St. Vincent's HIV Center Celebrates 20 Years
01/21/2009
Stars, Fashion Gurus, And Politicians Turn Out To Honor Two Decades Of Leadership In The Fight Against HIV/AIDS
Contact: Mary Mooney
(212) 604-2675
New York, NY - December 2, 2008 - St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan will commemorate the 20th anniversary of its Comprehensive HIV Center with a special fundraiser on December 2, 2008 at Gotham Hall. The event will honor the history of St. Vincent's center as it evolved in response to the devastating epidemic of the 1980s, becoming the largest designated HIV Center in New York State. In addition to recognizing St. Vincent's long dedication and commitment to caring for those living with HIV/AIDS, 20 exceptional individuals and organizations will also be recognized for their commitment and impact in the fight against AIDS.
New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn is serving as honorary chair of the celebration with Thom Filicia, Kristen Johnston, Florent Morellet, Bobby Moresco, and Brooke Shields as event chairs. Emcee Carson Kressley will be joined by keynote speaker Kenneth Cole and Nona Hendrix, from Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles (the sweethearts of The Apollo), will provide a special musical performance.
Located in Greenwich Village, the epicenter of the domestic AIDS crisis, St. Vincent's diagnosed some of the first known cases of HIV in the city in the early 1980s. 'We are very proud of the profound work St. Vincent's Hospital has done through the years,' says Henry Amoroso, President and CEO of Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers. 'Our dedicated staff and doctors continue to inspire us every day with their courage and commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS.'
Event Honorees:
Aid for AIDS International
AIDS Service Center NYC
AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA)
Bailey House, Inc.
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
Kenneth Cole
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
Humberto Cruz, Director, NY State Department of Health AIDS Institute
New York State Senator Thomas Duane
The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)
Gay Men's Health Crisis, Inc. (GMHC)
God's Love We Deliver
Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP,
Cyndi Lauper
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
The Paul Rapoport Foundation Inc.
Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders (SAGE)
M. Monica Sweeney, MD, MPH, NYDOHMH, Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention & Control Village Care of New York (VCNY)
Phill Wilson, CEO, Black AIDS Institute
St. Vincent's was the first clinic of its kind on the east coast that welcomed and provided care for individuals with the disease who were turned away and stigmatized elsewhere. 'In the past 20 years, we have made great strides in this battle,' says Frederick P. Siegal, MD, director of the HIV/AIDS Center. 'However, the rate of HIV and AIDS is rapidly rising in New York City and spreading at three times the national rate. Now more than ever, the work of the HIV Center is extremely important.'
The HIV Center, which absorbed the Spellman Clinic from St. Vincent's Midtown when the hospital closed in 2007, now treats more than 4,600 patients a year and works to curb the spread of the disease through educational programs and outreach. Prevention education programs for high-risk groups are a large part of staff outreach, while educating health care professionals through conferences and training programs help spread twenty years of expertise in fighting the disease.
The 20th anniversary celebration will be held at the Gotham Hall, located at 1356 Broadway, at 36th Street beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $500 and are available by calling 212-604-6800, or online at www.svcmc.org/HIVevent.
About Saint Vincent Comprehensive HIV Center
St. Vincent's Comprehensive HIV Center has been committed to providing care and services to people with HIV and AIDS since the start of the epidemic. Our staff of physicians and nurse practitioners cares for patients both as inpatients and outpatients, maintaining a continuity of care that is rarely achieved in large metropolitan health care institutions. Our social work and case management teams provide compassionate social services, support groups and individual counseling to HIV patients. It is the center's mission to continue to serve the HIV and AIDS community in the tradition of caring and support pioneered by St. Vincent's Hospital in 1849.
About Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers
Saint Vincent's is anchored by St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, an academic medical center located in Greenwich Village; St. Vincent's Westchester, a behavioral health hospital in Westchester County; and continuing care services that include two skilled nursing facilities in Brooklyn, another on Staten Island, a hospice, and a home health agency serving the Metropolitan New York area. Its behavioral health services also provide supportive housing programs for people with mental illness throughout the Metropolitan area. The system became affiliated with St. Vincent's Midtown Hospital (formerly St. Clare's) in 2003. Saint Vincent's is the designated provider for the New York and New Jersey region of the US Family Health Plan sponsored by the US Department of Defense.
Saint Vincent's serves as the academic medical center of New York Medical College in New York City. The healthcare organization is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn and the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York.
