Both Fitch and Standard & Poor's affirmed Covenant's "A" bond rating.  Fitch affirmed an "A" outlook stable, and Standard & Poor affirmed an "A" outlook negative. Fitch explaines that Covenant Health Systems' primary credit strength "is its geographic and revenue diversity."

James (Jim) Cassidy recently retired after almost 20 years as president/CEO of St. Mary's Health System (Lewiston). "On behalf of everyone at Covenant, we thank Jim for his dedication to the community, the mission,  and his staff," said David R. Lincoln, Covenant president/CEO. "Jim accomplished a great deal during his tenure, just a few of which are listed below. Jim embodied the traits that a leader in Catholic health care should have."

• Oversaw stable growth of system workforce to approximately 2,000 individuals.
  
• Changed the name of the health system from Sisters of Charity Health System to St. Mary's Health System to reflect evolving recognition of the System in the community.
• Opened the Women's Health Pavilion (2000), Center for Joint Replacement (2007), St. Mary's d'Youville Pavilion Rehab Center (2009), St. Mary's Auburn Campus (2009) and the modernization of the St. Mary's Regional Medical Center Emergency Center (2010).
• Dramatically improved access to primary care in region with a
  focus on recruiting physicians and mid-level providers.
• Initiated Haiti Work Retreats in 1998, which allow St. Mary's
  employees to volunteer among the poor in Haiti.
• Worked with Catholic Charities in addressing refugee resettlement in the region during 2000.
• Picked up responsibility for the School-Based Health Centers in Auburn and Lewiston's Middle and High Schools.
• Focused attention on improving the health status and access for residents in downtown Lewiston.
• The Neighborhood Housing Initiative, which has resulted in the construction of 12 very affordable new homes, recognizing that families can't be healthy when living in an unhealthy environment.
• The B Street Health Center. A full-service medical practice located in the heart of a federally-designated Enterprise Community, which also offers behavioral medicine and dental services in a culturally sensitive and affordable manner, maintaining the dignity of its patients.
• The St. Mary's Food Pantry. One of the largest emergency food pantries in New England, it has been providing emergency food assistance to residents of greater Androscoggin County for over 20 years.
• Lots to Gardens. A youth and community driven organization that uses sustainable urban agriculture to grow fresh food, nurture healthy youth, and create a healthier community. The program teaches people how to grow their own food, provide affordable access to fresh food, and involve youth as leaders, while helping families and youth develop skills and build power for lifelong and community-wide change.
• These efforts have been recognized nationally by the American Hospital Association through its Foster McGaw and NOVA awards, and the Catholic Health Association's Citation award. Locally, these efforts have been honored by the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council Award for more than 100 years of investment in the well-being of our community.
  
  

St. Joseph Hospital (Nashua) announced that Kathleen (Kathie) Rice Orshak, MA, CAVS is the newly-appointed Vice President of Mission Integration and Ethics. Kathie started at St. Joseph Hospital in 1999 as the Manager of Volunteer Services and SAGE, a program to promote healthy living in individuals over 55. She then transitioned to the Director of Volunteer Services & Health Ministries. Kathie has helped St. Joseph Hospital to grow their volunteer resources to over 250 community members. Kathie has also been the driving force behind St. Joseph Hospital's Project Search program, which gives individuals with developmental challenges a positive environment to train in a variety of skills and find employment. Kathie holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Emmanuel College in Boston and holds National Certification for Directors of Volunteers (CAVS). 

Kirsten Walter, director of St. Mary's Nutrition Center of Maine (Lewiston) recently received the "Katherine O. Musgrave Public Service Award." The award is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an individual, organization, or institution for outstanding work in nutrition policy, education, or research. The Maine Nutrition Council (MNC) presents the award each year at its annual spring conference. Kirsten was honored for her advocacy to ensure the availability of safe and healthful foods for all Lewiston and Auburn residents and leading nutrition and food system education efforts statewide. While a student at Bates College, Kirsten established "Hilltop Community Gardens" at Hillview Apartments, a low income housing complex, as a model for community development and bringing a diverse population together. After graduation in 1999 and with backing from Saint Mary's Health System, Kirsten spent the next seven years transforming the gardens into a larger, community-wide project called "Lots to Gardens." The project now includes fifteen gardens and green spaces, programs for children, youth, adults and senior citizens, apartment-side gardens, neighborhood vegetable stands, weekly community meals, monthly cooking and nutrition classes and community nutrition education trainings. She has also spearheaded an effort to assess Lewiston's food system by identifying barriers to obtaining healthy foods, leveraging new resources to solve identified problems, and determining how to involve the community in each and every aspect, from assessment to solutions.

Kirsten has taken a leadership role in the Somali Nutrition Education Project which empowers Somali women to spread nutrition messages to others in an oral-based culture in collaboration with the Maine Nutrition Network, the United Somali Women of Maine, and other community organizations. She helped to create the Nutrition Center of Maine, and since 2006, the Center has promoted healthy communities through advocacy and education. The Center focuses on health, hunger, community nutrition, youth development, and sustainable urban agriculture. It is the home of Saint Mary's Food Pantry, Lots to Gardens, and other community programs, including the Somali Nutrition Initiative.