Sarasota, FL, hospital district gets ratings upgrade

Fitch Ratings has upgraded the underlying ratings of $544.4 million in outstanding debt of the Sarasota (FL) County Public Hospital District. Fitch upgraded the ratings from A to A+, and attributed the move to management's continued improvement in operating performance, the district's ability to levy taxes, strong liquidity, leading market share and strong service area characteristics. The district owns and operates the 607-bed Sarasota Memorial Hospital.