(Editor's Note: A correction has been made to the headline of this news release.) NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Dec. 13, 2001--Standard&Poor's today assigned its double-'A'/'A-1'-plus rating to the Nashville and Davidson County Metropolitan Government Health and Educational Facilities Board, Tenn.'s $170 million variable-rate revenue bonds, series 2001B, issued for Ascension Health, Mo. The rating reflects: -- The maintenance of a solid operating profile, highlighted by improved operations in each of the past two years, which was led by sharply improved performance at three of Ascension Health's larger local health ministries (although a weak stock market has hurt overall cash flow); -- Considerable geographic and financial dispersion among system members, as Ascension Health remains the largest non-governmental not-for-profit
