Healthcare industry

Fitch placed the A rating of revenue bonds for Medford, Ore. continuing care retirement community Rogue Valley Manor on negative watch due to the potential impact of a lawsuit.

City of Hope, a Los Angeles County research hospital, received a bump from a stable to positive outlook on its A1 Moody's rating.

California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Jay Hansen to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority.

Catholic Health Initiatives of Colorado will carry $6 billion of debt after this week's issue of $1.5 billion of taxable bonds to expand its network, a fact that cost the health-care giant a downgrade from three ratings agencies.

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.

Elgin-Ill.-based Sherman Health System has signed a letter of intent to join Illinois' largest not-for-profit health care system Oak Brook, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care.

The sudden breakup of hospital operator West Penn Allegheny's affiliation with insurer Highmark heightens uncertainty over hundreds of millions in bonds in a turnabout driven by adulterous sex and violence.

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.

West Penn Allegheny Health System countersued crosstown Pittsburgh insurer Highmark Inc. over the breakup of their proposed $475 million affiliation agreement.

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.

Insurer Highmark, which sued West Penn Allegheny Health System over their canceled $475 million agreement, announced a $65 million affiliation deal with Saint Vincent of Erie, Pa.

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.

Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit hospital operators in the nation, is issuing $252 million of taxable and tax-exempt revenue bonds to expand two Phoenix-area hospitals.

Officials from Highmark and West Penn Allegheny Health System spoke with an eye toward resuming talks about a $475 million affiliation agreement.

Milwaukee-based Baird has hired Jeff Fivecoat, a long-time health care banker, for its Columbus office. Fivecoat comes from Red Capital Group and before that, OhioHealth.

Fitch dropped the outlook on Forrest County General Hospital, Miss. to negative while affirming its A rating.

West Coast nonprofit hospital chain Dignity Health, formerly Catholic Healthcare West, was downgraded ahead of plans to sell up to $500 million in taxable bonds.

Sanford Health, in South Dakota, is bringing $130 million of bonds to market next week to finance an ambitious $1.5 billion capital plan that credit analyst warn could strain the system's otherwise-strong balance sheet.

Gov. Robert Bentley said Alabama would not create a health insurance exchange plan under the federal Affordable Care Act.