlook to negative on CCC-rated bonds for South Carolina's Tuomey Healthcare due to a $277 million fraud judgment and operating losses.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the rating of Lancaster, Calif.-based Antelope Valley Hospital District to junk, maintaining a negative outlook

Cook Children's Hospital, the dominant provider of children's healthcare in Fort Worth, Texas, is planning its second expansion in five years with $175 million of bonds.

Moody's dropped the GO bond ratings on Louisiana's St. Charles Parish Hospital District No. 1 below investment grade citing a strained financial position and high debt load.

The Tuomey Healthcare System is fighting what it calls improper federal efforts to subordinate bondholders while it appeals a massive fraud judgement.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York's financial support for the money-losing Long Island College Hospital can continue for only a few more days.

Fitch Ratings on Monday upgraded Rush University Medical Center's debt by one notch to A-plus in recognition of its consistently strong profitability.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon proposed a fiscal 2015 budget that would increase education spending $500 million and authorize $200 million in appropriation supported bond borrowing for a mental health facility.

Standard & Poor's signaled that Fairview Health Services in Minnesota could win an upgrade over the next two years due to its strong business position and improved governance and management.

ABAG Finance Authority is selling $168 million of recently upgraded revenue bonds next week for a healthcare system in San Diego County.

Two ratings agencies have revised their outlooks on Iowa-based Mercy Medical Center's A level ratings to negative due to the hospital's operating struggles.

Standard & Poor's on Jan. 8 raised to investment grade the underlying rating of Citrus Valley Health Partners' certificates of participation and gave the COPs a positive outlook.

A coalition representing Detroit retirees sued in federal court to block the city from implementing health care changes that would shift older employees to Medicare and younger ones to the state-based health care exchange.

Catholic Health Initiatives' plan to invest $1 billion in Texas healthcare includes a new hospital.

The University of Chicago was among six institutions to which the not-for-profit Ludwig Cancer Research organization awarded $540 million grants to fund cancer research.