PARIS (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) Aug.2, 2000--Standard&Poor's today affirmed its triple-'A' long-term issuer credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on French public hospital organization Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP). The outlook remains stable. The rating reflects AP-HP's strategic importance in the provision of health care services, both within France and abroad; close financial links with the French state, which maintains considerable financial and operational control over the entity; and stable revenues, which are derived mainly from the national social-security system. Reflecting this revenue stability, AP-HP consistently records satisfactory financial performances and has a low level of debt. AP-HP has approximately 50 hospitals (providing about 10% of hospital beds in France) and is Europe's largest public hospital
