S&P Global Ratings' long-term rating on the Salem Hospital Facility Authority, Ore.'s bonds, issued for Salem Health, is 'A+'. The outlook is stable. The rating reflects Salem's excellent and improving market position as the sole provider of most acute-care services in its primary service area, supported by its ongoing investment in growing its medical staff and expanding patient access through new clinics and outpatient facilities. The rating also reflects Salem's stable and sustained financial performance over the last several years, supported by an ongoing focus on expense management, and despite pressures associated with COVID-19, beginning in the final quarter of fiscal 2020 (ended June 30, 2020) and continuing through the first five months of fiscal 2021. Our view of the
