Standard&Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its 'A-' long-term rating on South Dakota Health and Educational Facilities Authority's series 1994 and 2005 bonds, issued for Huron Regional Medical Center Inc. (Huron). The outlook is stable. The rating reflects our view of Huron's excellent financial profile with significant unrestricted reserves and a limited debt load. While several of Huron's financial metrics are indeed consistent with a higher rating, we believe that a higher rating is precluded at this time due to risks inherent in Huron's enterprise profile, including a limited service area and a very high reliance on its top 10 physicians for the majority of admissions, which is typical for hospitals of comparable size. In our view, Huron's excellent financial
