...S&P Global Ratings raised its long-term and underlying rating (SPUR) on Norman Regional Hospital Authority (NRHA), Okla.'s revenue debt, issued for Norman Regional Health System (NRHS), one notch to '###' from '###-'. The outlook is stable. The upgrade reflects improvement in operating performance in fiscal 2015, with continued improvement year-to-date through the first nine months of fiscal 2016 (ended March 31). Key factors behind this include good volume growth, good operational liquidity for the new rating, and improving unrestricted reserves to long-term debt. We assessed NRHS' enterprise profile as strong, characterized by its solid market position with a 53% market share and adequate economic fundamentals that the University of Oklahoma anchors somewhat. We also assessed its financial profile as adequate, with improved earnings generating good debt service coverage (DSC) for the rating and general growth in unrestricted reserves offsetting high-but-moderating debt levels. Combined,...
