The underlying rating on North Carolina Medical Care Commission's bonds, issued for Cabarrus Memorial Hospital (doing business as NorthEast Medical Center), reflects the medical center's: * Role as the dominant provider in Cabarrus County, * Favorable utilization data, * Good financial performance, and * Low debt. NorthEast Medical Center, a 342-staffed-bed hospital, benefits from a strategic location in the rapidly growing northeast quadrant of the Charlotte metropolitan area. The hospital serves a total population of roughly 500,000 people in Cabarrus County and portions of four adjacent counties. Within Cabarrus County, the hospital holds a strong 75.3% market share. While there are four competing hospitals in its service area, three are more than 25 miles away, and the fourth is 15
