Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital — Local services in Barrington

I haven’t stayed overnight in a hospital in years, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Let’s just say this experience far exceeded my West Coast hospital stays.

I showed up at 3 a.m. with back and stomach pain, worried about a UTI and possible sepsis. The ER staff wrapped me like a blanket burrito to stop my teeth from chattering, listened carefully, and admitted me upstairs to 3 West. (Admittedly, the empty waiting room at 3 a.m. probably helped speed things up.)

Every patient gets their own spotless room and private bathroom. Sure, the faucets might want a glow-up, but daily cleanings, a working TV, and visitor chairs made it more “boutique stay” than “sterile hospital.” When I worried about my car in the ER lot, security personally came upstairs to assure me it was safe—now that’s service.

As a Type 1 diabetic, I was impressed that meals came with clear carb counts tailored to my diet. I’ll admit, I wasn’t thrilled about the portion limits (who likes being told no to extra food?), but it kept me from boredom-snacking myself into trouble.

On the bright side, I probably drained the unit’s entire juice supply, and nobody complained.

I became a frequent flyer with the call button—cold, in pain, thirsty, and bouncing between low blood sugar and high blood pressure. Each time, the nurses showed up with smiles, apple juice, test strips, blankets, heat packs—you name it. No eye rolls, no passive-aggressive sighs, just genuine care.

Special shout-out to Nurse Practitioner Nicole, who was thorough and kind—even when I whined like a teenager about having to wait for a CT scan before discharge. She handled it professionally, explained everything in detail, and still got me out that day. And Nurse Rachel? Patient saint. She kept me calm, chased down results, and even walked me out to my husband’s car at discharge.

The staff here doesn’t pretend to know everything; instead, they collaborate, investigate, and make you feel like they’re truly on your team. Nicole, Rachel, Karen, and the rest of 3 West—you made a dreaded hospital stay tolerable, maybe even a little like a quirky mini vacation.

I still hate hospitals. But! If I ever have to end up in a hospital again (fingers crossed I don’t), I’d choose this one...

We found our initial experience at the Advocate Good Shepherd Emergency Department to be disappointing. Upon arrival, the reception staff were prompt and professional. However, after being assigned a room, it took approximately 45 minutes for a Physician Assistant (PA) to arrive and order an X-ray. The X-ray department then took an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Subsequently, it took another 30 to 45 minutes for the PA to return, examine my daughter, and inform us that all results appeared normal.

During our interaction, the PA used language that was unprofessional and inappropriate, which was quite surprising and left us taken aback. We believe healthcare providers should maintain a respectful and professional tone at all times.

During the waiting period, I requested that the nurses contact registration to update my information, which I did not have on hand. Unfortunately, my request was overlooked. When we were preparing to leave, I had to ask the registration desk directly, and I was told there had been no call received.

At the conclusion of our visit, I requested a formal excuse letter for my daughter. However, the conversation I had with staff did not seem to correspond with the content of the letter provided, which was frustrating. When I raised this concern with the attending nurse, she appeared frustrated and dismissive. Even grabbed the letter with an attitude.

Additionally, when I asked the nurse to discuss the wording of the letter with the PA, she responded with an attitude. I explained that the documentation should accurately reflect our conversation and the purpose of the excuse letter.

Lastly, the discharge paperwork was disorganized and contained inaccuracies. It stated that I saw both an MD and a PA, which was incorrect, as we only saw the PA. This could potentially lead to false billing.

I attempted to provide feedback through the official complaint line, but found the process unhelpful. Therefore, I am sharing my review here on Google.

Overall, our experience was disappointing, and we do not plan to return to this facility in the future. I have also decided to switch my daughter’s primary care provider to St. Alexius on Hoffman...

I was admitted on July 21 due to high blood pressure, a bladder infection, and low sodium levels. The hospital was extremely busy, and I was placed in an emergency room cubicle, where I remained until around 4 PM the next day. I was then transferred to a room that was poorly equipped.

I was put on an IV, which was very difficult to manage, especially because I needed to use the bathroom every five minutes. The IV kept setting off alarms, and I was expected to unplug and replug it myself while still attached to it. At one point, I hit my head trying to maneuver it. I am 77 years old, this was not acceptable.

Later, I was moved to another cubicle that had no bathroom, no blankets, and no basic amenities. In both places, I had to ask for food because it was never offered. Eventually, someone showed me how to order from the lunch menu, but I still had to drag the IV through a tight space and down the hall just to use the bathroom.

I was also on a heart monitor, but when I arrived at the second cubicle, they didn’t have one available. The nurse had to search for nearly two hours to find one, and I had to ask four separate times before it was finally taken care of.

Despite my dangerously high blood pressure, it was only checked once during my entire 12-hour stay, after I asked for it to be done.

The fire alarm went off consistently for roughly four hours. I understand that things like this can happen, but the nurse closed my door and said, “because it could be real,” which made the experience even more stressful.

The amount of stress I was under was incredible. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my 77 years. I wasn’t asking for much, just a proper room and basic care. I went to the hospital because my doctor was alarmed and told me to go immediately.

That said, I want to emphasize that the nurses in the second cubicle were absolutely wonderful. They did everything they could to try and help me, and I’m truly grateful for their...