DO NOT COME HERE, especially for first time parents. During our initial visit, the physician we saw, either goes by Dr. Singer or ( Elizabeth stringer ) she was dismissive and spoke to us in a condescending manner when we asked questions about the recommended vaccine schedule. As new parents, we were not refusing care-we were seeking clarification. Dr. Singer stated that if we did not proceed with all recommended vaccines, we would not be able to be seen at the clinic and would need to be escorted out, which immediately made the experience feel hostile and unwelcoming. Our follow-up was scheduled for Christmas Eve based on clinic availability, without consideration for our family schedule or allowing time to discuss timing between spouses, and as that doctor mentioned " they don't have time for selective parents choosing when their kids got vaccines." Again Regardless of where one stands on vaccines, the way she communicated it in a way that felt coercive, dismissive, and lacking compassion. It felt like There was no room for discussion, informed consent, or respectful dialogue - especially inappropriate when dealing with new parents seeking guidance, not threats. The visit was further impacted by a very stressful parking garage situation. No ticket was issued upon entry, and when we attempted to exit, it was blocked and the garage attendant yelled at us and threatened to call the police over payment confusion, demanding our credit card to charge us $75. This was only resolved after contacting customer service, and they notated that no one should be yelling at anyone. We returned one final time the following week solely to proceed with one vaccine and informed the clinic that we would be transferring care. At that time, we were explicitly told that all insurance information had been verified and was on file. Despite this, weeks later we received a full-price bill for both visits and the vaccine. We called our insurance and Our insurance confirmed that no claim had been properly submitted by the clinic, even though our insurance card had been scanned and documented. Given everything that occurred, the failure to submit insurance after confirming it was verified felt unnecessary and avoidable. Overall, the experience was disorganized, unprofessional, and lacking in compassion. We transferred care elsewhere and would not return. I usually don't even leave reviews but that doctor just rubbed me the wrong way. All this to say again DO not come to this location. read more

We had a great experience for 18 months at Lakeview Pediatrics. Sadly, my son is no longer a patient because we moved. When my son was born the doctors from Lakeview Pediatrics did his initial check ups at Prentice. We saw a few different doctors in those first few weeks and had positive experiences with all of them. Ultimately we stuck with Dr Contreras and she was great. The office was always clean, the staff & nurses were friendly and helpful, the nurse line got back to me within a few hours after leaving a voicemail, and we never had trouble getting in quickly for sick visits. Overall I would highly recommend! We will miss this practice - thanks for everything! read more

I recently wrote a review for Lakeview on Google after what I would describe traumatic visit with Dr. Zhou. The review itself did not violate any posting guidelines, so I am assuming it was done at the request of the practice. It's concerning that a site as high traffic as Google would have cherry-picked reviews, so I thought I'd be diligent about spreading some awareness that the care itself is not all sunshine and roses at Lakeview - but can actually be harmful with the wrong provider. My review is not so much a plea to stay away from Lakeview all together, but more so to be very mindful about which providers you allow to treat your children. Not all doctors are created equal, and Lakeview is an excellent example. I took my children to Lakeview for 7 years and unfortunately, because of mostly positive experience, had my guard down when I was placed with Dr. Zhou for the first time for a sick visit. Keep in mind that with a large practice, you are actually limited in how often you see your chosen PCP - for sick visits you kind of get who you get. Looking back on the visit, there were clear signs that she did not seem confident and/or capable and I should have advocated for myself and asked for a more experienced doctor to step in and review. If you do end up at Lakeview, or at an equally large practice, make sure you know and are comfortable with ALL the doctors on staff. If it's the first time you are seeing one of them - be more diligent, ask more questions, and if you feel it's necessary, insist on another doc at the practice to validate plans of care. read more

Terrific office. Everyone is helpful and knowledgeable. Both in person and telehealth sessions are great. The nurses are responsive if you ever have concerns. I've liked everyone we have seen: Dr. Chang Dr. Lange Dr. Newport read more

I love this place. I love ALL the docs. I love all the nurses. I love the colorful fish tank, the always-punctual appointments, and the super flexible appointments (they are open on Saturdays!). I love that I never feel rushed, and my questions are never treated with disdain or dismissed. Also, on the few occasions I've had to call the after-hours line for a sick baby, they get back to you really quickly with instructions and recommendations. A lot of peace of mind. My two kids see Dr Contreras as a primary, and she's a delight. Thorough, clearly well-informed, and kind. But frankly, I'm happy to see any member of the staff as I'm yet to have a bad experience 2.5yrs in. read more

PROS: Doctors are great (Chang, Janowiak, really all of them as we've been flexible and grateful with any provider). The front staff is terrific, just wonderful, courteous, receptive, supportive (including Blake, my daughter's favorite). Also, to note, providers work really hard to provide good care: they're not omniscient, they go by the data you give them, and they make the best calls. Since Covid, there has been an increase in need, and are experiencing burnout, so there is an understanding if appts are not always prompt or exact or readily available. CONS: The sick line has 1) long wait times for a call back, nearly 5 hours & 2) rarely offered same-day sick appts, oftentimes referred to Urgent Care downstairs. Jessica, the nurse, on the sick line is thoughtless and unhappy. Two worst significant experience - 1) I left a message on 3/17/2023 at 8:52 AM. Nurse Jessica returned my call at approximately 1:47 PM, and suggested Urgent Care along with a possible diagnosis allowing no appts for even the next day. 2) Called the sick line requesting a "sick appointment". Nurse Jessica left a message (I still currently have the msg saved to confirm with the nursing manager, if needed) that an appt was made for the same day. Jessica later called again asking for a call back within 45 minutes as she needed to release that appt to another patient (unfortunately, I was in a meeting so I missed to return her call within her time parameters). Consequently, our appt was given to another patient. Although these are two incidents, they are part of a pervasive pattern I have noticed with this nurse. read more

I like the doctors and the nurses here however the practice administration is terrible. You can't get through to a human to make a routine appointment. I have left three messages to make an appointment for my child's 4 year check up and no one calls me back. Quest diagnostics charged me $500 for a whooping cough swab test because the dr put in the wrong code. I called and emailed the practice repeatedly and it took two weeks for someone to call me back. I have had numerous primary doctors there for my kids but they all eventually leave. Lastly my son has had years of issues with his health and they send me to various specialists but no one wants to put together the pieces of what is actually wrong. The location is so convenient for me but as someone who works full time and is juggling young kids I just don't have the time nor faith to work with this office. read more

I am aware that pediatricians are one of the worst paid of all the physicians in the field but to charge me $50 dollars because I, a long time patient, didn't make an appointment and showed up with my sick child on a Sunday is excessive. To add insult to injury, you were charging me for making the appointment at the office for later that day. I would maybe understand a $25 fee to see my child without an appointment. The offices now open at noon during the weekends by appointment only which I didn't know. So if your child is sick at 5AM, you have to call the closed office, leave a message and they'll call you back to see if they have an appointment available. I left my previous pediatrician practice 5 years ago because they charged $25 when you paged the doctor on call. At least the had better weekend hours and walk ins for an hour every day. But this is not the only reason I give such a low mark. During pandemic, they had about 5 pediatricians leave the practice, so my son has seen three new doctors in two years for his yearly check ups. I don't like the lack of consistency. It makes the care impersonal because I don't feel like the doctor gets to know the child and the family. My daughter already goes to a different practice, because when she turned 13 when, I know by law, the pediatrician meets with the patient without the parent, as part of the wellness visit, her doctor forgot to talk to her about her mental health. She had filled a survey, so the doctor called me asking for my daughter to finish the conversation. When my daughter hung up she was crying because the doctor suggested anti depressants, without even consulting with her parents. I contacted the doctor and the administrator and of course "I am so sorry that wasn't my intention" Even my daughter's therapist has never suggested anti depressants to my child without consulting us first. I gave the practice many chances because they are very close to where I live and the nurses are wonderful but I am currently looking for a new practice. read more

We love the doctors at Lakeview Pediatrics! Office is always clean and the staff is super welcoming.

Brought my daughter in for flu shot and Covid vaccine. They mistakenly gave her 2 doses of the flu vaccine. Apparently they don't read what's on the needle before inserting it into a child's body. read more

We like the overall staff and doctors but every time we come they are at least 20 minutes late. Today we had to wait over 40 mins to see the doctor. It's every time too so our patience is wearing. Very annoying and disrespectful of our time. read more

Have been here since our daughter was born and have had a wonderful experience for both routine and scares

We love Dr. Daly! Her guidance at our daughter's first appt. has had a huge impact on her post delivery weight gain. So happy we found a smart and kind pediatrician right from the start. read more

I adore all of the providers we have seen at this practice! They care so much about their patients, always take the time to answer our questions thoughtfully, and are great about squeezing in our kids when they are sick. My kids actually *like* going to the doctor because of the wonderful providers in this practice! read more

We have been to different pediatricians and this is by far my favorite. I would highly recommend. We have been seeing Dr. Shultz but have seem many of the other doctors for sick visits. The good: -Everyone in the office is so warm and friendly -The nurses are amazing. My son was given a shot and he didn't cry (he's 2!) because she was so entertaining and fast! I could not believe it -Super convenient to get to -They are open 7 days a week -The doctors are really friendly and personable. We found our previous doctor too 'by the book' and would never give us real answers. Dr. Shultz gives us the facts but also gives us her opinion based on her experience which is nice. Our son had a concern about his eyes and she completely put us at ease that at least we understood what was wrong and it wasn't as bad as we were thinking in our heads! -They are very non-reactionary when it is not needed - which is our preference -My son LOVES the fish tank in the lobby! - They always call us back and getting sick appointments is not hard Overall - highly recommend! read more

I don't love or hate this place. I went to Lakeview Pediatrics for my daughter's healthcare, I don't care how friendly the staffs "sound", or how they made me "feel". I care about the actual care my daughter received. CONS As someone pointed out, this practice has a lot of pediatricians which is good for emergencies but the health record weren't synced where the doctors don't communicate with each other in details. And they don't remember their patients, they don't remember what they said to the patients, and that inconsistency can be dangerous and it's a problem with American medical industry. Doctors are too busy to actually care you as an individual, they give generalized answers that is based on statistic of other people. It became a norm and everyone just accept it despite the cost of healthcare is raising and we paid nearly $300 just to speak to a doctor who doesn't know us for 10-15 minutes. PRO I think this is a decent place, good for emergencies when you need a pediatrician right the way, I like Dr. Newport and Dr. Janowick(sp?) Dr. Newport is more experienced and she is more chill when it comes to guidelines. When you have things that you are worried, you can call and the nurse staff will quickly look up answers for you which is a plus. read more

I have seen quite a few mixed reviews on here and I can't actually relate to the negative ones at all. My son is now 15 months and we've been going to this practice since the day he was born. I've seen a few of the physicians although our primary is Janowiak and I haven't had a negative thing to say about any of them! Janowiak and Chang are probably my favorite but we've met with Dr. Schultz and Dr. Newport and liked them equally! The process is always smooth, in and out. I think it's very rare that we've been there longer than expected. The nurses have been great. There is one that I sometimes question her mood but she isn't rude, just doesn't seem like she loves being there. Not a big deal. They always make us feel like they remember us ( good acting!), and I know they don't. We aren't super memorable people! I appreciate the effort though for sure. Anytime I call the nurse line with a question, they call back quickly after talking with the doctor or a doctor will call you back. That is really appreciated. It's hard to find a pediatrician that you feel comfortable with, don't feel judged and can align yourself with. As a new mom, you don't know what to expect but Janowiak has always made me feel comfortable with silly questions and never seemed to judge when I felt some doctors might ( pacifiers, bottle feeding, etc) If you're in the area and need a pediatrician, you've found the right spot! See for yourself. read more

My family moved to Chicago when my daughter was 10 months old, and I was pregnant with my son. My husband and I decided to take our children to Lakeview Pediatrics after they were highly recommended by our realtor. Worst advice I've ever taken! What a mistake! Let's start with the staff... Although they are all generally pleasant people to interact with, they are completely inept at actually DOING their jobs. Despite several, continued attempts at corrections, the information they have in their computer system is somehow always incorrect. If you appreciate appointment reminders or expect to have your phone calls/voicemails returned, you will not be happy here. It practically takes an act of congress to get someone to actually answer the phone when you call (the odds are very much not in your favor here). But if you like playing phone tag for days on end, this is the place for you! The billing company they work with is equally incompetent. They can't get their accounts in order either. They like to say "I'll put a note on your account and it will be taken care of." DO. NOT. TRUST. THEM. Instead of actually taking care of the issues, they WILL send your 18 month old son to collections for failure to pay a bill... Good luck getting any money out of a toddler, you idiots! Be prepared to take detailed notes of each and every conversation you have with Nick at the billing company and with Anne at Lakeview Peds so that you have proof of just how badly they fucked shit up. DO NOT expect an actual apology or any kind of compensation (GASP!) for terrible customer service. DO expect them to still have shit wrong when you call to pay the final bill. As for the rest of the doctors or nurses... Meh. I'm fairly certain a few of the nurses didn't realize they'd have to work with kids when they applied for this job. So that's, awkward? The doctors are fine as long as you don't have a special needs child. If you do, be prepared to have to beg and plead or straight up DEMAND referrals to specialists or for tests/treatments. Well, that's not entirely true, I guess, because Dr. Chang reeeeeeeeeally likes to order blood work. Like, A LOT of blood. I mean, so much so that the phlebotomist at Quest diagnostics looked at me and my newborn and said "I don't know what that doctor was thinking. We can't take that much blood from a baby." LOLOLOLOL! Cool. The only good thing I have to say about this practice is that they have Dr. Gehle. That woman is worth her weight in GOLD and I will sing her praises from now until forever. Bless it. read more

Our two kiddos usually see Schultz, but saw Gehle in the hospital with our newborn, Vu when Schultz was out on leave, and Tarazi for a sick-kid appointment for an ear infection. All fabulous. My sister's kids sees Vu. They LOVE her. The nurses' joviality depends on the pace at which they're having to run, but that's true of me at my job, too! The desk staff is efficient, pleasant, and accurate. No problems with how they handled insurance/billing. read more

My daughter has been going here since birth. We love this place. She has seen several doctors. They are all very nice and responsible. Whenever I have a question, the office always returns my message in a couple of hours with a solution. If you deliver at Prentice of Northwestern, they have doctors visiting the hospital to check newborn babies everyday so it was very convenient for us. read more

We chose Lakeview Pediatrics because our GP is on the floor below and when we asked for a referral, he said he was transferring his kids to Lakeview's practice. I'll start with the con: Parking is not validated. Street parking is less expensive than the garage. It's surprising and unfortunate, given that Northwestern's office on the floor below validates. Other than that, we've been quite happy with them. We saw one doctor in the hospital right after our daughter was born (during these pandemic times). Since then, we've seen Dr. Chang, and we've liked how she's friendly but also straightforward. She's been great in person and via telemed. As new parents, we've had a number of questions, especially with what's "normal" in the land of dirty diapers, rashes, etc. The office staff is friendly and get back to you super quickly. Sometimes I send in a message via MyChart with a question and they call a few minutes later. It's only been a few months, but it's been great. read more

I would caution you to research carefully before going to this pediatrician if you are looking to problem solve for your children's health. They are fine and very nice for general check ups if everything is on track but if there is an issue, I have had several experience (as have my friends) illustrating it's beyond their capabilities. read more

I'm not sure how people could actually leave negative feedback. We love Lakeview Peds. Dr Janowiak and Dr Schultz are our primary pediatricians. We've seen them, upon being referred by a friend, since my son was born. We've always gotten in on short notice and they're always responsive if we need to speak to someone after hours. Evening and weekend hours are awesome. Free parking spots for the win. Remember that each doctor is an individual and I trust them all but not all will mesh with your personality! Thanks Lakeview Peds. read more

I need to find a pediatrician. I spoke with the office manager, who was very cordial. The reason for the one star review is that in order to have a meeting with a doctor, you have to pay a $80 fee. Otherwise, you can sign up for a doctor "blind". Apparently this is their way to attract new business: you have to fork out $80 to have the privilege to meet a doctor, who you may or may not like. Is this reality? Why would anyone feel compelled to pay someone to find out if you like them or not? Who is the service provider in this exchange? Oh, my head hurts. read more

I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Christine Janowiak of Lakeview Pediatrics. From the moment she met my son on rounds at Prentice, I knew that I was happy with my decision to go with this pediatrician practice and knew that I would do what I can to have her be my primary physician for my son moving forward. Sure, when you have a sick child, you have to see the sick child doc, which is not always her, and with those experiences, I have felt more mixed - but I always feel confident that I am getting sound care and speedy service. I'm not sure why a previous reviewer commented about no parking, there is a lot in the back that they share with the hospital and there has always been space for us. Two areas that this practice excels in are the on call doctors and the sick visits - this gives me comfort because when you need a doctor to call you and talk you through your newborns "weird cough" - they call you and talk through the situation with patience. When you just need him to be seen because something isn't right - they see him. They also are connected to Lurie's with the internal computer system which has proven to be helpful as we've needed to explore some specialists and they are always in sync. Dr. Janowiak is kind, focused on TWO patients/customers in the room - both you and the baby. She balances talking to you and answering all of your questions while also have a great report with the baby. I bring in a list of questions and get to work through all of them with her at each well visit. I picked Lakeview Pediatrics based on referral, and then when I was in the hospital I had the opportunity to meet 4 of the doctors, and then picked one I liked for consistency in the well visits based on my impressions. Its working perfectly. read more

Both of my daughters have been patients of Dr. Chang's, but since being a part of this practice for the past four years, we have been seen by most, if not all of the doctors. I've been very satisfied with their patience overall (kids are terrible medicine takers), promptness, and willingness to listen to my questions and take their time to answer all of them. Additionally, they are quick to respond to my calls and are very flexible with my crazy schedule. read more

We have gone to this practice for 17 years and couldn't be happier. Not only are the doctors competent, the practice is well run. Dr. Janowiak read more

My daughter has been going here since she was born. She is now 6 1/2. She sees all the doctors. Her primary care doctor was Dr. Gehle, but she recently moved. But for convenience of what fits our schedule, we see any of the doctors and all are wonderful and thorough! I would highly recommend this practice. read more

I do not feel obligated to defend Dr. Salem, but I will say if it weren't for her I would have not only left Lakeview Pediatrics... but called the better business bureau as well. Dr. Salem has always been good to me. I've been seeing her for 13 years, since my oldest was 6 mos. When I was pregnant with my second and didn't feel well when I showed up for my oldest son's checkup, she took my blood pressure and sent me to the hospital for stress tests (I ended up being on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy). When my daughter was born, she stopped in and checked up on me - before I was induced. She's always been very considerate of me, regardless of the fact that we don't fit the Lakeview mold - and don't even live there anymore. That said, the place induces nightmares. On, no... it's not the slimy fishtank! It's the fact that I've incurred two too many billing errors which take MONTHS upon months upon months to clear up!!! And what a hellish task that is!!! The first happened when the name was changed to Lakeview Associates. The office never notified my Insurance company that the change was taking place, so now our doctor was considered 'out of network'. We didn't know this until we took my kids for their yearly visit and my husband was 'forced' to pay an outstanding bill for $300+! Now... I would have never paid... but he doesn't know better. He wasn't familiar with the office policies and believed he really did have to pay. So he did. And it took nearly a year to get that money back. And the letters and calls I had to make... I don't know how much time I wasted. Unfortunately that did nothing to dissuade me from continuing to see Dr. Salem. Or her partners... Why, because one of her partners was WONDERFUL!! Dr. Oh (YES like Sandra Oh, the actress)... She rocked!!! Great personality. Great with kids. Not quick to jump to conclusions... Awesome! I wish I could find her! Fast forward to Spring of 2007. I once again took the kids for their yearly visits. Apparently, the partner that my daughter saw was not added to my insurance!!! Sound familiar??? So, even though my daughter and son were seen on the very same day at the same time... one claim was denied and the other was fully paid!!! For the next several visits I was told about my balance, and explained what had happened. I even went so far as to bring my bills and explanations of benefits in for them to copy. Yet, as of last month, I am STILL receiving bills from their office. It's been more than a year since the office visits took place!!!! I fear Dr. Salem suffers from a common failing I see amongst the doctors in my family (I come from a medical bunch) -- no business sense at all. The office has been horrible since Shari left!! Also of note... I found out they charge enormous amounts!!! My husband had been exposed to TB and had to have 9 mos of treatment with our Internist. So I had all the kids tested. WHOA!! They charged almost 50% more at Lakeview Pediatrics then they do at our Northwestern Memorial Physician's group! On the other hand... when my son had appendicitis this past spring, the nurse was indispensible to me! I had called for a doc - you always have to leave a message... The nurse called me back and held my hand (so to speak) the whole way to the hospital, checking in on my son's symtoms the entire way and telling me exactly what to tell ER staff when I arrived. It's because of her that the practice gets the two stars it does! Thank you!!! *** At the time of this edit, I have added a star because, really, the quality of health care outweighs the billing errors (though in this economy, maybe not so much!). read more

As a first time mom, finding a good doc for my newborn was very important. I was referred to Lakeview Pediatrics by a neighbor and couldn't be happier. The staff is friendly and attentive, the doctors take their time with you and your child, the location is easy to get to, the call service is fantastic. Overall I have been really happy. Why 4 stars? No parking. There is plenty of street parking (including a pay lot) but with kids in tow, it would be way more convinent for some parking on these cold winter days. read more

We love Lakeview Pediatrics! They are very responsive and accommodating with appointments. Our main doctor is Dr. Vu and she is extremely kind, understanding, and takes great care of our baby. Also it is a major plus that there is indoor parking available as well as nights/weekend appointments! read more

I really like this practice. They are very good about getting you in the same day and about calling back when you leave a message. The office staff is very efficient. Rately wait more than 10 min past appt time. We had a great experience recently when my 10yo son needed 2 shots and he was very nervous. 2 nurses came in an distracted him and did both shots at the same time, so quickly he didn't even know it was happening. He and I were both impressed and dubbed them the "shot ninjas." We go to Dr. Newport who is great. She's esp good with kids over toddler age as she talks to kids like humans, not in overly-perky baby talk (as was our experience with another doctor in the practice.) She's not an over-tester or medicator, which I like. read more

Doctors and nurses that genuinely care and extremely knowledgeable (we love Dr. Vu and Nurse Rachel), convenient hours, great new/updated office with attached parking or free street parking, kind and prompt office staff. I've always gotten a call back from when I page the Doctor on call within 30 minutes; as a first time mom who's overly cautious this is amazing. I've also never had any issues scheduling a same day appointment for non-routine visits. Only con is their phone system that doesn't put you on hold if the line is busy and forces you to leave a voicemail, the staff is good with getting back to you within the same day but with all the positives about this practice, this is really a non-issue. read more

Was referred here by two coworkers and have had a really good experience so far with our 6 month old - especially Dr. Gehle and Dr. Perlman. Our baby was a preemie and we also dealt with a Christmas eve trip to the ER and 3 days in the hospital. They were empathetic, caring, and helpful. From reading the reviews, I haven't interacted with Dr. Newport, but it sounds like I should avoid her. I haven't had an issue with their 15 minute early policy, but after working in a medical office in the past, without a hard line, late patients can really cause the entire day to back-up so if you have an afternoon appointment, you'd actually be thankful for the policy. However, if you're early at all it certainly doesn't seem like they should make you reschedule. Hopefully that's not the norm. read more

If I could give this practice zero stars I would. We have had numerous extremely unpleasant interactions with doctors, and just now with a nurse in regards to scheduling an appointment. The hassle of finding a new pediatrician is worth not crying after interacting with your kids' doctor's office. Stay far away from these people - they are monsters. read more

We really love Dr Janowiak. I agree with others that she is focused on both patients and does a great job listening and asking questions. We've only had one situation where they were running late and did a poor job communicating that. Otherwise, everything runs on time. I also want to echo the reviewer with concerns about Dr Gehle. We saw her for the first four appointments of our newborn's life and never left a single visit without some kind of specialist follow up. It was just so over the top that we moved to Dr Janowiak and never looked back. I feel like learning to say no to a pediatrician is a part of becoming a parent but it really shouldn't have to be so hard. If you want the run down they were 1)jaundice blood test less than 48 hours after she released him from Prentice...resulting in 4 hours of registering at a hospital and waiting for blood draw as Lakeview doesn't administer this. Lots of fun one week out of a c-section... 2)cardiologist as she "thought" she heard a murmur. This involves literal days on hold with Lurie to make an appointment. She was wrong. 3)Suggestion of PT when at 3 mo he couldn't hold his head up. This is not outside the norm btw. 4)Suggestion of antibiotics for a common cold that she thought was a sinus infection. Obviously she and I differ on when antibiotics are appropriate. read more

I wholeheartedly agree with Flora C. Though reactionary is an understatement. Lakeview Pediatrics is simply the worst. We were treated like freaks at the Lakeview Pediatrics because at the time that we were going there, it was summer, and all of our tattoos etc were exposed and we did not fit the Lincoln Park mold. I had my son in 2005. Being a first time mother, I worried and second guessed every decision that I made. I had chosen Lakeview Pediatrics because I had thought that that they were one of the best, from research that I had found online. Dr. Salem was affiliated with Children's Memorial Hospital, so I had no reason to expect anything less. My entire experience there was god awful. We too experienced numerous billing issues. I started to keep copies of the checks and credit card receipts in a binder to take with each time that we visited. The parking situation is difficult, and scheduling of appointments, straightening billing issues, and getting call backs left a lot to be desired. From my problems nursing, to the fact that he only weighed in at 3.9lbs when he was born, every single thing resulted in lectures, pamphlets, and disapproval. I was constantly referred to specialists. Like most babies, he had eczema. I was referred to an allergist. The visit cost $600 because I had not met the deductible for the year, and it did not qualify as a wellness check up. For $600, I was told what I already knew, they can not do a skin test on babies his age, I could only limit what he consumed until the age of three and watch vigilantly. They also brushed aside my concern for the unevenness of his head shape...again I was referred to a specialist, and a physical therapist if I were truly concerned. Turns out that my fears weren't ungrounded. He had plagioencephaly due to torticulous while in the womb. After a year of physical therapy and also wearing a corrective helmet, he was fine. Next was the trip to the emergency room. I had taken him on a business trip, and both of us were sick from the lack of clean air flow on the plane. We were told that my son was not "breathing to full capacity" and rushed to Children's Memorial. I was freaking out and in tears. No explanation..just told to get on a cab asap because they thought that I would crash driving myself. After paying an exorbitant amount of money for the diagnosis, emergency fees, and learning that it was only a mucous plug.."booger", I was pissed to say the least. The mucous plug had actually flown out during the office visit when they forced a nebulizer on him. The doctor was aware of this as was the nurse. His oxygenation charts were normal after it removed itself. During a follow up visit, instead of apologizing, that god awful Dr insinuated that perhaps I had drinking, drug problems and that was the cause of his low birth weight, and that DCFS could be called if my son had to return to the emergency room for a similar incident. Wow. I don't do drugs and I don't even drink! The finger pointing and her self righteous attitude was a total turn off. They like to constantly refer you to a specialist so that they have no responsibility in whatever happens...it is all up to what you do or don't do..they can just tell you that they referred you to one, if you didn't go, it's all on you. Whenever anyone asks me if they should try this place..I tell them to run as far as they can! read more

I felt obligated to review Lakeview after I read the other reviews, because I have been thoroughly happy with my experiences here. First of all, I do not live in Lakeview and definitely do not look or act like I do. No, I don't have tattoos up and down my arms, but I am a young, poor single parent and they know that. I have never received any sort of judgement - ever. Our physician is Dr. Gehle and I absolutely love her. I think she does a fabulous job with my son (Noah - 6). And honestly, THAT is what matters. I don't care how many billing issues I have (although I have had none) or what the fish tank looks like (I have never noticed it was "slimy" - only that Dory is in there and Noah loves that), or even how long I wait every time I have been there (I've waited about 5 minutes or not even). What matters is that Dr. Gehle is attentive, compassionate, intelligent, and makes myself and my son feel very comfortable and well taken care of. She always spends more time than necessary with us. She goes above and beyond. She lets Noah touch and play with all of the medical tools that she uses, asks him about his life and his friends, makes sure he's not being bullied and that he is enjoying school, and every single time I've been there, she reminds him to wear a helmet when he rides his bike. This may seem like a small detail, but it means a lot to me. It shows that she really cares about his well being. She's also sure to always check in with me as well, because everyone knows a happy mom is a good mom. This may all sound cheesy, but as long as my son is happy and healthy and not afraid of the doctor, and I know that I take him to someone who goes above and beyond my expectations, nothing else matters. Period. I will continue to take him to Lakeview Pediatrics until he no longer needs a pediatrician. No doubt in my mind. read more

We had been taking our two sons who are now 5 1/2 and 3 1/2 years old to Lakeview Pediatrics since they were born. It annoyed us from the start that they never picked up a phone call, so messages always needed to be left and calls returned, etc. I will say that they were quite good at getting our children in when sick on the day we called. What really turned us off was the way they treated our 3 1/2 year old when we came in for his 3 year "well visit". This child has always been off the charts for height (100th percentile) and his weight has always been around that same percentile. He is and always has been a pretty solid kid, but not one you would even consider heavy if you saw him. Dr. Chang almost had my wife in tears because she said that our son was obese according to his body mass index and started interrogating my wife about what we were feeding him, if he got regular exercise, etc. To add insult to injury, even though this consultation regarding my son's weight was unsolicited by any questions we asked, we were charged an additional office visit fee on top of the well visit (which is covered under our health insurance plan for free) because of the "consultation given to us regarding our child's weight". When we called the office to dispute this additional charge for basically insulting our child and insulting our parenting of said child, we were told that someone would have to call us back. After this person consulted the doctor regarding this charge, we were told that Dr. Chang stood by the charges because of the consultation given regarding our child's obesity. We vowed never to return to Lakeview Pediatrics. But in order to get our children's medical records, we will have to pay $60 ($30 per child) and that it would take 4 weeks for the records to be available. Do yourself a favor, and find another pediatric group for your child or children. read more

I have been going to this practice since my daughter was born. There used to be a couple doctors here that I adored. The other ones all seemed too heavy handed and reactive. I remember getting lectured duing my very tough time nursing that I needed to "tough it out" and that I wasn't doing it enough..as they inspected my bleeding "ta-tas". SO I just would see the ones I liked. It always bothered me that I always had to leave a message when I called and we had billing issues with them where they were very late sending bills to our insurance so that they would not cover it and we had to pay out of pocket. Very frustrating. The past few times, we have been very unhappy. Last year, the doctor we had seen (Dr. Salem, the founder) lectured my husband about our daughter's weight and called her "obese" in front of her. My daughter is not obese. She is off the charts in height and she is a big girl (her father is 6'4" and a few of her aunts are all 6'). And if doctors need to discuss concerns about weight, it should not be done in front of the child-I think. Our 4 year old spent the car ride home asking my husband what "fat" was and asking "was she fat?" I was furious. But, I had been there so long, I was going to give them one last try. So this year for our daughter's 5-year, we saw another doctor. Again, reactive questioning to her "off the chart" height growth. She began alarming me with all these "your daugher could have, might have...possibly..." attributing her size to a hormone imbalance or thyroid disease. She was discussing this all in front of our daughter. Up until this point, everyone was friendly, patient and nice. So she said she was going to call their endocrinologist. Later that day, she kept my husband on the phone for an hour trying to convince us to send our daughter to the hospital for a BUNCH of testing, which our insurance doesn't cover. And she is 5!! How about just starting with some blood work?! At any rate, we are getting files transferred to another doctor for second opinions. To put a child through days of poking and prodding for "ifs" and "maybes" seems excessive and reactionary. Just remember, doctors call it "practice" for a reason. read more