Tag: James Sherlock
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LifePoint Health Credit Ratings and Outlooks Signal Additional Challenges for its Virginia Hospitals
by James C. Sherlock One thing I watch about companies in industries I cover is the ratings and outlooks on their credit. In my experience, the SEC’S three largest nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs), Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch, tend to know as much about company finances as their boards do. Sometimes more. I recently…
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Virginia Municipal Bond Issuers Face Higher Costs for Borrowing
by James C. Sherlock People learn — and relearn- – things over time about investing. One of the things they have learned over the past three years about investing in municipal bonds, as with all bonds, is that, having experienced the effects of inflation risk for the first time in decades, they will want a…
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Public Corruption Transacted in Public
by James C. Sherlock Want that country club membership but don’t want to write the check for the initial membership fee? How about the down payment on a vacation home? Run for office in Virginia. Pay for it with campaign money. You don’t even have to win as long as you spend it during the…
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Virginia Hospital Profits Soared Far Above National Averages – Again – in 2021
by James C. Sherlock The predictions for hospital finances in 2021 forecast Armageddon. Then the actual financial data from 5,600 U.S. hospitals in 2021 were assessed. Based on those data the median operating margin for U.S. hospitals in 2021 was actually a loss of 1.5%. Meanwhile, the average operating margin for hospitals was a loss of…
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Continuing Turmoil at Danville and Martinsville Hospitals Raises Questions of Oversight – Again
by James C. Sherlock Beckers Hospital Review reports that Sovah Health hospitals in Danville and Martinsville have eliminated the Chief Operating Officer (COO) positions at both hospitals. Sovah announced that the responsibilities of those two positions will now be absorbed by “other members of the existing team.” Whatever that may mean. Management turmoil at Sovah…
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The Elephant in the Room Has a Welcome Sense of Humor
by James C. Sherlock University of Virginia President James Ryan announced today that he oversaw an important effort to solve one of the University’s most pressing problems. No, not anything you can imagine. He announced that he and, of course, a committee, have officially changed the logo of that school from UVA to … wait…
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More Fun with Demographics
by James C. Sherlock We had so much fun with the Texas-Virginia comparison, I offer additional demographic estimates of jurisdictional growth and decline in the one year from July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2022, courtesy of the Census Bureau. Virginia Top 5 Jurisdictions in Numeric Growth July 1, 2021 – July 1, 2022 Chesterfield…
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Perspective
by James C. Sherlock People go where they feel welcome. Texas is now one of only two U.S. states with a population of 30 million or more. The Census Bureau reported today that from 2000 to 2022, Texas gained 9,085,073 residents, more than the entire population of Virginia. From 2000 to 2022, the population of…
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Virginia Needs a Top Mental Health Research Hospital – UVa is Positioned Provide It Statewide
by James C. Sherlock The Commonwealth has an ambitious and promising program to improve behavioral health services to its citizens. One thing missing among the six pillars of that program is a top mental health research hospital system. The top-rated mental hospital in the United States is Mass General Brigham’s McLean hospital. Many of the…
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A More Appropriate Management Model for State Mental Health Facilities
by James C. Sherlock I always find it disturbing when state agencies operate institutions that they are also responsible for regulating and inspecting. It almost cannot work. I have brought this up with regards to the VDOE operation of a virtual learning program when that same agency oversees private providers of the exact same services.…
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A Killer Strategy
by James C. Sherlock Democrats in Virginia and nationally plan to ride abortion to victory in elections as far as the eye can see. The herald of this strategy was a piece in New York Magazine by Rebecca Traister. It was titled, unsubtly, “Abortion Wins Elections.” She is probably right, if her positions are presented…
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Crime in Virginia — the Statistics of Race and their Causes
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in Children and Families, Civil Rights, Individual Liberties, Corruption and Scandals, Crime, Corrections, Law Enforcement, Culture wars, Democracy and Western Civilization, Demographics, Education (K-12), Efficiency in Government, General Assembly, Governance, Government Finance, Health Care, Housing, Land use & Development, Mental illness and substance abuse, Politics, Public safety & health, Race and Race Relations, Regulations, Gov’t Oversightby James C. Sherlock Crime, especially violent crime, is a constant topic in private conversations and in public politics, and thus here on Bacon’s Rebellion. Comments on BR crime-related articles turn quickly to race, often without basis in fact. I will offer below the actual crime statistics by race from 2021, the latest available year,…
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Men Model Climate, God Laughs
by James C. Sherlock This is an ode to modeling and the inevitable contretemps in the comment section that followed Steve Haner’s article yesterday. 1.Time Magazine, April 8,1977. Two great modeling stories: “Why we can’t beat the Soviets;” and “How to Survive the Coming Ice Age”. Perhaps we did all 51. 2. Cover of Science…
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Virginia’s Community Banks, Under Stress, are Crucial to the Economy, Small Business and Small Communities
by James C. Sherlock In general, I do not write enough about Virginia small businesses. Small business is both the heart and soul of the Virginia economy. I have no personal financial interest in Virginia’s community banks, but all of us need them to be healthy. Because community banks disproportionately fund small business. The Federal…
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The Left’s New DEI Bureaucracies at Virginia’s Colleges and Universities – What Do They Do All Day?
by James C. Sherlock We are left to imagine what Dean of the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development Stephanie Rowley would possibly do without the assistance of LaRon Scott, her Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). How in heaven’s name without Mr. Scott could she keep reactionaries like Catherine…