University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System

I would have to say that I am giving Neuro-​ICU department five stars because of their caring and attentive treatment towards my mother, but I am knocking the overall rating for UIC hospital down to three stars because I felt that the social worker and admitting nurse employed there needs to have sensitivity and cultural training.
My mother was brought to Neuro-​ICU as a result of a hemorrhagic stroke about two years ago. She stayed there for three weeks before transferring to a specialty hospital and later to a nursing home. My mom was mistreated/​neglected at the first nursing home. She ended up with sepsis, pneumonia, foot and ear ulcers (from not being moved), her feeding tube ripped out from her abdomen, and was in need of a blood transfusion. The nursing home had refused to release her medical records while she was being treated at the hospital and told us not to bring her back to the nursing home. After she was treated, she was sent to another nursing home where she was again mistreated. They had left her sitting in urine for hours (smell of ammonia was strong) and I had noticed she had difficulty breathing and she had something black oozing out of her feeding tube. I had asked the nursing home nurse to contact my mother’s nursing home doctor in regard to her breathing issues, but the nursing home nurse refused to mention it to the doctor.
I had called the nursing home doctor the next day and had forced the nursing home to send my mom to UIC’s ER department for an evaluation. The nursing home refused to give the paramedics the reason for her visit, and I had to explain to the ER doctor my mother’s symptoms otherwise they would have been sent her back to the nursing home without being evaluated. After a few tests, the x-​rays showed that she had pneumonia. She was put on strong antibiotics. Concerned about my mother’s welfare, I had asked for a social worker to place my mother in good nursing home while she was being treated for it. Misguided, I assumed that the social worker had my mother’s well-​being in mind, but instead she sent her to a nursing home that was not only far away (I take public transportation), but one that would neglect her by not to giving her the care she needed. My older sister had visited the nursing home a couple of days later and was appalled at my mother’s treatment. My mother’s roommate had told her that no one had came in the room to check on my mother for the whole day. They did not hook her up to her feeding tube (my mother is diabetic), suctioned her trach, changed her diaper, or administered her prescribed antibiotics. My sister called me and had sent my mother back to UIC ER department for evaluation and had asked the social worker not to send her back but instead to another nursing home. The nursing home refused to tell the paramedics or social worker the reason for her ER visit. The social worker was not pleased and had talked to the admitting nurse.
We were on our way to hospital when the admitting nurse had called me on the phone and told me not to bring my mother back to UIC hospital. She had told me that if we did not like my mother’s care that my sister and I should take care of her ourselves. She made the assumption that because my mother was transferred to several nursing homes that we did not like the nursing home care when in reality it was because my mom was being mistreated and was near death. She had told me that my mother’s three visits to UIC hospital was unnecessary and there was no «clinical» findings to warrant such visits. She had dismissed my concerns by stating, «Everyone has a mother and I know that you believe that your mother is precious…» At that point, I couldn’t contain myself and started screaming on the phone at the admitting nurse because I knew that what she did not look at my mother’s medical history and was basing on what the social worker told her. I had informed her that the first visit was due to the stroke and she was in Neuro-​ICU for three weeks and the second and third visit was due to pneumonia and that she was on antibiotics: vancomycin and zosyn. I told her to talk to the doctor for her health information. The admitting nurse realized her mistake and had communicated that to the social worker. We had a different social worker assigned to us where she had finally helped us send my mother to a good nursing home but she ended up passing away two weeks later.
It was extremely painful experience for me and my family because we were there when they had to drill holes in my mother’s head to relieve the pressure in her head. We were there when they had to put the trach in to help her breathe. We were there when they had to put in the feeding tube in her. For several months, we were there to witness the horrors of her mistreatment at the nursing home. We were there when we saw her slowly dying and and her legs and arms atrophied. We were there when she had tears falling down her face and she could not move or talk.

They over charge. Expect two bills because «Any time that you have services done in a hospital, even if it is at a doctor’s office side of the hospital, there will be at least two claims. One from the hospital and one from the doctor.» Medical and Clinic bills for one service.

I did not visit this particular location; however, I visited the clinic on Jeffrey, which is apart of this medical group. I arrived 15 minutes early for my appointment, and still had to wait two hours before being seen. It was an additional hour, before someone seen my daughter. Customer service has completely gone out the window. Overall, the doctor who seen me and my daughter was great. The only reason I would not recommend this place is because of customer service and the waiting time. Waiting for hours and only to be seen for 10 – 15 minutes is truly ridiculous. And the saga continues. I had to schedule another appointment with this medical group, however, the day before my appointment, they called to cancel it. They called me around 630pm to tell me it was canceled, so I called right back to find out why. Well the rep told me I had to call back during normal business hours. I explained to her, that she didn’t call me during normal business hours to say it was canceled, but now you want to give me attitude, for calling? I can no longer deal with this group, and will be switching to a different one, in the upcoming weeks.

Boy oh boy! I just have this to say, Don’t give birth here!!! This place is only ran by students therefore if you want to receive proper care just know a student will be supervising you, no matter if you request the oldest MD there. I had a TERRIBLE birthing experience. Ladies Dont do it! You’ll definitely regret it

Called them several times to get a copy of my medical records but none of them helped me and I have not get it til now. Customer service really sucks and people on the phone knows nothing. The website is useless. I will never go there again.

It’s a hospital of course but what I did love about this place is that they were courteous with my niece and the birth of her first baby. We stood here over 19 hours but it was well worth it due to the hospital being so attentive and kind. First off, the parking is validated for $ 6.50 but of course you have to ask for validation at the front desk, don’t forget this because it can be costly if you do go over the 8 o’clock visiting over time. So the staff was attentive with the birth of my nephew and this is something that I can appreciate for sure. The explanations of every procedure that had happened up to that point and beyond was really well thought out. The midwives in the rooms who made sure that the patient (my niece) was comfortable was again very appreciated as this was her first child. All up until the point of birth this was a well thought out process on the part of the hospital and their courteous hands on was awesome.
They do have a very nice cafeteria also that is very inexpensive and they do take credit cards so don’t worry about cash. The lunch crowd is decent and the dining hall is ample enough for Staff and common folk, so check it out.
Although visiting hours end at 8 and the security will tell you that you may not loiter, you can still go to the respective floors (in our case the 4^th floor waiting area) so that you can be near once your loved one gives birth. Wonderful memories are now made thanks to being allowed to wait in another part of the hospital vs. being kicked out.

University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital gets five stars because they simply saved my mom’s life.
My mom came to UIC Hospital with a very serious brain injury and the Neuro ICU is the reason my mom survived her injury.
She was transferred to UICH from a hospital in the northwest suburbs because that hospital didn’t have the capacity to care for my mom’s injuries as needed. She was taken by ambulance from the first hospital to UICH, and they swiftly went into action to further diagnose her injuries and recommend next steps in regards to her care. I received prompt phone calls from the Neuro ICU staff to talk about every procedure my mom needed to help her heal.
My mom was in the Neuro ICU for about two weeks, and the care she received from the hospital staff was superb. The nurses were always extremely attentive to my mom and her needs, as well as answering questions that I had during her various procedures. The doctors were kind of… awkward and arrogant, but putting that aside, they gave my mom the care she needed and they were the reason my mom came out a brain injury survivor.
Her transition to a rehab facility after her discharge from UICH was also seamless because of the excellent social services staff. They were so nice to work with, and I appreciate all the support and advice they gave me.
If you have a family member, or even yourself that needs neurological care, then UICH is the place to be.

Worst experience ever. Saw a nurse practitioner and not a doctor and he completely disregarded my symptoms and said my labs are normal so I should be fine.

Terrible service on the phone with ludicrously long wait times. Impossible to talk to a doctor. Long turnaround times for a call back. Billing is incompetent and confusing. You will receive separate bills from separate departments for a visit that requires any sort of lab tests. You cannot pay off your total cost of a visit with one payment– not that anyone without a six figure salary could afford to do so anyway– instead you must navigate the bull**** each month in order to find out how much is owed on each bill.
Even within departments it is hard to make sure all bills are paid: I tried to consolidate all my bills for the hospital department order to make one monthly payment, but this has resulted in the billing department sending bills to collections because they didn’t distribute the payment to all the bills. It’s all automated, so you can’t count on a human being applying logic to a situation and making sure you don’t get screwed.
Costs are ludicrous, even with «good» insurance. Payment plans are limited and inflexible. I can’t imagine how anyone with limited english or education would be able to navigate this place. My doctor seems knowledgeable, but is often hurried and judgmental. Healthcare is broken, here is the evidence.

I can’t give zero stars or I would.
I was referred to the UIC ER by my neurologist, who said that because my back pain was so bad he wanted me to be admitted through the ER for a surgery work up. I spent 3 hours waiting in the ER, despite being told there was one person ahead of me, and there was NO ONE ELSE in the waiting room. This was a Wednesday morning.
My treatment in the ER was horrid — I was placed on a gurnee in the hallway and that was a ‘room.’ Exams, IV’s and medications were administered in the hallway for all to see. When I asked for a more private area, I was told that the beds that were open were reserved for people who needed monitors (like heart/​lung). When I mentioned I was having difficulty with my asthma, all of a sudden I got moved into a room with oxygen for a breathing treatment.
After 12 hours in the ER, I was admitted to the medical unit. During that 12 hours, I was given several major pain medications (Dilaudid, Morphine, Valium, and Vicodin to name a few) and never ONCE was I offered something to eat or drink. When I asked for something, a nurse said she’d be back with some crackers, but never resurfaced. My mom, who was with me, left to get me a sandwich.
After being admitted for pain control, it went downhill from there. I had 3 MRI’s of my back, a chest x-​ray, a lumbar x-​ray and a CT of my lungs. I was never told I was going to have any of these tests, people just showed up saying, «Oh we’re taking you for your CT.» When I asked who prescribed it and why, I was simply told, «I don’t know, I“m just following the orders.»
On day two of my admission, I got ZERO pain medications. The attending medical doctor said that since my tests were normal, they were discharging me that night. When I again complained of pain (This was because I couldn’t walk, sit, or stand) she said, «Well you walk fine with your cane, why do you need pain medications?» Lady, I don’t walk with a cane. 3 weeks ago I was running 5 miles a week. That’s how bad the pain was.
As it turns out, the neurologist who saw me in the ER had referred me to the pain clinic for a surgical procedure to reduce pain and inflammation. I got a call from my outpatient neurologist to schedule the appointment. When she called, I told her that I had no knowledge of this, and that the med team at the hospital didn’t either. She made some phone calls.
After all of that, I utilized their customer complaint process in the hospital. All of a sudden I had a nurse who asked me to rate my pain every 4 hours, and I was given prescribed pain meds every two hours without asking.
On discharge day I was contacted by the outpatient pharmacy and arranged to have my prescriptions filled there and delivered to my room before I left. They were very insistent that I be in my room at 5:30 that night, which I was. No meds appeared. I called at 6pm and was told the pharmacy closed at 5, so there was nothing they could do until Monday. So sure enough, my discharge was delayed another three hours because they had to get the doctor to rewrite the scripts.
I thought I was free from the craziness, however when I got my script to Walgreens, they couldn’t process it through my insurance. Why? Because the hospital pharmacy already did, and they were closed for the weekend. So I had to pay out of pocket for the whole thing, because I needed the pain meds while I was home before surgery.
In addition to being the worst facility I have EVER been to, I’m proceeding with filing complaints with both the state and the Join Commission. Horrible, horrible experience.

The only complaint I ever have about this place is the price of parking and them pushing the flu vaccine like its a loud pack…

Amazing!
I’m not sure where to begin! I was referred to UIC for to see a specialist and to get a few special tests. The specialist and Nurse Practitioner spent around 30min with me! Asking me thorough questions about my health history and family health history. Very friendly and engaging they seem to take a very holistic and complete view of the body and health allowing you to take advantage of preventative care that might be helpful but in general taking a conservative approach.
I’ve had some complications with my insurance so have had to call back a forth a bit but hold times are virtually non-​existent and I’m always greeted with professional service!
I was a bit skeptical about how the service would be as they take many medicaid and public health insurance plans but I’m not sure the care could be any better if I had a high priced private plan.
I highly suggest UIC Hospital & Health Services!

UIC’s hospital system is the worst I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve been through quite a few. I have a chronic illness so I have to have health insurance and as a grad student at UIC, Campus Care is the only affordable option for me, which leaves me with no options outside of UIC’s medical system. The entire hospital system is inept and inefficient. No one ever seems to know what’s going on even in their own departments. I arrived for an appointment in the Digestive and Liver Center to see my specialist and a different doctor came in and said she was taking over his practice. Fine but it would have been nice to get some sort of notice beforehand. Then none of the front desk staff seemed to know her schedule and there was confusion over whether or not she did procedures, etc. I was scheduled with the wrong doctor for a procedure. (Side note: I recommend avoiding Dr. Halline at all costs. Definitely don’t let him do any procedures on you.)
I have had an awful time trying to get help and information from this office. My doctor never calls me back. I have bloodwork and tests run and no one ever calls to discuss the results with me, even after I leave multiple messages. Notes in my chart are incorrect (wrong prescriptions were listed).
Seriously, this hospital system is the worst. I cannot wait until I graduate and can find competent care elsewhere!

This hospital is horrible. We came here on time at 830 am, waiting around for my husbands actual surgery to start around 230pm! They kept telling us they were cleaning the surgery room (apparrently, it took 3 hours). The bathroom for the waiting area was so dirty. The floor was completely filled with dirt. I am horrified Witt this hospital and would never want to come back here. After being at this place from 830am, we finally went home around 7pm. If you ask me, this is a lot of time to be waiting.

My son has asthma (among other health problems), he has stayed @this hospital twice. The 1^st time he stayed 10 days (4 of those in the PICU). While he was in the PICU I was able to call & speak to the nurse to check on him any time of the day. He got a private room and since I wasn’t able to stay with him they had a student come sit with him & keep him company till I arrived. Bcuz he had to stay in bed the students & nurses brought him toys & games to play with. I was very nervous about leaving him alone, but knew he was in good hands. The second time was only overnight, but they did keep a good eye on him. They even low-​jacked him so he wouldn’t try to leave the floor (he has severe ADHD & epilepsy & has the tendency to wander off). Although I have to admit the wait in the ER was long it still was bearable. The nurse even brought us lunch & a snack.

I am not sure who would ever find acceptable medical care here. I’ve been at this facility in a professional role and was horrified by the experience. This hospital is woefully understaffed! The waiting rooms are always packed ~ regardless of the unit… surgery, pediatrics. ER… you name it and there is a huge wait. The physicians seem compotent, but after seeing 50+ patients… are they?
I have also had the misfortune of being a patient here. A really fab doctor I wanted to work with… is on staff, thus I had no choice.
WHAT A GOD AWFUL experience! The surgery recovery nurses were arguing. Yes, ghetto… backyard…I hate your guts kind of arguement! Really? I realize the patients are drugged, but we can hear you! I asked one of the RNs to help me go to the bathroom and she said, «in a second… walked out and was GONE for at least a half hour». I rang… rang…rang to no avail. When she finally came back, she said ~ «can’t you wait?» I swear if I had not been drugged I would have punched her!
After discharge, I called Patient Relations to complain about the level of service and the agent said, «I know. I wouldn’t tell anyone to come here»!
NOW, you tell me?!

I showed up for my appointment, waited an hour, the doctor came into the room and talked to me for two minutes and had to have me reschedule because she had no time for the purpose of the visit, and I was still billed for the visit. After calling the billing department and after they reviewed it, they said I was still responsible for the balance.
Skip this place and go to a place that values its patients!

If you ever need to visit the emergency room in Chicago, this is your place… not like your going to take the time to Unilocal if your in an emergency… but…
The doctors are caring and really take there time with you. Incredibly efficient in that they run your lab tests within the hour and all the departments work together. Nurses come in and check on you every 10 minutes. Admitting and discharge is a breeze. I will be going back if I ever need a hospital again.

I had outpatient surgery at the 3^rd floor Surgicenter three weeks ago. I cannot say enough about how friendly and reassuring the staff was, from the nurses to the anesthesiologist who put me under. I’m a big baby when it comes to needles and pain, and they were wonderful with me before and after the procedure. I also have to say a huge thank you to my surgeon, who did what a number of doctors had told me was impossible.

Beware. This hospital has a horrible billing department. I went to the eye center at this hospital. The moment I was entered into the system, they started billing me for services I did not receive. They billed thousands of dollars to my insurance for tests and appointments I never had.
I asked to be taken out of the system (since I had paid the bills that were actually mine), but I was told that once someone is in the system, there is no way to remove the person. UGh!
I finally think I have the bills cleared up, but I have no faith that this won’t happen again.