Back into the Pool As the economy took a nose-dive, the resulting credit crunch brought capital improvement projects at hospitals across the country to a grinding halt. The outlook for hospital expansion/improvement plans seemed bleak. During the lending freeze, local governments couldn't keep up with the demand for long-term municipal bonds. This has resulted in the lowering of interest rates and in order to seek higher returns, investors are now looking to weaker borrowers, allowing those with mid-investment grade credit ratings access to credit that had previously been too expensive. Hospitals and health systems with plans to go to market are rushing to do so, according to healthcare finance insiders. Healthcare borrowing is expected to continue to grow after recovering in recent months. For the full article written by Melanie Evans for the October 19, 2009 issue of Modern Healthcare, please click here.