St. Vincent's Hospital in NYC closes, nearby businesses fear same fate

Yeong Kim is neither doctor, nurse nor patient, but she still considers Friday's closure of New York City's venerable St. Vincent's Hospital devastating.

Kim owns Bethel Gourmet Food, one of the nearby businesses that depends on traffic from the hospital. As St. Vincent's -- known for treating AIDS patients and victims of the 9-11 attacks -- lurched through its death throes Thursday because of a billion-dollar debt, some merchants feared they may die with it.

"This is bad," Kim said. "We are open 24 hours -- and nothing."