By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — The proposed partnership between Mount Sinai Medical Center and St. Vincent’s Hospital to save the ailing Greenwich Village-based medical facilty will not go through, St. Vincent’s officials said Thursday.
A spokesperson for St. Vincent’s Hospital said in an interview on Thursday afternoon that the proposed plan to partner with Mount Sinai is no longer being considered, after little more than a week since it was announced.
According to Gov. David Paterson, who has twice provided state funds to bail out the 160-year-old hospital in the short term, the latest news seems to leave no partnerships options left for the hospital, which is currently facing $700 million in debt.
“I am disappointed that at this point there does not appear to be a partner for the hospital,” Paterson said in a statement.
“We will continue to work with the hospital, unions, elected officials, lenders and others until every viable avenue is exhausted.”
Mount Sinai’s decision to consider a partnership came just after St. Vincent’s Hospital said it would sell off two of its nursing homes and a hospice program in order to financially stabilize the cash-strapped facility.
Earlier in the year, Continuum Health Partners had been considering taking over St. Vincent’s Hospital, but the group rescinded its offer in February.
Despite the grim outlook, local politicians remained steadfast in their resolve to pave a future for the cash-strapped hospital.
“I am extremely disappointed that at this point, there does not seem to be a workable deal on the table for St. Vincent’s hospital,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler.
“As this process moves forward, I will continue to investigate all potential federal options for assistance, and I seriously hope that we can still find a solution that will retain an acute-care hospital facility for downtown Westsiders.”
Borough President Scott Stringer said, "this is a blow to our efforts to save St. Vincent’s Medical Center, but certainly not a fatal one."
St. Vincent’s Hospital has the only emergency medical space on the West Side, from Park Row to 59th Street.
The hospital said in a statement that its board will be in discussions with management, legal and financial advisors to assess options moving forward.
Mount Sinai issued a statement saying, "We have concluded that we are not going to pursue the acquisition of the inpatient operations of St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers but we will continue to consider other healthcare options for the communities served by St. Vincent’s."
