Opus Bank announced the national expansion of its Healthcare Banking division, which provides debt financing and banking solutions to hospitals, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, hospice centers, home health agencies, outpatient care centers, healthcare systems, healthcare providers, practitioners, professionals, medical technology companies, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare-related manufacturing companies, and service providers to those in the healthcare industry.

Opus’ healthcare lending programs include cash flow loans for acquisitions and refinancing, asset-based healthcare loans, healthcare-related real estate debt financing, working capital lines of credit, bridge loans, and syndication of multi-lender facilities. Opus’ Healthcare Banking division is comprised of its Healthcare Provider Group and its Healthcare Practice Group.

Additionally, Opus announced today that Gregory M. Ratliff and Frank J. Balkum have joined Opus as senior managing directors of Healthcare Banking.

Ratliff, a 15-year banking veteran, joins Opus Bank most recently from Regions Bank, where he served as managing director, Relationship Manager of Corporate Healthcare, located in Nashville, TN. While at Regions Bank, Ratliff oversaw and managed an $850 million corporate healthcare portfolio. From 2009 to 2010, Ratliff served as senior vice president, chief credit officer of the Healthcare Division for US Bank, where he was responsible for a $5 billion healthcare portfolio that spanned numerous sectors, including hospitals, medical device manufacturers and distributors, pharmaceutical manufacturers, managed care organization, senior housing, and ancillary service providers.

From 1999 to 2009, Ratliff served as director of Corporate and Investment Banking at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, where he led a group of ten portfolio managers responsible for a $7.2 billion healthcare-focused portfolio.

Balkum, a 25-year finance veteran, joins Opus Bank most recently from Rx Financial, where he served as CEO and president. While at Rx Financial, Balkum focused on building a national commercial funding organization that provides debt financing for dental and medical practices.

From 1996 to 2002, Balkum served as senior vice president for Coffman Capital, where he handled the contractual negotiation and implementation of banking, leasing, and investment relationships to facilitate funding for clients.