Providence will live on in spirit.(Brief Article)

Swedish can sharpen its focus

This community needs to be reassured that the culture of caring that Providence Hospital and its Sisters of Providence brought to this region for more than 150 years will continue once Swedish Medical Centers purchase of the hospital is completed.

And to its credit, Swedish focused on that concern in the announcement this week that it is buying the Seattle hospital.

The losses Providence Medical Center suffered during the past decade made it impossible for it to prevail in the competition for health-care dollars with a more financially secure Swedish Medical Center.

Providence sought to compete with Swedish in …