Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers
New York metropolitan area, New York City, New York, U.S.
Catholic
General and Teaching
Previously Level 1, now Closed
758 (Manhattan Site)
1849
2010
Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers (also known as Saint Vincent's or SVCMC) was a healthcare system in New York City, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan.
St. Vincent's was founded in 1849 and was a major teaching hospital in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It closed on April 30, 2010, under circumstances which triggered an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney.[1] Demolition began at the end of 2012 and was completed in early 2013. Other hospital buildings were converted into luxury condos and a new luxury building, Greenwich Lane, has replaced the St. Vincent's building.
History[edit]
Operation[edit]
For more than 150 years, St. Vincent's Hospital served a wide range of New Yorkers, especially in its neighborhood of Greenwich Village, including poets, writers, artists, homeless people, the poor and the working class. It treated victims of the cholera epidemic of 1849 and of the Hudson River landing of US Airways Flight 1549. It was the designated provider for New York and New Jersey members of the U.S. Department of Defense Health Plan. Over time it expanded to become a major medical and research center. It maintained its connection to the Roman Catholic tradition, and was sponsored by the Bishop of Brooklyn and the President of the Sisters of Charity of New York.
Notable programs[edit]
St. Vincent's HIV Center[edit]
St. Vincent's was the epicenter of New York City's AIDS epidemic. It housed the first and largest AIDS ward on the east coast and is often referred to as the "ground zero" of the AIDS epidemic.[39]
As one of the first institutions to address and treat HIV and AIDS in the 1980s, St. Vincent's HIV Center was one of the oldest, most experienced and most renowned HIV treatment programs in the US. It provided coordinated outpatient and inpatient primary care and case management services to HIV-positive adults, pregnant women, and children, and also provided HIV prevention services, AIDS education programs, HIV clinical research, and support groups. In addition, SVCMC developed the unique Airbridge Project, which coordinates care for HIV-positive patients who make frequent trips to Puerto Rico.[40] Father Mychal Judge ministered to Catholics dying of AIDS in the early years of the epidemic. Tony Kushner features the hospital in his play Angels in America, and it is also alluded to by Larry Kramer in his play The Normal Heart.
Chinese Outreach Program[edit]
Due to its proximity to Chinatown, Manhattan, two miles away, SVCMC had close ties to the Chinese community throughout its history. In an effort to reach this underserved population, the hospital opened an independent Chinese-speaking inpatient unit, which employed physicians and nurses who spoke Cantonese and Mandarin. They also opened an outpatient facility in Chinatown, provided a free shuttle service from Chinatown to the hospital, and offered Chinese-focused healthcare services such as Acupuncture and Chinese traditional meals.[41]
Cystic Fibrosis Program[edit]
One of the most comprehensive and renowned CF programs in the city, the Saint Vincent's Cystic Fibrosis therapy program offered care for patients with cystic fibrosis and attracted patients from around the region.
Perinatal Hospice Center[edit]
The Perinatal Hospice was founded in 2007 to meet the needs of parents who have discovered early in pregnancy that their baby is nonviable outside the womb, and yet chose to carry their baby to term.
John J. Conley Department of Ethics[edit]
Closely linked to the Bioethics Institute at New York Medical College, The Conley Ethics Department was a leader in the study of clinical medical ethics and spirituality in healthcare. Chaired by Dr. Daniel Sulmasy, the department endeavored to integrate the biopsychosocial model of healthcare within the SVCMC system.[42]
Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel[edit]
Because the hospital was founded and manned through much of its history by nuns, its hospital chapel was a primary focus of the hospital architecture, and was symbolically nested at the very center of the hospital. The chapel, named for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, offered daily Mass and refuge for patients and hospital staff.[43]
Hospital Pet Care Program[edit]
Responding to the unique needs of an urban population, SVCMC instituted a program to help patients provide for their pets during their stay in the hospital. Animals were walked or fed in a patient's home, or were relocated to care facilities or short-term foster homes.[44]
Comprehensive Cancer Center[edit]
The Comprehensive Cancer Center provided prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery of a variety of malignancies, with a focus on preventing inpatient stays through careful outpatient monitoring. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplants were provided as day procedures along with 24-hour emergency care.