Swedish strategy executive says current economic downturn won't spoil long-term expansion plans

The executive in charge of Swedish Medical Center's expansion into the cities east of Seattle said this week that the company was trying not to let the present economic environment compromise important, long term goals.

Swedish Medical Center Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Brown told The Reporter on Tuesday that the new hospital project was one of the company's top priorities.

Brown said he felt that the Issaquah and Sammamish area has less hospitals than a population of its size warrants.

"There are not many communities the size and scope of Issaquah that don't have a large scale medical facility," he said.

Swedish currently operates a freestanding emergency room facility in Issaquah; the 55,000 square foot campus is not connected to a hospital.

Responding to questions about Swedish's recent decision to layoff 200 staff to cut operating costs, and how this might affect the company's plans for a new hospital in the Issaquah Highlands, Brown said that he anticipated the economic environment would be different by 2012, the hospital's scheduled opening date.

"It is a matter of hitting the pedal and the brake at the same time," Brown said.

"The cuts were a result of having a hard look at the infrastructure we have at the moment that supports our core business. It's an important strategic point - we need to advance but we also need to shore up our day-to-day costs."

"The Issaquah Highlands project is an important part of our future.

"Larger projects like this take some time to be realized, and there is a long lead time.

"We expect that by 2012 the situation will be very different."

He went on to say that the expansion project had not been effected by the withdrawal of financial support, such as that suffered recently by the proponents of the heralded zHome project in Issaquah.

Brown said that although the company would be open to the possibility of the new hospital taking on staff effected by the layoffs, the fact that it was not due to be opened for another 2 to 3 years might make it of little consequence for those staff.

Contact Sammamish Reporter Editor Jake Lynch at editor@sammamish-reporter.com.

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