Not-for-profit healthcare

BJC HealthCare and Saint Luke's Health System signed a letter of intent to form an integrated not-for-profit Missouri-based health system.

Inflation joined supply chain struggles, wage pressures, and the labor shortage — most acutely felt with nursing staff — dragging down the sector's margins.

The system's turnaround efforts include using proceeds of a proposed $710 million deal to sell hospice and home health assets to pay off direct placement debt.

Lawmakers passed a stopgap $150 million loan fund for hospitals in fiscal distress, and will discuss longer-term solutions as the session progresses.

Harris Health System is asking Harris County to place a bond proposition on the November ballot.

Several Midwest hospital mergers that are in the works will contribute to the 2023 numbers while one announced in 2022 just closed.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Providence St. Joseph Health a notch to A2, following similar moves by S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings.

The acquisition closed Friday and all nine employees, who provide municipal and healthcare advisory services and treasury consulting services, joined PFM.

The Kaiser Family Foundation's report drew the ire of the American Hospital Association, which said it excluded many community benefits from its analysis.

Each would preserve their individual brands with a new organization functioning as the parent company with the aim of cutting administrative costs.