Edward Olinger MD- Gastroenterology

To write a review for a doctor on Unilocal is perhaps an odd thing to do, but I must. This man is a genius, an accurate diagnostician, and a compassionate doctor and human being.
I came to Dr. Olinger about 4 years ago with frightening symptoms, scared, and looking for help. He diagnosed me easily with one procedure and has treated me ever since. He has successfully helped me through numerous rough patches with my disease. These rough patches included one particularly horrifying time involving a hospital stay.
This amazing doctor has always known what to do to help me. He has adjusted medication and dosing after listening to me carefully and taking side effects into consideration. He has even referred me to equally amazing colleagues to help me successfully deal with some side effects.
Additionally, he has always shown incredible compassion. He was on the phone with me at 10:00 pm as I sat panicking in the ER. He has always returned my phone calls promptly and has shown determination in getting in touch with me (I am a teacher and am very hard to reach during the day). He has even cared enough to suggest that my husband accompany me to certain appointments so that he can be informed of the risks and benefits of certain medications that I was considering.
As for his receptionist, she knows how to get her job done well and seems to keep that office running perfectly. If you ever actually bother to talk with her, you will find that she is a warm and genuine person!
All in all, if you want to get better, go to Dr. Olinger. There are very few doctors of his caliber left.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Olinger for about 2 years now, and what everyone else has been saying is absolutely true! He genuinely seems to care about my health and well-​being, is so thoughtful and considerate about the personal phone calls and explanations of test results, etc.

While I’ve found the doctor to be a lovely person and a very thorough physician, some of his staff are just miserable people to deal with. When you call about questions regarding anything, you’re presented with the crankiest people. I called before a procedure to ask about what I should eat or not eat and the woman was so annoyed. Maybe she gets that questions a lot but I didn’t want to screw up an expensive procedure. Lastly, when I got the bill for this procedure, I had a question. Not only was this particular woman sending her calls to voicemail when she was there, she was so incredibly rude and refused to actually answer my questions. I asked for her to give me the exact amount my insurance covered so I could call my insurance company. She refused to give me the figure. I had to repeatedly ask her to answer my question. She was horrible. While I like Dr. Olinger, most of the staff is so vile, I’ll go elsewhere.

Turned away because we were not in the right tax bracket. I called to make an appointment and asked the women who answered if the doctor accepted my mothers insurance. I was told as long as it is a PPO it would be fine. Upon arriving we were greeted very rudely by Ms. Corona behind the desk. She says we dont accept your insurance. When I explained to her that it is a PPO and I was told it would be ok on the phone. Her response was the people answering the phones dont know what they are talking about. When I asked if she could call my mothers insurance to verify, she said no she would not be calling our insurance. Instead she got the doctor who took one glance at the insurance and one glance at us and said he would need 260 dollars up front not including any additional costs for tests «that will get expensive». We left feeling very disappointed and ashamed from their actions. Which I’m sure is not how they would’ve treated someone else perhaps dressed a little better, or with a bigger check book.

Dr. Olinger is top-​notch and I am eternally grateful for finding him. This guy goes above and beyond what you’ll find from any other doctor.
I’ve had digestive problems since middle school and had suffered through 6 years of hell with a lousy gastroenterologist in my hometown. That doctor told my parents I was a hypochondriac for 6 years until my mom finally plead with him to check me for gallstones when I was almost 19. I did end up having a gallbladder full of stones and while the cholecystectomy helped, it didn’t resolve all of my digestive problems. Since our insurance only covered that gastroenterologist, I decided to just suck it up and accept that I’d get sick nearly every time I ate.
When the company I worked for relocated to the Chicago area, my stomach problems became too much. I couldn’t eat before or during work hours without becoming sick and with working over 14 hours a day, that’s difficult to maintain for long. My boyfriend finally convinced me after 6 months to see a doctor. We searched on Unilocal and found Dr. Olinger. The first time we met, Dr. Olinger actually LISTENED to me. He acknowledged and confirmed that I had a real problem and while he didn’t know what was going on by symptoms alone, he promised he’d figure it out.
After my initial visit, Dr. Olinger sent me down to the lab to run tests just to rule out any run-​of-​the-​mill things just in case. The Celiac’s test was sent out to another lab by Northwestern and didn’t end up being covered by my insurance. I reported the problem to Dr. Olinger after I wasn’t able to get the hospital, my insurance, or the laboratory to bend. Olinger jumped into action and called Blue Cross/​Blue Shield and the laboratory himself where the test was sent to see if he could sway them. Northwestern finally ended up covering what my insurance wouldn’t for the test.
Within 2 months of my first appointment with Dr. Olinger, I was given a proper diagnosis. The medication he prescribed has helped resolve my stomach problems and it’s actually affordable ($ 8 for a month’s supply without insurance). Dr. Olinger even followed up with me himself to make sure the medication was improving my condition. I have since been able to get my weight up to 110 lbs and I can finally eat away from home without worrying about getting sick.

This is just to follow up on my initial review. I had my procedure with Dr. Olinger yesterday. In rare fashion, I was in and out of the lab of NMPG where he performs procedures IN LESS TIME THAN I WAS QUOTED! Yes, you read that correctly. He was ahead of schedule, his staff was fantastic, and he even checked on me in recovery, although I don’t recall much of the conversation. My appointment was at 1:15 pm; I was home eating pasta by 4:30 (and we live about 20 minutes form the hospital, so you do the math there on how long it took.)
Dr. Olinger is a class act. He is absolutely as good as it gets. I didn’t comment in the last review about his bow ties, or his funky stylish shoes, but they very well fit his personality. Heck, I wanted to buy them from him. This guy is refreshing in a culture that has become so profit-​driven. He is patient-​driven.

Almost 30 years ago, I saw Dr, Olinger for a multitude of symptoms. While the medical aspects of my condition were not life threatening, I was suffering from severe depression and didn’t know it. Dr, Olinger was patient and took the time to listen to me. After some testing, Dr. Olinger referred me to a psychiatrist, and I was hospitalized a week later, and have since learned that I have severe clinical depression. I have had several episodes through the years and thankfully with medication and therapy, I am no longer suicidal. Dr. Olinger actually saved my life. He is a thorough clinician, and a kind and gentle human being.

never made it; receptionist was too rude on the phone, unaccomodating and didn’t feel like recommending anyone else

I’ve had Crohn’s for 23 years and having moved around a lot have had many gastroenterologists. Dr. Olinger is high up there in my book. One of the most amazing things as that he personally returns phone calls within 24 hours and will never make your conversation feel rushed. He’s on top of things, even for me, a low-​maintenance patient. He’s kind, patient, reasonable, and always wears a bow tie. Also, I love that I always know who I’m going to talk to when I call his office. He hired a wonderfully sharp and efficient secretary, who has probably been working with him for years. Another big bonus (for me) is that his office has a great view of downtown.
Double thumbs up for Dr. Olinger!

Dr. Olinger is the best! I’ve been experiencing painful stomach and intestinal issues for almost 4 years and of all the doctors I went to, not one could help. Until Dr. Olinger of course! He instantly knew what was going on and how to treat it. I highly recommend him to anyone, especially those with wacky symptoms that can’t seem to find help anywhere.

As long as I can remember I have had serious digestive issues. Mind you I have seen numerous doctors and had more than a few tests. Well I just came from seeing Dr. Olinger and I can already tell you he is different from all the others, he actually knew what he was talking about! He asked all of the right questions, medical history, past procedures and tests. He was able to help me immediately and for that I am truly grateful.
Dr. Olinger has recommended additional tests which I will be taking next week. But what really impressed me was how kind he was and how quick and thorough he is. I have a feeling Dr. Olinger and I will have a long happy relationship.
I will definitely be recommending him to anyone who asks in the future

I was having problems with upper abdominal pain, at times severe. According to test results, I had a liver cyst that needed to be watched. Events eventually led my doctor to decide it was time to deal with it. He said to see a gastroenterologist, and to go to Northwestern Memorial Hospital because the type of surgery I needed would require the expertise of the transplant team there.
So the plan was to see the gastroenterologist, who would refer me to a surgeon at NMH. The question was: which gastroenterologist to choose? There were so many! I turned to Unilocal as one of my usual resources, and found that our very own Andrea of Unilocaldom had written a shining review of her gastroenterologist at NMH. I checked out his credentials and then made an appointment with Dr. Edward Olinger.
I can’t express how glad I am to have found this remarkable doctor. Not only is he a good listener and a wise diagnostician, he has a sincere concern for his patients. From our first appointment I was impressed with his humble demeanor coupled with his tenacity for getting answers. At our first appointment, Dr. Olinger made me feel as comfortable as possible; as he interviewed me, I never felt rushed or judged in the least. Because he starts seeing patients before his office manager arrives in the morning, he even asked if he could validate my parking. Unheard of.
From the first appointment it was clear to him that I would require surgery. He referred me to one his surgical colleagues, who would evaluate me and eventually put my body right. I plan on continuing to see Dr. Olinger for other issues that I have, and feel confident that I will be receiving the best of care.

I used to have this really odd problem where my throat would close up sometimes while I was eating and I would have trouble breathing. As you can imagine it made my dating life really fun…
I went to a few different gastros and other doctors and everyone tried to cure the problem a different way– medicine, stretching of my esophagus, etc. Basically none of these doctors could figure out what the problem was. One day my throat closed up at a McDonalds while driving up to see a Northwestern/​Indiana football game at IU. I ended up getting operated in a hospital in between a corn field and a gun shop (oh fun times) and it was then that I decided I needed to find the best gastro in Chicago.
Dr Olinger came highly recommended so I went to see him with the hopes that this kind man who always wore a bow tie would be able to help me. It took him about 10 minutes to figure out that I just had an acid reflex problem and had to take acid reflex medicine everyday. I didn’t really think he would be able to cure the problem because no other dr could, but I gave it a try. 5 years later I’ve yet to have a problem and I have Dr Olinger to thank. I’ve recommended him to many of my friends whenever they have stomach issues and they have all been extremely happy with him! If you’re looking for a gastro in Chicago Dr Edward Olinger is the doctor for you!