J. Wesley Cook, DO

I began going to Dr. Cook in the early 2000s. I love the Staff, the Doctor, the ambiance, the Interns and even the fish. He’s always concerned, attentive and always solves the problem with ease. Rarely have to wait long before being seen. Took my Daughter here as a child.
My favorite Doctor of all time. Check him out!!!

I am really not sure how anyone could complain about anyone in this practice. The front desk is amazing and very responsive. Lupe has been wonderful and very informative when it comes to insurance questions. And Dr. Cook is absolutely the best doctor I have seen. He is knowledgeable and really cares for his patients. I appreciate that he has students in the building. When you are trained by someone as compassionate as Dr. Cook, I believe it sets you up for a fruitful, compassionate career as Dr. Cook has had. And I believe we need more doctors like him out there.
Definitely recommend!

Dr. Cook has been my Doctor for over two years and I have never had a bad experience with him or his staff. They are always willing to fit me in when I am sick or in need; and Dr. Cook is always kind and attentive. I also really like the fact that he has young doctors working at his practice. I think it is great that he takes time to mentor young physicians. Bottom line is, Dr. Cook works hard for his patients and I hope that he remains my doctor for a long time to come.

Dr. Cook has been my doctor for 14 years now and I can’t imagine going to anyone else. He is thoughtful in his approach to drugs and pharmaceuticals which I really appreciate — I don’t want to be over prescribed and I’m never in danger with Dr. Cook. As a D.O. (as opposed to an MD) he has a much more relatable disposition. Rarely has there been insurance confusion but it’s always been straightened out to my satisfaction. You should know that there are last-​year medical interns who work alongside the doctor and are always professional and great. Only once did I ask to speak to the doctor privately without students present and they gladly obliged. Wait times are typically short and getting an appt. is relatively easy with a little planning ahead. Confirmation calls are personal and confidential. I can see how a single visit might grab some people as «different» but he’s an awesome doctor if you want a long term relationship and especially if you have multiple issues. He always finds ways to simplify and also to fully answer all my questions. Thanks Dr. Cook!

Dr. cook’s Dr’s office is a nice and friendly environment. The staff are very down to earth, understanding and very knowlegable. Dr. Cook and his staff are willing to help out when ever needed.
S/​O to «LUPE» thanks for everything

Dr Cook is an amazing guy. He listens to his patients. Follows up. I’ve never had a better Physician. Totally recommend him. He rocks as does his staff.

Dr. Cook is an amazing doctor. I have been going to him since i was 12 years old. I am now 24. I have witnessed him go out of his way to help his patients on numerous occasions. He also gives back to the community.
A note to some other « Unilocalers» complaining about how much they had to pay:
Please take the time to understand your insurance policy. Please call your insurance company if you have any questions. It is not the doctor’s fault if you have not met your deductible.
My BCBS policy includes a yearly checkup and I have never had a problem at Dr. Cook’s office with my insurance.

Avoid this doctor’s office at all costs.
I went in for a first-​time visit needing something very simple: blood pressure medication. The receptionist, Jenny T, told me I had a $ 1,500 deductible and I needed to pay $ 100 before being seen by the doctor — in addition to my co-​pay. I informed her that I had no deductible and I asked her more than once to please call the insurance company and double-​check. She deliberately refused my simple request to make an easy phone call and instead denied me seeing the doctor and getting medication. Blood pressure medication is not a joke and this receptionist had no right to deny me treatment. The humane answer would have been to simply call the insurance company as requested and verify but she was ‘too busy.’ IN the meantime, without BP Med, I could have died!
Stay far away from Dr. Cook’s practice as his receptionist will PREVENT health care from taking place. Even if the doctor himself might be A-​OK, the nightmare of this receptionist is not worth the risks to your health!

I have been a patient of Dr. Cooks about 15 years and he is by far the most caring doctor I have been too.
Dr. Cook takes a very holistic approach to medicine which he really gets to know you as a person just not another patient. Dr. Cook provides all of the traditional medical care you would expect from a great doctor plus compassion and understanding.
Dr. Cook will give you his email for basic questions or office followups. The office is great it really puts me at ease compared to most doctors offices with great music, surroundings (awesome art) and Jennifer the very friendly and sharp office manager.
I would highly recommend Doctor Cook looking for a great caring doctor who understands his patients and providing excellent medical care.

My boyfriend recently acquired a shoulder injury that makes it almost impossible to move his left arm, so he went to see Dr. Cook. Apparently, the Dr. did a couple of prodding tests, gave him a prescription for some pain killers, and sent him to the «main hospital» (Weiss Memorial) to get an X-​ray done. Once at Weiss, my boyfriend had to fill out all of his paperwork again (because they had NO IDEA who Dr. Cook was) and the X-​ray tech told my boyfriend they would find out the results within a couple of days.
However, Dr. Cook and his ENTIRE office took a week vacation. There is no one to receive any information to pass along to my severally in pain boyfriend. They didn’t give him a sling, or tell him HOW to take care of his shoulder until results were able to reach him. They just gave him the pain killers and sent him on his way. It has now been a week and his arm is getting worse– but we are no closer to getting any type of information on what the problem is.
I cannot fathom that someone could call himself a doctor, but leave their patients so in the dark and without any help what-​so-​ever. Vacations are understandable, but make sure someone is in your office so information can be passed along to your patients. I am urging my boyfriend (and everyone else in the Chicagoland area) to switch from Dr. Cook’s office to a place where they will actually care about those who need medical attention.

Yeah. No. Just don’t, ok?
He gave me some sort of ‘look to god/​religious speech’ regarding my staying in good health. That’s not my bag at all. I’m not religious and I don’t expect to hear that kind of stuff from my health care provider. I’m a modern medicine kinda girl. He totally Tom Cruised me.

My wife is a patient of Dr. Cooks. Last year there was some billing disputes regarding how they set up a bill and wrongfully charged my insurance company. Today my wife goes to Walgreens to pickup her perscription refill for her birth control. They call Dr. Cook’s office and he/​his office states that my wife is not a patient of his. This is an outright lie. If he is mad regarding the billing dispute, he should not have offered the solution that he did (which we accepted).

Why is a good doctor so hard to find in this town?
I’ve been going to J Wesley for a little over a year now and was kind of ‘meh’ about him. Then I recently broke my finger and had to go twice in a couple weeks. Now I am actively searching for a new doctor. The first appointment was at 9:30am, and I still had to wait over an hour to be seen. Then after telling my whole story to a student they went and got the doctor, who started with, «Since this is your first time seeing me…» Nope. I’ve actually seen you about five times. Really shows a lack of preparation for this deal. Then I retold everything to him and he gave me some tongue depressors for a splint and told me to go buy tape. Classy.
So there’s that. Then I had to come for a followup two weeks later. I got a different student this time and had to re-​explain everything. Then the guy said he thought it looked good. Nice. Because you saw it before? It’s just ridiculous.
The receptionist is always super nice though. And very competent. So there’s that.

Well, yes this is a very cool and hip office. Dr. Cook is nice and all.. .but seriously I’ve had much better.
I went in for my yearly physical.. .I was greeted by one of the physician’s assistants students that intern there and was taken to an exam room. They took my blood pressure, asked me some questions about my health, and drew blood. Dr. Cook came in talked to me for about five minutes and left.
I was told that was it.. . I was confused.. .the physician assistant told me that they liked to do physicals in two phases.. .
I came back for phase two. Dr. Cook came in and told me my blood work looked fine and that I needed to lose weight. I asked, if anyone was actually going to do a physical examination of me.. .and was told it was done.. .
Uhm? I thought the idea of a physical was to inspect you physically and make sure everything was ok.. . Fortunately I’m fine.. . I think.. .but just to be sure I think I’ll go find someone to give me an actual physical.. .
Why two stars and not one? Well, I’ve received treatment for things like the flu and whatnot here.. .and it was about as good as I could get anywhere else.. .

I don’t know what it is with my bad luck with doctors here, but I will definitely not be returning to Dr. Cook.
I’ve never been particularly impressed with his office– I find Dr. Cook sort of aloof and not particularly professional– but I am rarely sick so I didn’t really feel the need to find a new doctor. On my last visit, though, I decided that I am pretty much done with a doctor who is basically stealing my money.
I went in for a check-​up. My main reason for going was because I wanted him to do a blood test to check some hormonal levels. It just happened that the week that I went in, I was having really bad allergies. I mentioned to the assistant that saw me first that I was there for a check-​up but that I thought there was a possiblity I might also have a sinus infection. That was obviously a mistake because I did not get anything that resembled any kind of check up. She asked me all these questions about my allergies, and I REPEATEDLY said that I wasn’t really there for that and if nothing else, I wanted to get a blood test done. Once Dr. Cook came in, she told him about the possiblity of a sinus infection– and I was really annoyed. He prescribed me some medicine and antibiotics, and was sort of like– ok, thanks, see ya. I told him that I wanted to get a blood test done (since the assistant didn’t feel the need to pass on that info), and that I was having some concerns about my hormonal levels. He ordered a blood test, and seriously could not get out of the room fast enough. At no time did they do anything in regards to a check up– I didn’t even remove an article of clothing! Yet– it seems that I got charged for one! So– I feel like he completely ripped me off.
A few days later, I sent Dr. Cook an e-​mail about my test results (like he asked me to). After a week, I had no received a response. I called a few times, and finally got an e-​mail back. They were the results of my CHOLESTEROL– which is a) not a test I needed and b) completely not what I had asked for. His note also included a little message to me about how my levels were high and that I should watch what I eat. (I looked online and considering that the levels of my chlosterol are in the good to very good range, I have no idea what the f he was talking about). I was more concerned about the test that he did not do. When I wrote him back and explained the miscommunication (or basically that he had screwed up), he actually argued with me and insisted that I had never asked him for that. He wanted me to come back in to the office so we could «talk about it». I was furious. I not only did I talk AT LENGTH with the assistant about the test, but I also talked to both of them about it once he came in. After talking to some other (former) patients, I’ve found out that this has happened to at least one other person I know– which is inexcusable.
If you want to go to a doctor who will actually listen and pay attention to you, I suggest you go elsewhere.

As Bob W’s «baby momma», I have to agree with what he has said about Dr. Cook. Bob, are you reading this? Yes, I am actually agreeing with you about something!
Granted, it’s been quite a few years since Dr. Cook was my or my daughter’s PCP, but I will never forget those dapper shoes and that wonderful bedside manner. I’m a hard person to please, but Dr. Cook did just that. My phone calls were always promptly returned, he was always patient with me (as both a new mother AND a hypochondriac), and he always treated my family and I with courtesy and respect.
I was a bit disappointed when my insurance changed to one his office didn’t accept, and of course I ended up moving shortly after, but Dr. Cook still stands out as one of the nicest, warmest doctors I have ever had.

I can see how people might be intimidated by a trip to Dr. Cook. If you are looking for a white coat impersonal doctor — look elsewhere. I was initially shocked by how down to earth he was and how casual he dressed. To be quite honest it really scared me at first– I thought who is this guy?
But after being a loyal patient for 6 years, I’ve found him to be incredibly intelligent and extremely well educated on new treatments. I also found him to be extremely caring of his patients and very sensitive to any discomfort or questions you may have. He is quick to answer any questions I have via email or in person. The receptionist Jennifer is great and makes you feel very comfortable.
A prior post said he was trying to be cool. However, he is not in the business of trying to be the «Cool» doctor. He is in the business of healing people and keeping them healthy. His coolness is just a byproduct of that.

Come in on time, show him the respect that he has earned with his decades of practice and communicate your honesty and everything will be all right.
This doctor has an amazing office, first floor office with windows and a sleek modern interior design. The staff are amazing and very easy to communicate with.
This doctor will be the coolest guy you’ve met. Today, he was in cords, a sweater and a beatnik hat. He also played The Cure as well as some Brian Eno I believe. Though I may be no where near him, I am seriously considering him as my primary physician, that’s how impressed I am with my first face-​to-​face meet with him.

I moved to Chicago not too long ago, so I have been looking for my primary care physician. I definitely did not find it in Dr. Cook! Most of the staff were great, including Jennifer, the super friendly and personable receptionist, and all the student Dr.‘s I had were nice and professional. I did have one nurse come in to check my vitals and continue to swear up a storm when he couldn’t figure out the computer. When the Dr. came in, I couldn’t even tell he was the Dr. He was dressed in scrubby street clothes and was wearing a raggedy woven hat.
The only thing he did for me was draw blood to check my cholesterol. That’s it! Then he proceeded to lecture me on the epidemic of obesity in America (I am not even obese), while his belly fat was hanging out from the bottom of his t-​shirt!
The whole experience was completely unprofessional and uncomfortable. He did not make me feel welcome to ask questions and I had the constant impression that he didn’t think I was smart enough to understand or comprehend anything he had to tell me. I will never, ever go back.

First impressions: office waiting area is too small and sometimes uncomforatble, especially if you have to sit next to someone sick or just plain wierd. The office employee is very nice and helpful. The assistance are students from a local university, and are friendly and helpful. The doctor is… a little out there. I went for chiropractic services twice, and haven’t seen much difference. The 4^th year college assistant actually was more effective than Dr. Cook, but I will give him one more visit to see what happens. They play techno music and definetely are trying for the «alternative» vibe. This place is definitely alternative, with a sign in the window that states that the doctor believes the healing powers of «higher beings» is greater than his.