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58 HEALTHCARE NEWS 5 Health Systems With Strong Finances By Ayla Ellison H ere are five health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions according to recent reports from Fitch Ratings, Moody's Inves- tors Service and S&P Global Ratings. Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Health system names were compiled from recent credit rating reports and are listed in alphabetical order. 1. Froedtert Health has an "AA-" rating and positive out- look with S&P. The system has healthy financial metrics, and its market share in a competitive service area is im- proving, according to S&P. The debt rating agency expects Froedtert's financial profile to remain consistent over the next one to two years. 2. St. Joseph, Mich.-based Lakeland Hospitals has an "AA-" rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health sys- tem has a strong financial profile and leading market posi- tion, according to Fitch. 3. Mercy Health has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The St. Louis-based system's balance sheet measures and financial performance have improved in the last three years, according to Moody's. The debt rat- ing agency expects Mercy Health's operating margins to continue to improve. 4. Seattle Children's Healthcare System has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The system has strong balance sheet measures and operating perfor- mance, according to Moody's. The debt rating agency ex- pects Seattle Children's Healthcare System's overall prof- itability to remain strong and its debt coverage measures to improve. 5. Richmond-based Virginia Commonwealth Univer- sity Health System has an "Aa3" rating and stable out- look with Moody's. The health system has solid operating performance and a strong credit profile, according to Moody's. The debt rating agency expects the health sys- tem to sustain cash flow margins at close to current levels and maintain its liquidity. n Average PA Income by Specialty in 2016 By Emily Rappleye P hysician assistants earned an aver- age income of more than $104,000 in 2016, but in some specialties, average pay was nearly $120,000, according to sur- vey data from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. e survey includes information from 94 percent of certified PAs. e profession is relatively young — the first PAs graduated 50 years ago — but is growing quickly to meet provider demand, particu- larly as the physician shortage grows. e number of PAs in the country increased 44 percent over the past six years to number 115,547 at the end of 2016, according to the survey. More than 70 percent of those PAs practice in non-primary care specialties. Here is the mean total income for PAs by spe- cialty in 2016. Specialties are listed in alpha- betical order. Adolescent medicine — $81,607 Anesthesiology — $98,435 Critical care medicine — $114,235 Dermatology — $118,145 Emergency medicine — $116,661 Family medicine (general practice) — $96,468 Gynecology — $87,609 Hospice and palliative medicine — $97,778 Hospital medicine — $105,413 Internal medicine (general practice) — $96,575 Internal medicine (subspecialty) — $97,245 Neurology — $95,606 Obstetrics and gynecology — $89,942 Occupational medicine — $101,924 Ophthalmology — $94,545 Otolaryngology — $96,451 Pain management — $103,154 Pathology — $119,000 Pediatrics — $88,764 Pediatrics (subspecialties) — $98,733 Physical medicine/rehabilitation — $96,231 Preventive medicine/public health — $93,231 Psychiatry — $101,630 Radiation oncology — $100,211 Radiology — $103,932 Surgery (general) — $106,504 Surgery (subspecialties) — $113,752 Urology — $102,197 n