It was weird to find because I did not see anywhere that said it's on the 16th floor. We're staying nearby during our vacation and my daughter got sick. She was feverish and she wasn't feeling well enough to travel far. So we wandered around a bit trying to find the place. Once there it was great. Staff was friendly and we didn't wait long having done an appointment online. A script was called into the cvs pharmacy across the street and we got taken care of pretty quickly. read more

Michigan Avenue Immediate Care - Front door - Walk-in Clinics Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have mixed feelings about this urgent care. This urgent care came highly recommended to me from a trusted friend, and I sought it out while having some strep-like symptoms. The biggest pro is that everyone is very personable, and the MA & doctor both had excellent bedside manner. It was genuinely a good experience while I was being looked at. The biggest con is the wait time. I initially walked in around 9:30am, hoping to be looked at 10-10:30am and make a work meeting by 11. However, I waited until nearly 10:30am (an hour later) and ended up leaving because I had to go. I returned with a booked appointment for 12:30pm, and I wasn't looked at until almost 1:45pm. Numerous people that arrived after me were taking in first, and I'm not sure why -- maybe it was a triaging thing. This is a great place to get your immediate/urgent care done, but note that it's not really immediate. If you can find a way to kill the time, you won't be disappointed. However, if you plan to be in and out, you may need to consider another location. read more

I just had an appointment with Dr. James Barrett and I went from feeling really frightened about my condition, to being lighthearted. It turned out it was the flu, but when you have a 100 degree temperature and you are 77 years old and your chest tightens up and it's hard to breathe, and impossible to talk without wheezing, it is scary. He patiently listened to all of my concerns and addressed them, coming up with solutions that have already started working. I can't thank him enough! You will quickly realize how much he cares and how much he knows. read more

We went there today to get travel vaccines. My son arrived before 4:00 and was waiting and I arrived literally one minute after 4:00. I called ahead to tell them that I was on my way and asked if I can get checked in first and they said no it's fine just come we'll be able to take care of you. I show up at 4:01 and they turned me away. We used to be regular patients of both this immediate care and the primary care upstairs but since they've changed management, the quality of care has gone down a lot. Many doctors and patients have left this practice. If I had any other choice, I would not be visiting this practice. read more

11:30 apt. Office had one person waiting, they were seen at 11:35. Still not seen by 12:00pm and needed to leave. Front desk staff person was indifferent to the point of rude. read more

BEWARE OF BILLING. Please make sure to ask your questions up front regarding billing. We visited Dr. Ulrike Lengyel on July 26th as my daughter had an ear ache and we were flying the next day. We had insurance and they didn't take a co-pay or give any estimated costs. After billing insurance, we were charged $663.26 for a three simple tests (flu, Covid, and strep). The breakdown of charges is $499.20 for an office visit, $97.50 for Strep, $390 for flu, and $149.50 for covid. After insurance, those charges to us became $186.86, $35.09, $390, and $51.31. Again, a total of $663.26. On the statement, it says to call 1-480-830-1224 with any billing questions. I have left messages for Judy in August, several times in September, and again in October. Her voice mail says she will get back to you soon but she never returns your call. EVER. I also called the doctor's office and left a voicemail and never received a return phone call. We have visited urgent care numerous times and have never had this experience before and refusal to speak to someone, or a bill for $663 for three simple tests (in Dallas, it runs a maximum of $150 and we've had x rays!). Even if these are the prices in Chicago, they should absolutely tell people up front what their financial responsibility will be. I hope you learn from our lesson and never step foot in this clinic. read more

Went for a 15 minute visit in 2021 and now getting debt collection emails even though I was never contacted by the office about an outstanding balance read more

My trip to Chicago was interrupted by a painful paronychia (finger infection). I went to Michigan Avenue urgent care where they were quick and professional. Dr. Barrett expertly drained the abscess on my finger, making me feel better immediately. Not only did he fix me but he got me out the door so quickly that I didn't even miss the architecture cruise with my family. Saved my vacation & finger! read more

Had a wonderful experience here while on vacation from Minnesota. Dr. Barrett saved the day! The desk was quick and efficient at check in and I had a minimal wait. Dr. Barrett listened to my full history of present illness and didn't discount any of my concerns. I was in an out in less than an hour and that included imaging services. Not a place I wanted to visit on vacation but glad I chose Michigan Avenue Urgent Care. read more

The office staff / receptionists, Mariana and Corey, are COMPLETELY unprofessional. I booked a telemedicine appointment since I wasn't feeling well and received no information about my appointment, what video service they were going to use etc. My appointment time passes without any emails or calls so I call the office and had to call in 8 times (left a VM and also emailed) before someone live actually picked up. Marianna didn't apologize when I told her my appointment passed and I received no information and just called in 8 times. Can you imagine running a business this way? Of the three people I talked to, I didn't even get an apology for the delay, lack of communication and professionalism or the fact that no one picked up calls during business hours. As an aside, Dr. K was great for my telemedicine visit once I FINALLY got to speak with him. read more

My visit this morning was super quick and efficient! The staff was incredibly nice and accommodating!

I am bumping my rating up to five stars due to my experience here today. The medical assistant, Chalena Wachadlo is one of the kindest humans I have met in a long time. I came in here a half hour after the office opened with a hand injury that I had sustained. The evening before I had slapped on some bandaids, but in the cold light of day, I knew that I needed a higher level of care. Chalena exhibited compassion, calm, and professionalism. I had not been in a hospital-like setting for a while and was concerned about how my experience would be during the still ongoing pandemic. Everything was clean and there was plenty of sanitizer around. I even was able to request a paper medical mask when the one I was wearing malfunctioned. I did not book my appointment online, due to the emergency nature of the visit, but had in the past and recommend the system for its ease and efficiency. read more

Really disappointed with the speed of service. I had a 9am appointment and I got there at 8:45 as they advised. I checked in no problem and they said they would be with me shortly. I ended up waiting 1 hour and 15 minutes and was never served. I eventually had to leave because I had a meeting in an hour and wouldn't make it. Waste of time! read more

This might be my best urgent care experience ever. The staff were super friendly. I was very nervous when I walked in because my wife had been throwing up uncontrollably for the last 6 hours. Blake welcomed us in, then Zoey took over, and from the first minute, I was sure we were in good hands. Dr. Yengyel was super sweet and took great care of us. We were there for about 3 hours, and someone checked in on us every 5-10 minutes to make sure we were okay. My wife arrived in obvious agony, but she left with a smile on her face. Thank you so much, everyone! read more

I've been waiting for an hour at this point and have not been admitted. The waiting room is completely empty, which doesn't make any sense for the long wait read more

The nurse and the doctor I saw were both incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and empathic. If I'm ever dealing with a strange health thing in the city again, I'll be coming here. read more

I waited over an hour for a scheduled appointment, unacceptable! I even asked 20 minutes in if it would be much longer, as I had a crazy busy day. They told me it would be another five minutes because I had to see a Doctor for my Typhoid shot, why? They then took me back, took some vitals, and had me wait another 25 minutes for the Dr to actually meet with me. Do not go here unless you have all the time in the world. They certainly don't care about our time. read more

Sometimes, I over-think the review. The writing of it - you know? You want it to be "perfect" or whatever. Kinda like you want your medical care to be..."perfect!" Too much to ask? Apparently "yes" because this was the third place I tried for a condition I had this past summer. I hadn't wanted to seek help from an "immediate care" - I thought that I'd wait forever, be shuffled along like a number and dismissed with a bill. (Guess what - THAT is exactly what happened at supposedly "regular" practices - you know - the old "go by appointment" and "establish a relationship" types - which I find to be increasingly rude on the personnel front and just wanting a relationship with my wallet.) What happened at MAIC was QUITE THE OPPOSITE!! I was treated like - get this - A HUMAN BEING! I waited not twenty minutes and when I left....I was dismissed with some goodies as well as FREE CHAPSTICK! (well, not the brand name, but some privately-labelled, better than the brand name as this stuff doesn't make my lips chap after using it...I digress....) ANYWAY...don't hesitate to seek treatment here. The doctor actually looked at me while I spoke to him, he treated me respectfully and he wrote an accurate summary of my complaint on his laptop. I had a follow-up question a week later and a different physician (you could tell she familiarized herself with my chart) called me back promptly and was equally helpful. Upon request, I was e-mailed (within the same hour!) copies of everything done. I later had a request of the billing office and YEP, AMAZING - they worked with me and handled everything promptly and professionally. This is perfect! I can't wait to get sick again ;) PS - when I was there, they'd loan you a laptop while you waited & they had granola bars, tissues, candies, etc. So cool. I was quite enamoured with the view out the waiting room windows! read more

The nurses/assistants here seemed great. What I also liked about this place was that the reception area had comforting trinkets more befitting of a hotel reception area than that of a hospital (hot tea [4 different kinds], water, lotion, bananas, oranges, lifesavers, cough drops, chocolate squares, mints, etc.). Also, the nurses on at least 2 different occasions asked me if I cared for any water, gatorade, or juice. I really appreciated that thought and caring towards patients. It's the first I've seen exhibited by any hospital or clinic; it was really nice. Also, there was virtually no wait time. Also a first for me from any hospital or clinic. This part was all a pleasant experience. Pleasant is really an understatement, more like extremely enjoyable. HOWEVER, I came in for medical care specifically. I came in because I've been having anxiety attacks and headaches (because I am studying for board exams which is a MAJOR stressor), and was hoping for some medication for my headaches, because it's been interfering with my studying. Dr. Niby Mathew suggested I get an imaging scan. Again, she suggested I get an MRI for stress-induced headaches. I am in medical school, so 1) I am under a lot of stress, and 2) I am not completely ignorant as to what may be wrong with me. I said I didn't think that was necessary and even though I have health insurance it's not costless for me (plus I was internally thinking that it is a complete waste of my time and resources, what kind of doctor suggests an MRI for headaches in a 24-year-old student? An overly cautious one I think), and the doctor got a little bit offended and said the choice was ultimately up to me, and that she just wanted to rule out worst-case-scenarios. Fair enough. I know my body well enough and will not be getting an MRI. Dr. Mathew prescribed me some Xanax in the mean time for my anxiety. I didn't ask for a controlled substance with an insanely high risk of dependency (and that makes you drowsy). There's no way I'm filling that prescription (I was just hoping for some very low dose beta-blockers [5mg Propranolol] or something). The doctor also called for blood work (per my request), and referred me to an endocrinology specialist before the results came in. The results were incredibly fast coming in, less than 24 hrs and they ended up being normal, so Dr. Mathew retracted her endocrinology recommendation but still suggested the MRI. Nothing achieved with the visit, except the confidence of having healthy blood levels. read more

Finally, there is a place that I can go for my immediate medical needs. I found this location about a year ago, and have never had a bad experience. As soon as you walk through the door, you get service, and then the wait to see a doctor has never been extremely long. The longest I ever waited was 30 minutes, and that was because there were a lot of people in there that day. As long as MAIC is in business, I will never go to a hospital ER during their business hours ever again. And if they are closed, if I can hold out and wait, I will. Everything was clean. Everything/everyone was organized. The location is so convenient, since I work and live downtown. Now in terms of the doctors, I worked with Dr. Katherine Fox, and she service was phenomenal. She was very, very patient with me. She listened to me, and gave me her full attention. She did not rush me, and even when I was in pain, she allowed me to be myself and did everything in her power to reduce my pain-level. On my follow-up visit, again, Dr. Fox was wonderful with me again. In this process, I had to come back for multiple follow-ups, in which I met with two other doctors, Dr. Michael Kupkowski and Dr. James Thomas Barrett, both of whom read my chart prior to seeing, and came into the room with an understanding of my case, my pain-level, and my concerns. They were in tune with who Dacia was as a patient. And that made me feel wonderful. I was not another chart to them. read more

I'm planning for an upcoming international trip and needed some immunization shots. I called my insurance company (BCBS) and they referred me to a travel clinic called Michigan Avenue Immediate Care. I was given a few names and Joshua Merok was one of them. As this is an urgent care center, my insurance told me to schedule an appointment with a specific doctor, otherwise I would get charged an urgent care co-payment instead of a regular doctor's office visit co-payment. Making an appointment was very easy. The office was able to accommodate my schedule. On the day of my appointment, I checked in quickly, filled out some forms, and my name was called within 10 minutes. The assistant that helped to "pre-screen" me and the purpose of my visit was Kara. She was super nice and friendly! I probably waited about 15 minutes for Dr. Joshua Merok to see me for consultation. I did not think that was a long time, but Kara made sure to update me on Dr. Merok's status while I waited. She did not want me to think that I was forgotten. Dr. Merok was super nice and friendly as well. He explained everything to me thoroughly and provided me with options on what types of shots I would need and whether I wanted a shot or an oral prescription of the "shot" (typhoid). He even provided me the country conditions of the countries I planned to visit during my trip. As a precautionary measure, I had to wait 10 minutes before I could leave. They didn't want me to pass out or have a bad reaction to the shot. I thought that was a nice policy. I just got the bill from my insurance and the entire visit only cost me $19 out of pocket. SCORE!!! My booster tetanus shot was completely covered by my insurance. I think the only thing not covered by my insurance was the typhoid pills. FYI, the office gave me the pills on the spot. I did not need to go to any pharmacy. So convenient! A quick, friendly, and affordable medical visit. Those are the kinds of doctor's visits I like! read more

This is one of the top 10 secrets of downtown hands down. Need a doc in a pinch (no pun intended) because if you're like me, you procrastinate? Or, in town for a visit only and don't need the ER? This is the most convenient walk-in clinic in the Loop. Yes, walk-in = wait-a-long-time. But, they tell you how long you have to wait as soon as you get there. They do a pretty good job in that estimation. As long as you get in before 6pm, they'll take ya. Their docs are super, super efficient, thorough, and humanistic. No, it's not a typo!!! For a clinic in the city, you don't get treated as though you were last night's news. And, though they are an immediate care clinic, they get their lab results back pretty quickly. Been here enough times to know their service is consistently awesome. Patients have access to water, fruit, and snacks while you wait. After your walk-in visit, you're welcome to become a regular patient at their primary care practice - same office! If not, then you'll still be taken care of as if you were! read more

Place is a COMPLETE SCAM! They tell you they accept all insurance and then you'll receive a bill from them saying you're out of network! Avoid this place!! Don't fall for the wellness exam with covid shot bundle, it's only a money maker for them and scam for you! Primary care or immediate care, they called me to come in after putting myself on a waitlist. Back in March, when it was difficult to get an appointment, i was excited to come in, especially as a frontline essential worker, i wanted and needed the vaccination. I have great insurance, that thankfully i never use bc I'm overall healthy. I asked them if they accepted it and they said they do, yet come to find out I'm not in network! How am i supposed to know!? So now i owe them $400 for a wellness/physical exam. A heads up that i wasn't in network or you technically don't accept my insurance would have been nice before seeing me. $400 for basically a covid shot. read more

Our little boy was sick this past weekend and the urgent care near us was not open unfortunately. After calling a few other urgent cares close to our home and hearing they had an hour + wait, we came across Michigan Avenue Immediate Care. We called and learned they see 2 year olds and the wait was only 15 minutes. So we headed over. The receptionist remembered that I called and got the paperwork that we needed to fill out together. We didn't even finish the paperwork when we were called in. I love when medical staff understand how to work with children. This was not a pediatrician, so it was very appreciated. Our son was a little nervous, so they first did tests on me to make him comfortable. After that, he was just fine. His vitals were recorded, we waited a bit and then in came Michael Kupkowski MD. What a breath of fresh air Michael was. Our son had only seen female doctors in the past and the few times he's had a male (if our dr wasn't available), it didn't go as well. Michael was calm, extremely friendly and understanding. He worked well with our son and was able to accomplish all of the checks without an issue. Michael did not make any assumptions or strong judgments. He simply asked questions and allowed time for us to explain ourselves and ask follow up questions to make sure we fully understood. No question was silly and all information/details were welcome. In the end he was on the fence as to whether to prescribe medicine, which we are always okay with. It was quite a refreshing encounter to have such a patient doctor who seemed to really care. He let us know that we were doing everything as we should have and to go with our gut, which was very reassuring! After Michael left the room, my husband and I both said how much we loved him, at the same time. We even agreed to only use him when we have issues like this in the future. I'd strongly recommend going to this location and if you have a choice, definitely see Michael Kupkowski MD. read more

I dealt with an African American employee at the front desk and he was dealing with me unprofessionally. The checking in process took almost an hour and a half. Waste of time . NEVER again. read more

If you need some place quick, you don't need an appointment just walk in and they can take most insurance companies. Plus they can take an x-ray there w/o going to the ER so it is much cheaper than the ER too. They are a full service clinic, but since no appointment is needed you might have to wait if you go during peak hours, i.e. during the lunch hours since many people go on their lunch break. Oh and Tell Dr. Gong that Mandee form MBI sent you ;-) read more

Michigan Avenue Immediate Care - Walk-in Clinics Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The doctors and staff here are excellent. Been here 4 times for various reasons, mostly just that I'm freaking out about some stuff that turns out to be minor. Saw Dr. Fox for a hand injury and was happy to hear that it's not anything RICE can't fix in a couple of weeks. Been here only by walk in and didn't know that the doctors here can act as primary care doctors too. Since the location is so close to my apartment, I'm happy to come here in the future for primary care or urgent care visits. With urgent care, the waiting time really varies based on how many people are there ahead of you. I've been there at times when I've had to wait almost an hour before seeing doctor and times when I waited only 15 minutes. read more

September 2018 I saw a doctor at this practice for a routine check of vitals in order to get my blood pressure meds. I had switched from my previous primary care doctor. This past week, my meds ran out just before Labor Day, when I tried to refill them at the pharmacy they said there were no more refills without doctor approval. The pharmacy said they'd let me know when they had heard back from my doctor. The next day after no contact I returned to the pharmacy and although they still had not heard anything from the practice the pharmacist was sufficiently professional to give me an emergency refill for a few days. Here's the issue--I did not receive a call from my doctor saying that my prescriptions were about to run out so I should schedule an appointment. Absolutely no contact. No reminder. Today I went to office and the earliest I can see someone in primary care is 8 days from now. When I told the receptionist that I was concerned with being off my meds for so long, she said it was because I hadn't been in since September 2018. Again, this office never contacted me to say "Your prescriptions are about to expire. You need to schedule an appointment." Not a call, not email did I receive from this practice. My dentist calls to remind me of the need to schedule appointments for routine cleaning and examinations. My optometrist does the same. It seems entirely irresponsible that a primary health physician would not do the same and then have absolutely no qualms about abruptly cutting off critical medication. This is extremely disturbing and unprofessional. read more

I wouldn't go here. Dirty and unaccommodating. Go somewhere else staff is under qualified.

Went here today for a foot injury and I cannot day enough good things! Everyone was nice and attentive. I was very worried about going amid COVID but everything was clean and sanitized and everyone had on a mask. It was also pretty empty so that's a plus. Also you can make an appointment on line and fill out all your paperwork in advance!! read more

I visited because I was having sport-specific pain in my hand, and I KNEW something was wrong with it. My purpose of my visit was to get an X-ray on the hand, and figure out what needed to happen from there. The "Dr." proceeded to feel around my hand for a minute, until then advising me to take some Advil and take a few weeks off from golfing, citing "some inflammation maybe". I had already done this a few times, and this is why I was at the Dr. in the first place. So, they sent me home without taking an X-ray, or a prescription for better Ibuprofen than OTC Advil. So, after a few weeks, i try golfing again. Same problem. I take 8 weeks off at this point, ensuring that my hand with "some inflammation" is given enough time to rest. After my 8 week break, I thought "for sure that was enough time off for any inflammation to go away"... nope, as soon as I hit a few balls, I again knew something was amiss. So, I went to go see an orthopedist. Guess what? I had a fracture, and bone fragment in the exact area of pain where I knew something was wrong. I had now taken 8 weeks, 4 weeks, and several other breaks away from Golf in order for this injury to rest and maybe go away. I play competitively, so basically I was unable to golf from July until present. That's 5-6 months away. So, in the end, I had to have surgery to remove bone fragments, and smooth over the bone area around the injury. Now, here is where my problem comes in. This clinic, then has the balls to then charge me for more than my co-pay. I politely debated that I shouldn't have to pay anything over that since the visit was useless, and the Dr. had completely misdiagnosed me, and I wasn't even given a proper looking at, when all I wanted was an X-ray taken. This visit was in July. I just had the Surgery Feb. 6th. Thanks for all of the time off and delay in getting my hand fixed, guys. Thanks a lot. read more

I was able to get in and out in 30!!!! On a Friday!!!! I was the first appointment but I made the reservation at 7am for an 8:12 time slot. I highly recommend using the online option of pre-filling out paperwork and getting a place in line. Staff was friendly and efficient. Thanks Nurse Stephanie (I think??) and Dr. Joshua!! read more

Just wrapped the single worst healtcare experience of my life, and the only time I've ever been refused medical care for an urgent situation. A disinterested receptionist who couldn't string together five coherent words informed me, in order: 1.) I was in their healtcare plan, which was good; 2.) My middle initial was different, so I wasn't in their healthcare plan; 3.) That I didn't have a primary care physician; 4.) That I did have one but I didn't show up in her computer; 5.) That I had to go to my primary care physician and get a referral before I could receive urgent healtchare; 6.) Oh, it's urgent? You can be seen. 7.) Just kidding, I'm not going to let you in. I stood in the urgent care center with a 102 degree fever, an insurance card in one hand, and even a debit card in the other in case hard cash could convince her to let me receive treatment. But no deal. I was denied urgent care at this place. I've never experienced anything like that and I'm pretty sure it's illegal. read more

Mmmkay, I'm thinking they may need to change the name of this place. Because each time I have gone, the care has been anything BUT immediate. I've gone twice. The first time I came in a little after 5:30 on a Friday. After I was sent to the patient's room, it took me 30 minutes to be seen then. What was the point of having me leave the waiting room if the doc wasn't ready? It was nearly 7:00 by the time I walked out. Dr. Abler's bedside manner was ok. The 2nd time, I came in at 12:40 on a Saturday and they told me it would be a 1 1/2 hour wait. I signed out at the desk on the 1st floor at exactly 2:47. It took me a long time to even have the nurse check my vitals. Then to add insult to injury, Natalia (the nurse) calls me Dennis and not Denise. Those are 2 different names. This is a big pet peeve of mine and I tend to think people that call me that are.....mildly retarded. I was not offered water (other patients were) and I could have really used it today since it was very hot outside. Actually, I wasn't offered water the previous time either. I had a different doc this time (Dr. Gong) and he was very nice. I definitely won't make it a point to come here again because of the wait. I've waited longer here than in ER. Where is the immediate care? read more

I got a very nice experience there. Staffs there are super friendly. I didn't wait for a long time even without any appointment.

Not crazy about this place, and I definitely wouldn't go again. I went here twice for the same problem. Who knew getting an ear infection diagnosis would be so difficult? Apparently it is when your doctor is incompetent. Say what you want about the free mints and the offering of water, I don't care. I just want to trust my health to someone who knows what they are doing, not this "wait and see" nonsense. 1st visit: I most definitely had an ear infection, but the doctor thinks not. Sends me home to rot in misery over the weekend. My ear gets WORSE because of lack of treatment and starts leaking pus! Gross! 2nd visit: Before visit I call, explaining I've visited them before, my symptoms, and my newer, grosser symptoms. Can't you just give me an antibiotic over the phone? Little miss receptionist has no sympathy for my gross ear problem and tells me to come in to get checked out, which I do. Wouldn't you know it? I was right, ear infection all along. They could have just saved me the trouble coming in with my gross pus ear but nope, I had to come in just so the doctor could tell me what I already know. They give me a script for an antibiotic and send me on my merry pus-filled way. But I do wish they made me come in for a follow-up or even gave me numbers to call doctors who would follow up because... A month later after the pus is gone and I'm starting the 3-month process (yep kiddies, it takes 3 months for an infected ear to get back to normal. You learn something new every day!) of healing when my ear begins to feel pretty crappy again. No pus yet but it hurts enough so I can't sleep. I call Michigan Avenue Immediate Care and get little miss receptionist again, who cheerily informs me that they cannot prescribe antibiotics over the phone and yes, I'd have to come in for a THIRD evaluation for something they should have caught in the first place! Also "you might not have an ear infection, it could be something else, and we'd have to run different tests." Different tests? What? For the SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS? I'm not blaming them for my faulty ear, mind you, but what the hell is this antibiotic blockade about? It's not like I was asking for Percocet over the phone. It's an antibiotic! Plus I was prescribed it before, AND FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. As a note the doctor I DID go to (at a different place, NOT HERE) let me know that no, I was not a moron and yes I did have an ear infection. Well whaddya know. Sometimes non-doctors can be right too! The wait time is really super here, but when you factor in all the time I spent coming in and horsing around with little miss receptionist, not to mention my poor, demented ear, I'd pick a long-wait doctor's office any day over these bozos. read more

Ok, my last review was close to glowing... this time ... I'm pretty sure they actually forgot about me. I know I'm short. But I'm not that short. I waited for an hour and a half in that tiny little cupboard of a waiting room to see a nurse - but that was ok, I expected that sort of delay at this time of year..... It's life, you deal (and try to avoid sitting near anyone, if you can) Once I finally saw a nurse, I was then put into another little room to wait for a doctor to come in with my results and with prescriptions for medicine to make my tummy better. Or something like that. NO ONE CAME IN FOR 45 MINUTES. I did poke my head out of the door a few times, to no avail. So here I am, sitting in this little room, staring at this bashed up old 60s fibro furniture, waiting for a doc to come in and tell me whether my 2-days of nausea means I have a small Egbert or Bertha inside me, or whether I've just got the Lurgy. Thank f*ck for the internet. My little iPod touch stole someone's wireless, so while I waited in this cubby hole for 45 minutes, I got to chat online to my boyfriend in Australia about whether to call it Egbert or Bertha, and what 98 F means in Celsius. FINALLY - a young doc comes in. The consultation goes ahead. All what I expected - except HE HAD NO IDEA that I had just taken a pregnancy test. No one told him. He had to run outside and find someone to give him the results. Dude. So in a little while he pops his head in the door, says "negative" and goes back out again. Leaving me in this stupid little room, for what has now been an hour. Well at least I'm not preggas. In total, I was at Immediate Care for 3 hours yesterday. I left there at 5.30, rushed out, shamefully bought some cheap clothing and even cheaper jewelry at Forever 21, whipped it on in a change-room, and got the Brown line up to the Yelp Christmas Party. HELL YEAH. PS - The "lurgy" wasn't fun. Expect an update on my Joy Yee's review coming soon. read more

I came here for a strained calf muscle from running, and Dr. Rana informed me that I needed to get an ultrasound at Northwestern Memorial in case I had a blood clot. I asked what the chances were. "Not sure, but if it's a blood clot, you can die the next day," was the sentiment. I went that day to get the exam. No one ever informed me of the results. Two weeks later I got a call from the receptionist asking me if I went to get the ultrasound. Are you serious? Today I received a bill from the hospital for nearly a thousand dollars. You can count on this place to have terrible follow up and refer you for expensive exams you don't need. Remember the right to refuse unnecessary care. Never again. read more

Yesterday I woke up feeling stabby. Well, at least my ear and throat felt stabby. Ugh. Ear infection. Again. But otherwise feeling fine, I went to work thinking I would pop over to a pharmacy clinic during the day... except that they weren't really conveniently located near my office. Grrr. My own doctor is closer to my apartment, and I really just wanted to pop out of work for a little bit and get this taken care of so I could come back to work. I remembered my VP talking about this place when he couldn't shake a cold a while back, so I gave them a call and asked if they took appointments. The girl who answered the phone was really nice. She informed me that they did not take appointments, so I asked when the best time to come in is and she said, "right now." Sweet! Well, "right now" had to wait until after a meeting, but I managed to schlep down Michigan Ave in a torrential rainstorm and made it there a little before 10am. I was greeted by a super nice receptionist and only a couple people in the waiting room (though by the time I left there were a lot more people, so take note - come early!). I didn't even have time to finish filling out paperwork before they called me back. The nurse was really nice, though she did seem to hover a bit asking if I was done with the paperwork. Damn, yo, I didn't realize I had to fill out 20 pages of info for a simple ear infection. After she left I waited about 20 minutes, and Dr. Merok came in. He apologized profusely for the wait, and I was all, "are you kidding me? 20 minutes? I wait double this at my regular doctor!" He asked me some questions, took a look inside my ears and throat and confirmed I did have an ear infection. Here's what I liked about him - while we chatted, he looked me directly in the eye. It's something I didn't realize until yesterday, but most doctors I've seen don't do this - whether they're taking notes or doing whatever, they just don't seem to make eye contact. It's such a small thing, and I loved it. I felt like he was actually listening to me, and he was just as concerned as I was that ear infections have been pretty common in my life since my tonsillectomy 4 years ago (while my regular soon-to-be-fired doctor has blown off said concerns). When we were done, he walked me out and electronically sent my prescriptions over to Walgreens. (FYI - they do have some prescriptions in house, but you'll save a few bucks by getting them from a pharmacy.) Not only did he hook me up with drugs to quickly knock out my infection (seriously - 24 hours later and I feel LOADS better), but he also asked if I needed any other refills. I didn't, but thought it was cool that a clinic doctor did that. I was quickly checked out by another nice staff member, paid my copay and was given an estimate of what my responsibility would be (damn deductible). I was back at work before I knew it, and had only been gone an hour total. Nice! Dr. Merok was so awesome, I'm a little bummed I can't make him my primary care doctor. But that's okay - should I ever need medical attention for minor things when I'm stuck at work, I know I can rely on this place to get me through. read more

I've been here a few time and had nothing but a good experience with the physician I saw here. However, I am only giving 2 stars because of this office's awful receptionist. She is always extremely rude, and not only to me, but I've witnessed the way she speaks to other patients as well. Not the type of person that should be working in a physician's office at all. In addition, I've had to call on occasion, and she is extremely rude and unhelpful over the phone as well. I really wish this office had better staff upfront dealing with patients, because if it did, I would definitely continue to be a patient of this office. However, in Chicago, there are lots of other great physicians who have friendly office staff, and I will not be going back here. read more