Northwestern Medicine offers to call back so you don't have to wait on hold. I chooose that option and they call me back and put me on hold for 15 minutes. There's a little f u in everything northwestern does read more

I received a flyer from Northwestern Lasik Physicians for a free LASIK consultation at the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation on the 15th floor. Since it was free, and I had considered Lasik before, I thought this would be a great time to get my eyes checked out to see if this was a procedure for me. My appointment was at 5pm, which was the latest appointment of the date for Dr. Basti. The eye technician had promptly called me in to do the preliminary tests. There were a few issues I had while I was with her, which were: 1. I had to ask her to wipe down the chin and forehead areas of the machine 2. I was relocated to three different rooms because she said she was "stealing" rooms. This left me very uncomfortable because I had left my jacket and other items unattended in these rooms (thinking the room was exclusively reserved for me during my appointment) Again, my appointment was at 5pm. I was finished with the technician by 5:20pm. I had waited and waited for the doctor (unable to see because I was instructed to take my contacts out). By 5:55pm, the doctor stops by my room, apologizes, and tells me that he'll be another 10 to 15 max. As he leaves my room, he walks another patient into the room next to me. All the while, another patient in the room across from me is waiting as well. As I was supposedly the last appointment, it appeared there were two other people AHEAD of me. It was looking like I'd have to wait till 7pm to see the doctor. Frustrated, I left the office at 6:15pm. I was going to explain to the receptionist that I just couldn't wait and needed to leave. But everyone that worked at this office had already left for the day. It wasn't until 6:40pm that I received a call from Dr. Basti apologizing for the wait and explaining that it was an unusually busy day. Then he shifted the blame to his technician telling me that he assumed I was already selected as a candidate for Lasik and thought the technician had dilated my eyes. He said he wanted to give my eyes the full 30 minutes to dilate and thats why he attended to other patients before seeing me. As a patient, I was already upset I had to wait so long to see the eye doctor. To hear that Dr. Basti and his technician couldn't communicate well enough during a consultation worried me to the point that I wouldn't want to pay thousands of dollars to get my eyes messed up and in the end have them tell me "Oh sorry, I misunderstood". Any miscommunications while under the laser is not worth it to me. With so many businesses out there that do the Lasik procedure, first impressions is key. This visit left me with a very bad impression. read more

Murad Alam, MD is a very experienced Mohs surgeon and dermatologist. He is a Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation physician. The PA's and RN's are top notch and really pleasant and professional. When Dr. Alam arrived, he did a speedy check of areas my mom was concerned about and seemed aggressive in recommending biopsies, even though I said she had one at last year another derm office on the skin sites and there was no skin cancer detected. The NMFF requires a very quick visit with the patient (10 minutes if you're lucky) to maximize profits and it seems that so many biopsy recommendations feeds their coffers. All this may or may be the case; but a more communicative conversation with the patient and better listening would go a long way to change the 2 stars to 5. Mom also said she felt she was "clumped" into a "senior patient" category and not an individual. read more

My wife had an appointment with Dr. Murad Alam today for a wellness skin check. She waited months for this appointment. Dr. Alam never showed up. His team offered no explanation nor apology even though she had waited for several hours in the "waiting" room. Fat chance that she will trust him ever again! read more

Horrible. If I could give less than a star, I would. When I called the office today, I told the lady on the phone that I was running late because I couldn't find parking. She scolded me like I was a six year-old. I was sort of in shock. Her attitude was laughably bad. I can't believe people like that keep jobs. Amazing! I saw a Dr. Buchman in gastroenterology and left without saying goodbye or getting any of my follow-up stuff. The doctor, who was brisk and didn't listen to me for a second, actually made a thinly-veiled sexual remark to me. I told him I practice yoga and he asked me if I did "that pole stuff." Like, do I do striptease cardio or whatever. WTF?? Then Dr. Buchman told me the diet that I had been trying with success to cure myself of my condition was "ridiculous" and that the book I had found was a "scam" and that if he were me, he'd "get his money back." He wanted to do more invasive testing (I've already done all that testing TWICE) and said he was pretty sure he would want to put me on meds. There were very few intelligent questions and he interrupted me numerous times. One of my favorite things he said was, "Well, it's either something or nothing." Something. Or nothing. When he left the room, I was waiting for the nurse and I just burst into tears. I sat for a few minutes and then thought, "Wait. Why the hell am I waiting here for this? I hate this place. I hate that guy. I'm leaving." And I did. I walked out, paid my stupid co-pay, and didn't schedule another appointment. The price of health care is so atrociously high, and the stress involved is so immense, I *refuse* to be treated like an idiot or a number. No way. Not anymore. Kiss my diseased ass, Northwestern. If you want my business, you'll have to do better than that. read more

I hate going to the doctor, but being a woman means that I have to go once a year for my annual exam down there. It's not a fun experience as all of you women out there know, but a necessity for knowing that you're in good health, both inside and out. Over the years, I have been trying out different doctors, without much success. My one major complaint with all of my previous doctors was that they never sat me down and explained in detail what certain results meant or why I needed to have this or that test done and let me just say it was very frustrating because I had a ton of questions. Then when I would ask my questions I would get luke warm answers that didn't leave me feeling very positive or knowledgeable. I thought it was just me being picky, but when it comes to my body, I most certainly am. So, when I put the question out there to my closest female friends on whom I should try next, the answer came back as NMFF. So, I thought why not give them a try. It couldn't be any worse than what I had already been through with other doctors, so I had nothing to lose. I called them up and scheduled my appointment with Dr. Susan Goldsmith. Not really knowing what to expect I walked into the waiting room at my appointed time and was greeted by the front desk administrator who welcomed me with a smile and paperwork. I thought I was going to have a long wait, but less than five minutes later I was being called into the examination room. The medical assistant was very nice and took my blood pressure, weight, etc. Then I met Dr. Goldsmith and she was exactly the kind of doctor I was looking for. She sat me down and we had an in depth conversation where she explained everything and answered all of my questions very knowledgeably. I left my appointment feeling like I had finally found someone in the medical community who cared enough to be honest and forthright but at the same time could explain things at my level to help me understand. She was cheerful and positive and did everything in her power to make my appointment go smoothly, which I'm totally grateful for. Next year, when it's time for that dreaded appointment, I will no longer fear it, but return to Dr. Goldsmith because I know she has my best interests at heart. I will also not hesitate to recommend her services to any woman out there who maybe in the market for a new down under there doctor, so to speak. read more

Shame on you, Dr. Nadler and your staff. My husband initially went in for what he thought was another kidney stone. After an expensive MRI, they discovered a tumor on his bladder. Luckily, it was superficial, and removed in an outpatient procedure, after spending 9 hours in the hospital. We saw several different types of docs, and of course, we have the bills to back that up....I'm still fighting with their billing dept. This isn't the main reason I'm writing. Keep reading. My husband then visited his gp for his annual physical. She reviewed all the information from his bladder tumor surgery and asked why Dr Nadler didn't catch this....catch what? My husband has an aortic abdominal aneurysm. IT WAS IN THE SCAN. IT WAS IN THE PAPERWORK. DR. NADLER AND HIS TEAM OF ROBOTS DID NOT SEE THIS. We've previously dismissed Dr. Nadler's poor bedside manner because of his alleged good reputation. Why didn't he read the entire report and alert us to this new finding? We've been long standing patients/customers of the Northwestern Medical Group doctors. No more. Moral: question EVERYTHING. Doctors do not KNOW IT ALL. TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH. read more

In July of 2009, I saw Dr. Rakesh Chandra, ENT. Terrible, terrible experience. I was experiencing intense headaches, difficulty breathing, excessive post-nasal drip, amongst a few other symptoms. Everything except the difficulty breathing had been going on for a while, but the breathing issue scared me. Dr. Chandra was incredibly rude and hardly spent 5 minutes with me. He asked few questions, stuck a scope in my nose and down my throat (eck!), said I had a deviated septum and since I had indicated I had acid reflux on my questionnaire, it could be that or a # of things causing my problem. He handed me a nasal spray and rx for Prevacid and turned to leave. I asked him how we can correct the root cause, as I am not comfortable with taking meds forever and I have tried these 2 previously. He said that he understands how it feels to be told medicine for life is the answer, because he is young, too (he looks like he is 25 yrs old). No other plan or words of wisdom. Gee, thanks. I can not stress how rude he was to me. He made me feel like it was hopeless, and I literally began to cry. He walked out of the room and I was waiting for a while because I wasn't sure if we were done or what. Turns out we were and I eventually found my way out. No follow-up call, nothing. Oh, except the bill. $1300. Really?? For the 5 minutes I was there? Insurance picked up half of it (high deductible yet to be satisfied), but there is absolutely NO justification for charging that much for the minimal amount of services he provided. What a joke. I will likely never return to a NW facility - which is too bad, because I am sure that not all experiences with NW would only be 1 star. Unfortunately, my health, patience, and wallet can not afford to find out. Since then, I have been working with doctors who actually had a plan to identify my issues and correct them. Ironically, the ENT I visited right after Chandra charged me for the same exact 2 services for the first visit - first time visit and endoscopy, and charged less than half. read more

I am still totally smitten with Dr Schlosser, but the rest of the NMFF Dermatology department is horrible. The communication with the doctors is abysmal. Maybe I'm more curious than more patients, maybe I'm more annoying than most patients, but if I have questions I expect them to be answered. When I make an appointment to see the doctor I expect to see the doctor I made the appointment with, not a nurse and a resident. I've seen Dr Martini for contact allergy testing and her bedside manner and patient education skills are sorely lacking. Yes, she got the job done, I have been tested for allergies. But does it really need to be so difficult to get more information than what your computer prints out for you to hand me? There are doctors available on their email system that don't actually check their email. Then why can I email them?! It's a drop down list, it's not like I typed in the name. Dr Schlosser and her team are fantastic at replying to email. Seriously, Dr Schlosser is the only reason I'm not giving NMFF 1 star and looking for another dermatology department. If you're not here to see her, I suggest going elsewhere. read more

First of all, let me say that I can only speak to one tiny little part of this very large medical practice. I'm sure there are vast differences between doctors, offices, and specialties. I was a patient with the endocrinology group for about 5 months. I chose NMFF because they could get me in more quickly than other endocrinologists and because the doctor I was seeing (Dr. Szmuilowicz) was highly reviewed online. I will say that most of the doctors, fellows, and nurse practitioners I saw - including Dr. Smuilowicz - seemed like very smart, competent people. The problem is the office and overall culture of the place. I began by seeing a fellow, who moved on after several months working with me. This is nobody's fault, clearly, but the transition wasn't managed smoothly and I felt like I had to re-explain my entire history and diagnosis to the nurse practitioner they assigned me to next - like she hadn't even looked at my chart. In fact, every time I had contact with a NMFF practitioner I felt like I had to re-explain why I was seeing them and what my priorities were. It was impossible to get through to the office when I had questions. I waited on hold for at least 10 minutes every time I called, and half the time the call answering system would boot me off to a general Northwestern answering service that couldn't help me. I played so many games of phone tag with my physician, trying to get test results or get very simple questions answered - entire half days would be wasted waiting on hold or watching my phone to make sure I didn't miss a call AGAIN. Once, my doctor forgot to call a blood test order in, so I spent extra time that morning running upstairs to their office and back down to the laboratory. Again - just felt like a number. I think my last appointment with them really exemplifies how this office is not designed to meet patients' needs. I had my appointment and was told to come back in three months. When I went to the appointment desk, they said the next available time slot was in FIVE months. So the way the office is run made it literally impossible for me to follow up in the way my physician wanted me to. I came to the NMFF endocrinology group with a problem that is frustrating and emotionally difficult to deal with - I didn't feel cared for or even remembered by any of the staff here. I've now switched to a different endocrinologist, and it's highlighted just how bad NMFF is and how much better it can be elsewhere. I don't write yelp reviews often but felt so strongly about warning people against this place that I wanted to contribute here. I would suggest seeking out a smaller office that can give more personal care, at least if you're looking for an endocrinologist. read more

I went to the Maternal Fetal Medicine office at NMH. None of the doctors have any understanding of bedside manners. It is a large office and I rarely saw the same doctor twice. When I asked questions (this was my first baby, so I didn't know) the doctors often made statements to belittle my intelligence or scare me into doing exactly what they wanted. My appointments were quick and impersonal. Labor and delivery was horrible. They wouldn't tell me what was going on. I had to scream at the residents to get an answer, even though there seemed to be twelve in my room none of them could tell me why one of them poking me. Then when one of the MFM doctors shows up she states whats going on then leaves. I ended up back in the hospital a couple weeks later with 104 fever and an infection. GO TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL. read more

Northwestern is one of the best medical care facilities in the area. I just had a minor surgery here and the doctors and nurses could not be more friendly, accommodating, caring and knowledgeable. I felt at ease when I was about to be put into the "twilight zone" as they did surgery on my arm. I never had surgery before so I had no idea what to expect. Every doctor and nurse assured me everything was going to be OK and better once the procedure is done. I will spare you the details on what they did because it sounds pretty gross. I had very early stages of Melanoma. Melanoma is the most uncommon skin cancer, but the most deadly. I'm so thankful I had my suspicious mole checked out when I did. The surgeon who removed my cancer was Dr. Jeffrey Wayne. Dr. Wayne was the best and I couldn't of asked for a better surgeon. Not only is he good at what he does best, he has very good bedside manner. I will have a pretty large scar on my forearm for life. But it will be a reminder to never sit in the sun for hours without protection (yes, I used to do this) and to get any suspect moles or spots checked out ASAP by a dermatologist. read more

I'm sure the doctors are great, but their billing practices are unethical at best. That alone is enough want me to stay away. In July of 2011 I saw one of the audiologists to get my hearing aid adjusted. This was my third visit for an adjustment; it went like the other had. I paid my $50 and left. I April of 2012 I received an adjusted bill for $60 for a hearing aid assessment. They wanted me to pay $10 more or I was going to go to collections. So, yeah, 9 months after the original visit they jacked it up $10. I called the billing department and they said they'd look into it and call me back. Not only did I not get a return call, but they sent me another bill for the same amount. I called again. I was told the office said the charge was correct. I asked the clerk why I would go in for an assessment when I had the hearing aid already? I was told I'd have to call the doctor to get it fixed. So I called the doctor's office, they said the charge was incorrect and they'd fix it. Surprise! Another bill, this one final, telling me to pay up or go to collections. I called and talked to a supervisor by the name of Tracy in the resolution department. I think it's more aptly called the disillusion department. Tracy was as unhelpful and passive-aggressive as the rest of her staff. She said she couldn't remove the charge without talking to the doctor's office, and they would have to call her. She was unwilling to call them with me on the phone to get to the bottom of the issue. Essentially, she wanted me to call them again and hope they'd call her to fix the issue. So, I paid the $10 because it wasn't worth my time anymore to argue with brick walls. Yeah, I gave them what they want, but I'm giving them a one-star review, too. I will never voluntarily set foot in their offices again. They have destroyed my trust, and that counts for a lot with me. read more

This review is for the Ob/Gyn practice. If I can say anything, it's you have to weigh the good and the bad. Unfortunately, in my experience, the bad outweighs the good I work in health care so I know how important it is to build trust with your patients. Since the ob/gyn practice is huge and any one of those doctors could deliver my baby, I chose to meet as many of them as possible during my numerous visits. Gotta start that trust bridge somewhere and why not meet everyone? I can say that Dr Susan Tsai had the worst bedside manner possible. I was crying to another doctor about how awful she was to me, completely disregarding my wishes, rude as heck, and had not a single ounce of sympathy. Now fast forward a year to today, and I have my annual check up. I made my appt 3 months ago because it know how busy they can get. My appointment is at 10am. I get a call at 8 saying that my NP is out. Um, by then it is too late to take my child to their childcare and me to go to work. They need to reschedule me. Ok. So this appointment I made 3 months ago and took a day off to go to is now futile. I told the receptionist that I made this appt a long time ago, I took paid time off!!!!, and I have nothing to do, so is there any way I can see anyone? I don't care who I don't see as long as I make use of my day off. Nope. Not an open appointment. I'm sorry, but isn't that part of the reason to have a practice? So that if someone is off or out sick or something, you can see another person? Well, now I get to waste more days off to get rescheduled. Thanks a lot! When I change my insurance I'm making sure I'm out of this ob/gyn practice. I'm sick of some of the doctors, the wait time in the waiting rooms (they're pretty horrendous if you're not the first appts which I usually try to be), the billing department, the lack of flexibility for pt. read more

The doctors in the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation in the Ob-Gyn practice (not to be confused with the Northwester Medical Physicians Group--which is fantastic) is absolutely horrific! It is a shame that it has the Northwestern name attached to it as it is an embarrasment to Prentice Women's Hospital. Dr. Hammond was short and did not want to answer any questions that would keep him longer than the appointed 10 minutes. I felt he was indifferent and uncaring to my concerns. I received similar treatment from Dr. Lore. Dr Stika on the other hand routinely keeps her patients waiting on average of 2 hours. When I set the appointment up, I was forewarned by the front desk quietly as it appeared that many patients cannot put up with this. Since I knew on the day of my labor, I would get whomever doctor was on call, I decided to go ahead and keep my appointment with her so that I could get to know all the doctors in the practice. I brought reading material, snacks, my cell phone...but could not believe to my astonishment, that I actuall waited 3 hours!!! What practice keeps a pregnant lady waiting this long? She'd eat her hand if she wasn't prepared. To make matters worse, I fell she talked down to me, was unresponsive, was very disrepectful of my time. On more than one occasion I was pushed to come in by their nurses to "run more tests" as they played on my fear of miscarrying... only to rush in and then be hurried out and belittled for my concerns. The whole practice insulted me time after time, and with it being my first viable pregnancy (I had miscarried before), I needed them to answer all my questions and concerns. When they couldn't over and over, I decided to leave them even if I was over 25 weeks pregnant. It was definitely worth the change! I transferred all my information to the Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group. They are a completely different practice in the 680 N. Lake Shore Drive building. read more

To make a long story short, a month ago I noticed a lump in my neck. I thought it was most likely a swollen node, but since I didn't feel sick at all, I went to the GP to get his opinion. My GP agreed with my suspicion, but said to be on the safe side, that I should make the first available appointment with the otolaryngology department and cancel if the object had gone gone back into hiding by then (he said two weeks). The first available appointment I was able to get was a month later - in that time it shrank a bit, but was still making its presence known. In keeping with the doctor's orders, I didn't cancel my appointment. What awaited me was a 1/2 hour wait to meet with Dr. Dutra, who proceeded to laugh at me (literally), ask if that was all, tell me it was nothing, and then mock me by asking if there was anything else I wanted him to check out to make it worth my time. Thanks. In all that time, he never even bothered to explain what the lump was (surely a node, but at least confirm it), nor did he tell me what was going on with it. Clearly the best thing to do when faced with a patient feeling something in her neck she's never felt in her near 29 years, is to mock her for her glaring ignorance. The whole encounter took less than two minutes, and all I was left with was extreme sense of embarrassment and a disinclination to ever get anything out of the ordinary checked out again. I don't entertain any silly notions that I have a tumor in my neck, but at least have the professionalism to actually tell me what I've wasted work hours, and I'm sure a decent doctor's bill, to find out/confirm. This is exactly the type of behavior that gets people upset about the medical profession, and deters them from seeking treatment; thank goodness my GP, dentist, gyn, etc. are wonderful to work with, and can cancel out negative impressions like this. read more

The biggest fault that I find with Northwestern is that it's so incredibly large you can get lost in the system. My entire life I've always gone to University of Michigan Hospitals and Medical Centers because it's seems important to have doctors on the cutting edge of medicine. But never felt like just another number at the U of M. At Northwestern I was shuffled twice with no explanation. My insulin pump educator passed me off to a doctor when we went over some test results (the doctor, Dr. Aleppo, grumbled before she began that she didn't know why the Rn wasn't going over this with me herself--how's that for respectful care!). And then my Endocrinologist, Dr. Kopp, passed me over to Dr. Aleppo. No explanation whatsoever. As someone who has a lot of juggling to do in managing her health, this is one more stress that I just don't need! I appreciate having the cutting edge science and technology, but I'm afraid that those clerical cracks that I've slipped through might also exist in my medical care. read more

I've been going to the Medical Faculty Foundation for about 5 years now. They have treated me for everything from a common flu to a really nasty ulcer a few years back. I always received good medical care but recently i switched doctors to Aashish Didwania, MD. Dr. Didwania is really great. Friendly, thorough, and really puts you at ease. He actually went to medical school with some friends of mine and they all say he was a really great doctor...but even without their recommendation i would be sold. He really cares and gets back to you via e-mail very quickly when you have a question. He's definitely my go to guy for medical issues! Another thing I like is when i need a recoomendation for a specialist he seems to know the people he recomends very well. Not just printing off the list anyone can give you. He takes your personality into account when recomending anyone. A+! read more

I've seen clinicians at NMFF on and off since 2004, and every one I've visited with has been stellar. I've had the good luck to see the same ARNP for regular visits every year that I've had the good luck to be insured. The one "Oh crap, I'm pretty sick" visit was excellent- partly due to the close attention and expertise of the doctor who examined me, and partly due to the information system used by NMFF- because it involved a bunch of pain-in-the-#*& diagnostics. Digital records management allows your records to move efficiently from practice to lab to diagnostics with minimal redundancy (it's hard to fill out forms with a fever), and the online follow up is user-friendly- and obviously paperless. The OB/GYN practice is world class. If you're unsure of which practice to select, and they're in your network, go here. read more

If I could put zero stars I would. I have never used the place, but am not surprised to learn that their billing department is more than inept. My landlord's corporate office is located in the same building as NMFF's administrative office. Somehow my rent check made it to NMFF's office (even though it was addressed properly!) instead of my landlord's - simple mailing error. BUT NMFF cashed it. (Think of all the people that had to not be paying attention for that to happen initially - NMFF, their bank?!) I figured this all out about two weeks later when I received a late notice from my landlord. I called NMFF and alerted them of the situation, they acted as if I had no idea what I was talking about even after I faxed them a copy of the wrongfully endorsed check. They kept asking if I had an account with them - which I do not. After three days of back and forth, I was told that they would cut me a refund check the next week. Not exactly the time frame I was hoping for since it was my RENT MONEY, but they offered to overnight it so I didn't complain. If overnighted the refund check should have arrived Saturday/Monday depending on the service. It is now Wednesday night and I have yet to see this check. I have left several messages with their billing department and am just immensely frustrated. Their incompetence is almost unbelievable and they move at a snail's pace. This has been a ridiculous headache and obvious testament to the sorry state of their billing and accounting department. (No one noticed that there was a large sum of money not attributable to any account? -RIDICULOUS!) read more

If I could give a half star, it would still not be representative of the horrible experience I had with this medical center. I agree with the billing issues that others here have mentioned. The phone system is terrible. You are put on hold for the "next available representative" for over a half hour and then, the system hangs up on you after telling you to leave a message. If you leave a message, no one calls you back. I had a rep tell me one thing and another rep tell me something entirely different. I think turn around here is high because I was told my statements would be put on hold till they resolved my financial issue. A week later, I called to see what was going on and was told that the rep who told me of the hold was "no longer with Northwestern Memorial." It was three months of a billing nightmare! BOTTOM LINE: Out-of-pocket fees are more than they should be, and you're bullied into paying because they keep sending you final statements. read more

NMFF dept of Dermatology is the worst! I needed to have surgery with 2 surgeons present- an oncological surgeon and a plastic surgeon to fix the problem that they failed to remedy. The surgeons had to removed almost half of the front of my shin due to squamous cell carcenoma- invasive. Beware and do not hesitate to get second opinions when dealing with this department! read more

Northwestern gynecology services are going down the drain. I had never in my life had written a bad review about a doctor. I have been going to NU for about 20 years. Always happy with the service. I went for unusual bleeding, with no pain and no other symptoms. By sheer luck I ended being seen by Dr Susan Tsai. The reason I ended up in her section was because I could not make an appointment with any other doctor.. available appointments are 6 months in the future. First I had to hear 10 mins of complaints of her regarding her previous appointment in the OBGYN main department. Then proceeded to do a pap smear with no assistant. When I expressed that I was in pain her response was "ohh sorry I am being mean", or "I am being mean, I know". She had difficulty finding the cervix which to me was a bit perplexing for a dr specializing in that area. I had had pap tests all my life with no problems. Much less leave the office and be in pain for 4 days in a row. Furthermore, without much ado, I was told about a surgical procedure. What was said in one sentence was a overloading. I was told I was going to be contacted about it. Yet this procedure got scheduled without any one talking to me about scheduling it and found out by mistake through the hospital app which no one had the courtesy of using to give me information. Small detail as I should know when it is happening was not taken into account. Susan Tsai bed side manners is horrible. She has that air of she knows better than yourself what is going on and has no desire to bring you in to the conversation even though it is about your own body. The scheduling fiasco deepens my concern with the unit. read more

I had an appointment with Dr. Laumann at the NMFF Dermatology clinic. What a truly MISERABLE experience. She is single-handedly the rudest and most insulting physician I have ever met. I waited for an hour and a half to see her, then she left the room before all of my issues were reviewed (and I had only 2 points I was hoping to discuss with her). She made me feel like I was a complete inconvenience and she had no time for me, not to mention the bevy of inappropriate comments she made. Nasty woman - will never see her again. Strongly advise against scheduling an appointment with Dr. Lousy-mann. That being said, every other staff member was incredibly helpful, kind and efficient. Would recommend the clinic, but whatever you do - stay far, far away from Ann Laumann. read more

I saw Dr. Maria Colavincenzo in the Dermatology department for acne and she was wonderful. I've never had a dermatologist take so much time to explain various treatments to me in a comprehensive, adult way. She went above and beyond in suggesting possible treatment alternatives for six months or a year down the line, if the current treatment doesn't prove successful. She was also very friendly, warm and easy to talk to. I was seen on time and check-in/check-out was efficient. read more

My review happens to be a pleasant one, simple and to the point. I was referred to Northwestern medical by a dear friend to see the ENT (ear, nose, throat) Dr. Kern and Dr. Christopher Thompson MD. After getting a CT scan, Dr. Kern discovered I had nasal polyps which caused the cartilage in my nose to bend. He explained everything to me and suggested I have them surgically removed and repair the cartilage in my nose. Everything went as smooth as it could possibly be and both Doctors did a wonderful job on my nose. Dr. Thompson was absolutely the best. He was very reassuring and kind. I had to return to have the splint removed and have my sinuses vacuumed out. It was a very uncomfortable procedure and I was very uneasy about it. However, his kinds words and humor was all I needed to get through it. I would definitely recommend this hospital to all. The staff and Doctors are great! read more

I have been going here for over 10 years, and have had nothing but the best dealings with the professionals here. Dr Heather Heiman is a fantastic General Internal Medicine doctor. She is patient, asks the right questions, and is knowledgeable about the latest medical research. Even though she is super busy, she always takes enough time to address all of my needs. Northwestern is one of the reasons I haven't yet moved from Chicago. I doubt I will have better medical care anywhere else. My only gripe is with billing. I have frequently had issues with my bill that have taken multiple attempts to fix. I didn't downgrade the rating though, as the medical care is simply the best. read more

Dr. Stephanie Kielb is WONDERFUL! She took over my care after a particularly terrible experience with another Urologist (who was not at Northwestern). Her competence has me on the path to feeling better and her compassion very quickly earned my trust. She is the ideal doctor for me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart Dr. Kielb, you are very good at what you do! read more

Takes several months to see a specialist. Better hope you can wait. Ridiculous.You should be able to be seen within 3 weeks. Sooner if urgent & you should not have to go through the ER-a total waste of money, resources & time. Had an accident & a fracture & was seen at the AnkleNFootCenters & in & out in under 2 hours. Had I gone to NWM- would have taken several weeks to receive same treatment. read more

HORRIBLE BILLING CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! I tried calling SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many times I swear I forgot the count and NO ONE answered. I left 3 voicemails for a call back and nothing! What a service honestly. read more

I just read all the negative reviews and am very surprised. I've been seeing Dr. Aarati Didwania (pronounced "Ar-thee") in Internal Medicine since 2003 and she is incredible. She never asks for unnecessary tests (i.e. tests which may result in a false positive thus bringing on more stress on a healthy person). She knows my history and, although this trait is secondary to me in importance, she has a great "bedside manner." I trust her implicitly and will be very sad if I ever need to see another doctor. The billing department has never been an issue for me. There have been a few duplicate billings during the 10 years, but no issues with overcharging, etc. as mentioned in other reviews. I highly recommend NMFF and Dr. Aarati Didwania. She is quite busy with research and teaching, so appointments may difficult to schedule. read more

I don't know what they're putting in the water here, but EVERYONE I encountered was so genuinely nice, I was floored. I was referred by my primary to visit Dr. Michael Jones in the division of gastroenterology. He, along with his nurse (whose name is escaping me) really put me at ease with some tummy problems I've been dealing with. He even suggested an all-natural supplement, keeping me off any prescriptions (which have side effects). I appreciate that. His candor was light, but he listened and took the matter seriously. Everyone from the woman who I spoke to to book the appointment, to the woman at checkout, to the woman who took my blood in the lab were excellent. I'm a big fan of Northwestern. read more

Emergency Room: For years, we have been going to NW for medical emergencies and received good care. Wait times would be between 30 min-4 hrs - though I never liked getting bumped down the list for all the drunks that come in from partying in River North- but we'd get a private room and adequate care. Recently, NW has changed their entire setup. It's more like a clinic than an ER. We were shuffled around from room to room. My husband had to move 4x for each of the 2 visits made last week. Some of the individual rooms have been converted to open waiting rooms where you don't have a bed, but sit in chairs with other people around while you and they continue to receive treatment. I marvel at how this is not creating HIPAA violation because you have no privacy to continue talking to your doctor. Also, this does nothing to isolate people with contagious illnesses. The quality of doctors/nurses has also declined. My husband went in for a serious fever, vomiting and sore throat. They did all kinds of things like bloodwork, ekg, x-ray, but hardly looked down his throat and never checked his ears.They kept checking his belly instead. He was diagnosed with a virus, but the doctors kept going on about his drinking (3-7 total drinks a week) and how he might have withdrawal symptoms. We kept telling them you're totally off the mark, he's not an alcoholic. I thought they'd look at his history at the er which would also make that clear, but as we left the nurse was telling us that next time we should go to a hydration clinic. Last I checked, those clinics didn't specialize in contagious illnesses. They were completely dismissive and condescending. We left hoping it was just a virus and that the iv fluids and anti-nausea would do the trick. Two days later, his fever is back above 102 and he's still vomiting. The real doctor diagnosed him right away w a bacterial/strep infection. The assistant doc needed to be reminded to check his ears (full of fluid) and what to look for in his throat. We were very vocal about our displeasure that their docs misdiagnosed the first time, never took a culture but did all other odd things. While talking when a tech was in the room (in the short time we had a room) the assistant doc walked in, angry and righteous about how the first docs we saw didn't put in the notes that he's an alcoholic, she would have done the same tests and diagnosis, and how dare we make those kinds of comments to other staff. She was incredibly rude, as if we don't have the right to complain about being mistreated and having to come back again for a correct diagnosis and spend more money on the deductible and through insurance. As we left, we expressed concern about not receiving a stronger antibiotic, but took the script and left. 2+ days later, his fever was back to 102. We will not be returning to NW again. read more

I see Dr Marla Mendleson for cardiology and Dr Malek El Muayed for Endocrinology. They are both great. Dr Mendleson has guided me through 2 pregnancies and heart surgery and Dr El Muayed is the first endocrinologist I have had who digs to find answers. He goes above and beyond. Both my pregnancies were with the Meternal Fetal group of NMFF and I have two healthy babies from high risk pregnancies. Couldn't be happier. read more

This is review is for the dermatology department. I used to love NMH, I have received care there for over 15 years, but now they are just stealing money and overcharging and adding procedures that were not performed on patients. I went with Dr. Paula Malhotra because she was the only appt available that week (mid summer), I had an irritated mole on my cheek, after waiting almost an hour for her, I was about to leave when finally they called me. She observed the mole and told me that it was nothing serious, and she burnt it with liquid nitrogen. She did not ask anything else if I had any other reason for the appointment, in less than 10 minutes I was outside of the office. OMG, then, I got a bill for over $700 and after insurance payment, I have to pay almost $200 out of my pocket. She billed for extra time as I was a first time patient, THIS IS UNETHICAL!. I was there less than 10 minutes, and she charged for extra time. After this experience I am not going anymore to NMH. Sadly, I have heard similar stories where they have charged for extra time to patients. Hope they do not delete this review because I wrote it before after I got the bill and they deleted. Stay away from these money-driven physicians and this practice. read more

Dr. Stephanie Kielb has to be the worst Urologist I have even seen at Northwestern. I've been going to Northwestern for over 10 yrs. Dr. Kielb did the bladder sling and bladder augmentation on me a few years back and poked a hole in my bowel while doing surgery. My bladder has NOT been the same since. I'm 41 yrs old with Spina Bifida and I was told she is the best Urologist for Spina Bifida. What a joke. I will be going to Loyola for my urology problems now. Hopefully this new Dr. just treats my bladder and kidney infections and that's it I'm done with surgeries for my bladder. read more

I second Hillary's review for Dr. Pedro Dago. Although I have had good experiences at Northwestern, Dr. Dago's pretty bad. Again, rude, unresponsive, condescending and cold. If that weren't bad enough, I just found out on www.idfpr.com (Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation) that he is NOT board certified and has a disciplinary history. I'll be checking out all my physicians on that website from now on. read more

My doctor was fantastic. The billing department is downright criminal. Let me explain. I had been a patient at NMFF previously. So when I went in for a recent procedure, they had my old insurance on file. No big deal, right? People change insurance all the time. So I gave them my new insurance info and thought that would be the end of it. I get a large bill because they billed my old insurance company and, of course, the old insurance company rejected the claim. No big deal, right? Just give NMFF the correct info AGAIN and they'll fix it, right? That is what I did and they said it would be fixed. That was a few months ago. Today I get the threatening letter that they're trying one last time before they send my bill to collections. Apparently I need to march into the office and stand behind the computer as the employee puts my correct insurance info into the computer or else they'll send it to collections and mess up my credit. I just called them. The billing department is closed now, of course. And you cannot leave a message. Why on earth would you want your customers to be able to leave a message so they can call you back? I really don't appreciate having to take off work to go into the building in person because they cannot handle something so simple over the phone. But I do not trust them to make the change any longer, even with follow up confirmation by fax. So I will go in--in person--and then I will call my insurance company the next day to make sure they billed it correctly. Absolutely inexcusable. read more

Their dermatology clinic should be studied. It's fascinating. They have an answering service that does not pass messages to their physicians, Nurses that don't know how to dial a phone number and call in a prescription (cuz the doctors don't do it). And doctors that are unreachable. They've been upgrading their systems for... three weeks. At one point, I was convinced that that dude from Dude Wheres My Car was gonna come out of nowhere to tell me ive been punked, but then why would anyone punk me? Im not famous, though I could be if they recorded one of the times I called in and actually got someone. If you want dermatological attention/treatment, this place isn't for you. If you want to be annoyed to the brink of insanity, give it a whirl. read more

Northwestern's growing pains are leaving its patients in the dust. The bills are extraordinarily high, with mainstream insurance companies refusing to pay the full bill, leaving the patients left to make up the difference. In the meantime, Northwestern Memorial's CEO Dean Harrison was paid so much that his $10M salary according to a 11/19/2011 Crain's article is "potentially pushing him into the storm over the tax-exempt status of non-profit hospitals." Bottom line is that Northwestern charges a premium even for routine healthcare, something the billing rep even seemed to admit when I called to contest a $225 charge for 3.5 minutes of a doctor's time. I'll be looking for a new generalist through Rush. read more