Ever since Ballard Community Hospital was taken over by Swedish Medical Center in 1992, there have been persistent worries and concerns about the future of the institution created by Ballard residents years before. Many in Ballard worried that Swedish would simply chop the place into pieces and sell it off to the highest bidder, stripping it down for cash.

Those worries have held sway even when Swedish Hospital executive after executive said there was no truth to the stories of impending doom. Leaders in Ballard said nice things about Swedish in public but in private continually suspected the motives of Swedish leadership.

Ballard folks realized that the potential of an earthquake or other natural disaster could leave a hospital-less Ballard isolated if the bridges over the ship canal were lost. Even if the bridges stayed in good shape, just negotiating traffic to "Pill Hill" could cause serious health concerns for our residents.

But, finally we have more than denials, we have concrete actions. Words this time are accompanies by money on the table and solid plans being made.

"You don't dig up that amount of dirt in order to leave," said the hospitals chief executive officer last week when asked last week if the announced construction of a $31.5 million outpatient center and medical office building here was just a way to increase the value of the property in Ballard so it could be sold, disposing of a hospital.

Dr. Rodney F. Hochman said there were some ideas of downgrading the Ballard facility when he came last spring, but he made it clear he is in Seattle to build a first class regional health facility and said without hesitation that the future of the Ballard hospital was strong and clear. The record shows Hochman did exactly that in his last job with Sentara Healthcare in Norfolk, Va.

The age of the Internet opens up ways local physicians in Ballard can, in real time, work with experts all over the world. The TeleStroke program profiled in the Nov. 28 issue of the News-Tribune shows just one way.

But it is local physicians working in Ballard that will be the real test. The new medical office building will allow doctors to work collegially with specialists right here, as well as on line. People can become ill in Ballard, be treated in Ballard and have their follow-up care tended to by doctors working in Ballard. In most cases, Hochman and his staff say the hospital will beome even more of a local facility, as well as a regional care provider.

We are heartened by Hochman's arrival. We will keep a close eye on this major asset in the Ballard community and we will cheer them when they do the right thing for our citizens - and we will grumble if they don't.

For now, we are heartened at the future of Swedish Medical Center's Ballard campus. We hope we will always be on their side.

- Jack Mayne