Mt. Sinai Medical Center will acquire St. Vincent's Hospital's HIV/AIDS center at the end of this month, hospital spokesman Ian Michaels confirmed with DOTmed News.

"They have a large program, we have a large program. Combined, we could be one of the biggest in the country," Michaels said. The combined program will have approximately 7,000 patients.

St. Vincent's Hospital closed its doors for good April 30, after months of trying to save the 160-year-old Catholic hospital, which succumbed to bankruptcy. The hospital's various centers are being allocated to different hospitals throughout the city. Beth Israel Medical Center will acquire the hospital's cancer center, and Lenox Hill will run the urgent care center, after being awarded $9 million by the state.

Mt. Sinai won't move the HIV/AIDS center far from its current location in the West Village. Michaels said the hospital is looking for clinical space within that neighborhood, but it is unlikely the center will remain in one of St. Vincent's former buildings.

"That's where the patient population is," he said of the New York City neighborhood. "The program has acquired that patient population in part because of its location. That's where patients are accustomed to going, and we'd like to maintain that. We're not looking to require people to travel a long distance."

The "vast majority" of St. Vincent's patients will still see their regular physicians, which is important, Michaels said. As of April 29, twelve of the 14 St. Vincent's HIV/AIDS center physicians agreed to join the Mt. Sinai program, he said. It is unclear whether Mt. Sinai will look to hire more physicians or staff for the growing program.

The combined program will offer, in addition to HIV primary care, neurological care, psychological care, renal care, Hepatitis C infection care, nutritional services, gynecological care, anal cancer screenings, and HIV prevention and education, Michaels said.

"The size and scope of the program makes Mt. Sinai a global leader of HIV treatment," he said. "It's one of largest programs in country. It certainly enhances Mt. Sinai's reputation in that field. We want to continue to provide quality care that St. Vincent's patients have become accustomed to and do it in a location that is convenient, for them and make the transition as seamless as possible."

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