Rush Copley Medical Center — Local services in Aurora Township

**It has not gone unnoticed that Rush Copley has responded to every other review, albeit a canned response, except mine. I suspect this is purposeful, as they don't know how to react to a review written by the widow of a patient who passed while in their care. This is hands down the worst hospital! My husband collapsed at home and was unconscious on 12/8/24. He was regrettably taken by ambulance to RCMC ER as it was less than 2 miles from our home. He was admitted to their CDU as an outpatient early on the 9th, where he received the most horrendous care, other than a wonderful nurse named Greg who took the time to listen. Dr. Siddiq could find nothing wrong with my husband, despite him being unable to swallow or walk safely. He was released to home on the 9th. On the 10th, my husband's condition worsened and we had to return to the ER with assistance from the Oswego Police Department, as he was still unable to ambulate safely. We spent nearly 24 hours between the waiting and holding areas of the ER before finally being admitted, against Dr. Shah's wishes. Dr. Shah was extremely rude, disrespectful and spoke to my husband and myself with complete disdain and lack of compassion. He should not be allowed to work at any hospital, much less in an ER where people come in at their most vulnerable. My husband passed away at RCMC on Christmas Eve. During his 2 week stay the only positive things I can mention are most of the nurses on both the Orhopedic Unit and in the ICA were kind and compassionate. I did find the units to be obviously understaffed, as most times when my husband needed assistance from a nurse it took at least 2 tries of the call button (approximately 7-10 minutes apart). However, there was a particular nurse Alex in the ICA who I question his true ability to have earned his nursing license. Rather than call my husband by his name, which was clearly printed on the board in his room, he referred to him as 'gentleman'. He demonstrated no compassion, empathy or kindness during the few times I saw him the 2 days in his care (12/19-12/20). As a matter of fact, many times the nurses could be heard laughing loudly at the nurses station, while I heard a patient in a nearby room yelling for help repeatedly. At one point my husband was in obvious distress and I pointed this out to Alex, who did nothing. After a few hours of observing my husbands pain and agitation, Alex took the time to check his catheter and noticed that it had become pinched and was not releasing the urine, causing my husband immeasurable and preventable pain and distress. Once the problem was fixed, my husband was more comfortable. But it took several hours. Disgusting! In addition, while I was arranging to put my husband into hospice in Rush Copley, I was told they would have to move him to another facility as they needed the bed space. Needless to say as I came in and out of the ICA for several days, there were plenty of empty rooms. Last, but not least, the monitors were removed from my husband sometime Monday the 23rd of December. Why? I'm not certain. However, it obviously made it impossible for staff to know when my husband took his last breath. Sadly, my daughter went to visit him at 8:30 a.m. Christmas Eve and found him in his room unresponsive. That's right, my daughter found her father passed away before nursing staff had any idea. She will have to live with that. Shame on Rush Copley Medical Center. My husband of 40 years was treated poorly by most of the doctors he came into contact with. He was treated as a number, not as a human. I will make it my personal mission to make sure everybody knows the pathetic and substandard level of care provided by...

UPDATE: I have reached to the patient advocate line, but the response was basically a "thank you for letting us know, but there really is not anything we will do to change things" so I was very disheartened by that experience.

The "life threatening" situation needs to be reviewed. I have no problem waiting my turn when people who have situations that require immediate attention come in at the same time I an there. My concern is that as a severely immunocompromised person, my system can be unexpectedly triggered by anything and it put my body into distress. If I do not settle things down, I risk having a stroke. For me, that IS life threatening. I ended up needing to go again for a different matter but when the nurse took my blood pressure, it triggered systemic itching that elevated my blood pressure dangerously high. The ER doctor wanted to send me home to follow-up with my doctor later. I asked him to please review my chart to see that my doctor's are working on things but have not been able to address this issue, but he refused bland said he was releasing me without doing anything else. When I disagreed and asked for the case manager, he told me that sure I could speak to her...before he released me. Turns out, she was going to agree with him and the only option I had was to call the phone number of the complaint department which was not open at 2 AM. I did call to leave a message but by that time the doctor actually had reviewed my chart and determined that there was something that he could do to at least address the symptoms.

I came in because I woke up with my face swollen and I was running a low-grade fever. That's dangerous for a person with a highly compromised immune system recovering from surgery. They have gone to a new system where they will have you come in and register at the desk, wait in the lobby until time to get your vitals and then when you go to have your vitals taken, the nurse will actually draw your blood right then and there, then return you to the lobby to wait for a room.

This last visit, I spent more time in the waiting area and waiting for my release paperwork than in the room speaking with the nurse and doctor. No IV was started. I was a little concerned because if I had come in dehydrated, how would they actually know? I only was put in a room after my lab work results came in, when the doctor looked at my ear, nose and throat, told me by blood only showed a slight elevation that indicated an infection, asked if I had any allergies to antibiotics and told me she would send in the prescription.

The registration person spent more time talking with me than the doctor. For the prices that the ER charges, that was a...

I have mixed feelings about this hospital.

As an adult patient: 3 stars. Sometimes the ER is great and other times it's awful. Wait time can be long at times but then fast. Some nurses can insert an IV others you would swear have no clue. Have never really had a bad experience with a dr. It seems ok.

For a child: 4 stars. Drs and especially the nursing staff are exceptional with bed side manner. Though would never recommend a catheter for an infant or small child, please request bagging. Injuries occurred by the catheter two times.

Maternity - 4 stars, so badly want to give them 5 stars because the staff is exceptional. All of them. They are extremely understanding about special requests and special circumstances. Absolutely amazing staff. But the beds and furniture are so rediculouly uncomfortable. To the point it's down right painful to stay there. The rooms are terrible to stay in for admittance. Rooms are very tight and small.

Emergency surgery adult - 4 stars, the staff is amazing and the drs do everything they can before rushing you off for emergency gallbladder surgery. The techs and nursing staff are amazing. Couldn't ask for better care. The hospital beds or down right painfully uncomfortable. Want to give 5 stars but can't just because of how uncomfortable it is to stay here.

Day Surgery - 5 stars. For both the family in waiting and me as the patient. They will do anything they can to make everyone comfortable. Thank you!!!

Billing - negative stars - what in Gods name is wrong with your billing department??? Improper charging to the insurance, not charging insurance, trying to charge the insurance for treatments that never even given. They make this experience a nightmare. Literally it's a nightmare. Double billed, over billed, you name it. Nothing is correct. I have to keep an excel spreadsheet and cross check every bill I pay with insurance statements and other bills in order to make sure I'm not over paying my out of pocket and guaranteed there is always a dispute I have to deal with. I pay late just because of how many hours of work I have to put into researching if I actually owe the amount I'm being charged. Seriously if you want me to pay you on time - fix your billing problems. Don't make me have an anxiety attack each time you send me a bill.

Seriously - my overall experience rating is a 3 because of how bad...