Search Sort by Newest to OldestOldest to NewestRelevanceA-ZZ-A Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Next page › Last page Last Days Cash on Hand Does Not Tell the Full Liquidity Story While days cash on hand is a pillar liquidity ratio for healthcare, liquidity is an equally important concept. There is a difference between wealth and liquidity, and recent events have demonstrated the growing importance of the latter. Blog Rating Agency Upgrade an Downgrade Decisions Upgrades and downgrades reflect the realities of what ratings are intended to do, which is to reflect the rating agency’s best assessment of an organization’s performance for investors. Upgrades must be earned and downgrades may happen quickly, but affirmations are most typical. Blog Takeaways from Our Conversation with the Rating Agencies on the Outlook for Higher Education The higher education sector leaders from the three rating agencies share their insights on 2024 outlooks, growth strategies, consolidation within higher education, and current rating committee concerns. Blog Three Must-Haves for Every Rating Presentation How you tell the story of your organization is as important as the story itself. Paying attention to three key themes will help ensure that your best voice is being heard in rating committee. Blog 5 Key Takeaways from Healthcare Rating Activity in 2023 The past year saw a material increase in downgrades over 2022 while the number of upgrades declined from the prior year. Here are five key takeaways from rating activity in 2023. Blog Three Things Board Members Should Know When Attending Rating Agency Meetings How can board members play a helpful role in rating agency meetings if they are invited to attend? Here are three ways in which board members can add value to the rating presentation. Blog Uncertainty Regarding Covenant Compliance Continues Responses to Kaufman Hall’s 2023 “State of Healthcare Performance Improvement” report indicate ongoing concern regarding covenant challenges in 2024. Organizations need to understand the causes of covenant misses and near misses and build a durable financial plan for the future. Blog The Balance Sheet Buffer Balance sheet strength has buffered consumers and businesses from some of the restrictive shock of higher rates. With a relatively brittle revenue model in healthcare, the focus becomes whether, when, and how to restructure operations as balance sheets are spent down. Blog Downgrades and the Rating Sword of Damocles The number of not-for-profit hospital rating downgrades has escalated in 2023, suggesting that benefit of the doubt is running out. Hospitals will need to go the extra mile when preparing material for their rating agency meetings. Blog External Capital Formation in a Higher Rate Environment After years of monetary tingle, a more restrictive stance from the Federal Reserve is creating a chill. A sustained higher interest rate environment may require finance teams to rethink external capital formation strategies. Blog Financial Reserves and Strategic Financial Planning Financial reserves are essential to the sustainability of any college or university. Integrating reserve goals to strategic planning through development of a strategic financial plan helps ensure that sufficient reserves will be available to meet the institution’s needs. Blog Inside Rating Committee: Five Things to Know The rating committee is central to the rating process: all rating decisions are made by the committee, not an individual. In her new blog, Lisa Goldstein identifies five things to know about what happens in a rating committee. Blog Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Next page › Last page Last
Days Cash on Hand Does Not Tell the Full Liquidity Story While days cash on hand is a pillar liquidity ratio for healthcare, liquidity is an equally important concept. There is a difference between wealth and liquidity, and recent events have demonstrated the growing importance of the latter. Blog
Rating Agency Upgrade an Downgrade Decisions Upgrades and downgrades reflect the realities of what ratings are intended to do, which is to reflect the rating agency’s best assessment of an organization’s performance for investors. Upgrades must be earned and downgrades may happen quickly, but affirmations are most typical. Blog
Takeaways from Our Conversation with the Rating Agencies on the Outlook for Higher Education The higher education sector leaders from the three rating agencies share their insights on 2024 outlooks, growth strategies, consolidation within higher education, and current rating committee concerns. Blog
Three Must-Haves for Every Rating Presentation How you tell the story of your organization is as important as the story itself. Paying attention to three key themes will help ensure that your best voice is being heard in rating committee. Blog
5 Key Takeaways from Healthcare Rating Activity in 2023 The past year saw a material increase in downgrades over 2022 while the number of upgrades declined from the prior year. Here are five key takeaways from rating activity in 2023. Blog
Three Things Board Members Should Know When Attending Rating Agency Meetings How can board members play a helpful role in rating agency meetings if they are invited to attend? Here are three ways in which board members can add value to the rating presentation. Blog
Uncertainty Regarding Covenant Compliance Continues Responses to Kaufman Hall’s 2023 “State of Healthcare Performance Improvement” report indicate ongoing concern regarding covenant challenges in 2024. Organizations need to understand the causes of covenant misses and near misses and build a durable financial plan for the future. Blog
The Balance Sheet Buffer Balance sheet strength has buffered consumers and businesses from some of the restrictive shock of higher rates. With a relatively brittle revenue model in healthcare, the focus becomes whether, when, and how to restructure operations as balance sheets are spent down. Blog
Downgrades and the Rating Sword of Damocles The number of not-for-profit hospital rating downgrades has escalated in 2023, suggesting that benefit of the doubt is running out. Hospitals will need to go the extra mile when preparing material for their rating agency meetings. Blog
External Capital Formation in a Higher Rate Environment After years of monetary tingle, a more restrictive stance from the Federal Reserve is creating a chill. A sustained higher interest rate environment may require finance teams to rethink external capital formation strategies. Blog
Financial Reserves and Strategic Financial Planning Financial reserves are essential to the sustainability of any college or university. Integrating reserve goals to strategic planning through development of a strategic financial plan helps ensure that sufficient reserves will be available to meet the institution’s needs. Blog
Inside Rating Committee: Five Things to Know The rating committee is central to the rating process: all rating decisions are made by the committee, not an individual. In her new blog, Lisa Goldstein identifies five things to know about what happens in a rating committee. Blog