Here are 14 health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to reports from Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Health system names were compiled from credit rating reports and are listed in alphabetical order.
1. Advocate Aurora Health has an "Aa3" rating and positive outlook with Moody's. The health system, which has dual headquarters in Milwaukee and Downers Grove, Ill., has a leading market share in two regions and strong financial discipline, Moody's said. The credit rating agency said it expects Advocate Aurora Health's operating cash flow margins to return to pre-pandemic levels.
2. Pinehurst, N.C.-based FirstHealth of the Carolinas has an "AA" rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health system has a strong financial profile and stable operating performance, despite disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, Fitch said. The health system's revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 rebounded to levels close to historical trends, according to the credit rating agency.
3. Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's and an "AA" rating and positive outlook with Fitch. Cost controls and patient volume will help the system sustain strong margins and liquidity, Moody's said.
4. Rapid City, S.D.-based Monument Health has an "AA-" rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health system has solid operating margins that Fitch expects to remain stable over the near term. Monument Health's operating margins will continue to support liquidity growth and capital spending levels, the credit rating agency said.
5. Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's, and an "AA+" rating and stable outlook with S&P. The system's consolidated operating model will allow it to maintain a strong financial position while effectively executing strategies, Moody's said. The credit rating agency expects Northwestern Medicine to expand its prominent market position in the broader Chicago region because of its strong brand and affiliation with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
6. Renton, Wash.-based Providence has an "AA-" rating and stable outlook with Fitch and an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. Fitch said Providence has a long-term strategic advantage over most of its peers because it has invested heavily in developing technology in recent years, and the system's plan to transform healthcare delivery through the use of data and technology has been undeterred through the COVID-19 pandemic. Fitch said it expects Providence's cash flow margins to be close to 7 percent in the coming years.
7. Livingston, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health has an "Aa3'' rating and stable outlook with Moody's. Moody's said it expects RWJBarnabas, the largest integrated academic health system in New Jersey, to see near-term revenue growth and to execute on several strategic fronts while achieving targeted financial performance.
8. Broomfield, Colo.-based SCL Health has an "AA-" rating and stable outlook with Fitch and an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The health system has consistently improved its liquidity levels and has a long track record of exceptional operations, Fitch said. SCL Health is well positioned for change in the healthcare sector because it has built up cash reserves over time, according to the credit rating agency.
9. San Diego-based Scripps Health has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The health system has ample liquidity coverage, an extensive footprint and strong brand and market share within San Diego County, Moody's said. The credit rating agency said it expects Scripps to weather current operating challenges and to grow operating cash flow over the long term.
10. Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The health system has strong margins, and Moody's said it expects the system to maintain a strong financial position and balance sheet.
11. Arlington-based Texas Health Resources has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The health system has a strong cash position, which will be boosted by favorable investment gains and bond proceeds, Moody's said. Based on performance in the second quarter of this year, Moody's expects Texas Health Resources' patient volume and operating cash flow margins to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels.
12. Iowa City-based University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The credit rating agency said it expects the system to maintain strong operating performance and cash flow. The system benefits as the only academic medical center in Iowa, according to Moody's.
13. Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health has an "AA-" rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The system has strong leverage metrics, and it benefited from strong market returns during the pandemic. The system's days with cash on-hand increased to 285 days at the end of 2020, up from 231 days at the end of 2019, according to the credit rating agency.
14. Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System has an "AA-" rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health system has solid operating results and has sustained significant revenue growth, Fitch said. The system's profitability dipped in fiscal year 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but its profitability rebounded in fiscal year 2021, according to the credit rating agency.