A number of healthcare and hospital systems detailed their levels of debt when reporting recent financial results. Here is a summary of some of those systems' reports, including debt totals calculated by ratings agencies:
- Augusta, Ga.-based AU Health, which comprises a 478-bed adult hospital and 154-bed children's hospital and serves as the academic medical center for the Medical College of Georgia, had approximately $327 million of debt in fiscal 2022. The system, which became affiliated with Atlanta-based Wellstar Health System on March 31, was downgraded to "B2" from "Ba3" with a negative outlook, Moody's said March 23.
- Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health had long-term debt of $3.6 billion as of Dec. 31. Overall income for the 33-hospital system in 2022 totaled $2.6 billion, boosted by the affiliation effective April 1 of SCL Health, which contributed $4 billion.
- Credit rating agency Moody's is revising Springfield Ill.-based Memorial Health System's outlook from stable to negative as the health system ended fiscal year 2022 with $343 million in outstanding debt. Moody's expects Memorial to stabilize in 2023 but not reach historical levels until 2025, according to the March 24 report.
- New York City-based NYU Langone Hospitals, which has total debt outstanding of approximately $3.1 billion, had its outlook revised to positive from stable amid a "very good operating performance" that has helped lead to improved days of cash on hand, Moody's said. NYU Langone consists of five inpatient locations in New York City and on Long Island as well as numerous ambulatory facilities in the five boroughs, Long Island, New Jersey and Florida.
- Bellevue, Wash.-based Overlake Hospital Medical Center was downgraded on a series of bonds as the 310-bed hospital faces ongoing labor and inflationary challenges and the possibility of not meeting its debt coverage requirements, Moody's said March 9. The hospital, which also operates several outpatient clinics and physician offices in its service area, has $295 million of outstanding debt.
- Renton, Wash.-based Providence, has about $7.4 billion worth of debt. The 51-hospital system, which reported a fiscal 2022 operating loss of $1.7 billion, was downgraded as it continues to deal with ongoing operational challenges, Fitch Ratings said March 17, the first of three downgrades Providence suffered in the space of weeks. The Fitch downgrade to "A" from "A+" applies both to the system's default rating and on the $7.4 billion in debt.
- Lansing, Mich.-based Sparrow Health had long-term debt of $353.5 million as of Dec. 31, S&P Global said. Sparrow Health has had a series of bonds it holds placed on credit watch amid concern over the eventual outcome of a planned merger with Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health, S&P Global said Feb. 16. The $7 billion merger was eventually approved April 3.
- St. Louis-based SSM Health, which had approximately $2.6 billion of total debt outstanding at the end of fiscal 2022, reported an operating loss of $248.9 million after its expenses increased 7.6 percent over the previous year. SSM Health had an "AA-" rating affirmed on a series of bonds it holds as the 23-hospital system dipped in operating income in fiscal 2022 after "several years of consistently solid performance," according to a March 24 report from Fitch Ratings.
- Philadelphia-based Temple University Health had $395.6 million long-term debt as of Dec. 31. The system's outlook was revised to stable from positive following recent results S&P Global described as "very challenged" and "deeply negative." The referenced results are interim fiscal 2023 figures that contrast significantly with expectations, S&P said March 15. Temple Health is in danger of not meeting debt coverage requirements as a result.