Fitch affirms St. Tammany Health System’s ‘AA-’ credit rating
Video Title and description goes here
As October draws to an end, it’s incredible how swiftly time has passed! Today, we celebrated the many achievements of our...
Friday, Nov 1, 2024
As the calendar changes from October to November, President and CEO Joan Coffman catches you up on all that’s going on at...
Thursday, Oct 31, 2024
Meet Brittani Naccari Farrell, Owner/Injector of Timeless Touch Medical Aesthetics in downtown Covington. We are thrilled...
Monday, Oct 28, 2024
St. Tammany Health System
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
News
Share this page
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023MEDIA CONTACT: Kelly M. Rabalais, FACHE | 985-898-4131 | kmrabalais@stph.org
(STHS image)
COVINGTON – Fitch Ratings has affirmed the ‘AA-’ long-term rating on the series 2018A and 21018B bonds issued by St. Tammany Health System. In addition, Fitch affirmed the health system’s ‘AA-’ Issuer Default Rating, declaring the rating outlook to be stable.
In an analytical conclusion included with its announcement of the upgrade released on Friday (Aug. 18), Fitch wrote:
St. Tammany's 'AA-' rating reflects the system's strong operating risk assessment and very strong financial profile supported by consistently robust operating cash flows that have sustained St. Tammany's robust liquidity and solid debt service coverage. St. Tammany has successfully navigated pandemic and post-pandemic challenges despite labor cost inflation and other operating pressures affecting the healthcare sector. The rating also reflects St. Tammany's leading market share and favorable payor mix in a growing service area, and good overall revenue defensibility supported in part by its Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) with the Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Ochsner Heath System (Ochsner). Under the agreement, St. Tammany and Ochsner coordinate clinical services and share the combined operating income. St. Tammany will also participate in Ochsner's recently announced partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center in a fully integrated cancer care partnership as the only partner in Louisiana and one of seven fully integrated MD Anderson partners in the U.S.
St. Tammany's 'AA-' rating reflects the system's strong operating risk assessment and very strong financial profile supported by consistently robust operating cash flows that have sustained St. Tammany's robust liquidity and solid debt service coverage. St. Tammany has successfully navigated pandemic and post-pandemic challenges despite labor cost inflation and other operating pressures affecting the healthcare sector.
The rating also reflects St. Tammany's leading market share and favorable payor mix in a growing service area, and good overall revenue defensibility supported in part by its Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) with the Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Ochsner Heath System (Ochsner). Under the agreement, St. Tammany and Ochsner coordinate clinical services and share the combined operating income. St. Tammany will also participate in Ochsner's recently announced partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center in a fully integrated cancer care partnership as the only partner in Louisiana and one of seven fully integrated MD Anderson partners in the U.S.
Fitch’s full assessment of St. Tammany Health System, known formally as St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1, can be found at FitchRatings.com.
Founded in 1914, Fitch Ratings is one of the “Big Three” credit ratings agencies nationally recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The others are Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.
#####
About St. Tammany Health System
The heartbeat of its community, St. Tammany Health System cares for patients and families with excellence, compassion and teamwork. It is nationally recognized for quality, safety and service excellence by CareChex, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report. The health system is home to 281-bed St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1, three diagnostic centers and 12 medical clinics throughout western St. Tammany Parish. Self-supporting, not-for-profit STHS is AA- rated by Fitch and receives no tax funding. More at StTammany.health.