Northwestern Memorial Hospital — Local services in Chicago

I recently had the displeasure of experiencing what the Emergency Room is like at Northwestern. Perhaps, they were awful simply because it was a Sunday and inexperienced people were on call there. However, if that's the best they have to offer, they should probably shut down. I had a Tonic-Clonic Seizure for the first time in almost 8 years. I was non-compliant with my medication, so it was completely my fault. My wife was unaware of the fact that I skipped 3 doses in 6 days, so she called 911. Note: My neurologist has been wanting to wean me off meds for over two years. Good thing that I refused her proposition. Although the staff was courteous, they did not listen very well when I asked three separate times for a clean replacement for the I.V. that the paramedic contaminated. He kept apologizing for the sloppy, bloody mess that he was making in the ambulance, so I excused his incompetence. I can't imagine how terrible he is in a life or death situation. I chalked it up to the possibility that that was his first attempt on a live person. I must say, even though the ER staff seemed a bit unknowledgeable, upon arrival I was tended to in a timely fashion. Things went South shortly after that. The nurse said that they don't start "new" I.V.s. Appearantly if you come in with one, regardless of whether or not it is contaminated, they will try to use it to get "clean" blood samples. I explained to the nurse/s and physician/s that I skipped 2 doses due to a toxic feeling I get and 1 because we arrived in the city late Friday evening and I forgot to take my evening dose. The doctor said, "we will give you a 'Boost Drip' if your levels are below the therapeutic range." I asked him how many milligrams? I was astonished when he said "17 Hundred". I replied "17 Hundred! If you administer that at 50 milligrams per minute, that's 34 minutes of Phenytoin directly into my bloodstream. You could stop my heart". He then said, "Well, maybe just a Gram". I told him that I don't think someone my size should be given any more than 7 or 8 hundred milligrams. He asked how much I weigh. I said 182-184. He told me that "We have to convert that to kilograms". I said "Divide 183 by 2 point 2 and you'll have the number. Probably somewhere around 83". This physician appeared to be deficient in remedial arithmetic skills. He never said another word, nor did he return to see me. They sent a different doctor in for the remainder of my 7 plus hour stay. I caught him making a mistake that could have cost me my life. How many times has he ordered too much medication and the victim didn't catch it? John Hopkins University released a study that claims that "Physicians Errors" are the number three killer in our country behind Heart Disease and Cancer respectively. Mistakes by doctors cost more people their lives annual than any other cause except those two that I previously mentioned. Read the study. It's disturbing. They finally started a new I.V. several hours after I pointed out that the medic's initial one was most likely contaminated. They gave me two bags of fluid without asking me how much water I drink. So, I had to urinate over 10 times. I was not dehydrated. The bathroom closest to my stall was infested with drain flies & pipes in the wall were leaking water, so it smelled like mildew. The floor in my stall was filthy all around the baseboards. The one "useable" bathroom didn't have any paper towels so I had to open the door after urinating, wash my hands and then exit the bathroom. They had a "Blow Dryer" in there, but 60% of men and 42% of women do not wash their hands after using the bathroom. An ER with germ and virus infested bathroom door handles? What should have taken 2 1/2 to 3 hours took over 7 due to their incompetence. Also, while at my local post office talking about my experience, I was informed that one of the mail carriers had open heart surgery there and for some reason they left the BP cuff on his arm for over 6 hours. He is suing them & may never be able to use his right arm again. Never go there unless you...

Doctor kept our daughter off food and water [for a pre-scheduled test under anesthesia] for over twenty four hours while requiring for her to be admitted overnight, then did not conduct the test. Our daughter is suffering severe headaches with intermittent head swelling and additional symptoms, she has chronic health condition and a disability. Doctor went on to state that she was to be scheduled for the following day and will not be allowed food and drink for another twelve hours but that he could not guarantee that the test would be done the following day either. He proceeded to explain that she could remain admitted for days before receiving the testing because "Northwestern Memorial is a company" while his assistant resident doctor assured us that they could "come up with many reasons to justify insurance payment with her condition". Our daughter was being ordered to have the IV needle in her arm with no need for an IV (other than to administer anesthesia) and no medications needed through an IV which was to remain in her arm for an undetermined period of time until they would conduct the testing that she requires. There was no regard that she was trying to remove the IV needle which could lead to injury or infection, no regard that we had to be awake and monitoring her for all hours until the test was performed, no regard for absence from school and our jobs for their indefinite period of time for a test that should have been written and ordered as outpatient; the test is being conducted as outpatient at this time. We waited several months for our daughter to be seen by neurology at Northwestern and will have to wait many more months for her to have an available appointment with a new neurologist. The collaborating Northwestern doctors could not locate orders, notes, and documents on their own My Chart system and nurse Regine yelled and screamed on the phone that we, as her parents, were not advocating enough with the Northwestern Memorial neurology and nephrology departments. The first neurologist, Tavee, referred to a different neurologist within the hospital and wrote an order for MRI with the language "sedation" which could not be used by any facility that conducts out patient MRIs under anesthesia. She explained to both of us that general anesthesia would be needed for the MRI imaging, which our daughter has required in previous years, and for which her order restricted only to serve to restrict out daughter's ability to receive the necessary testing unless admitted for an undetermined amount of days with food and water withheld for twelve hours intervals. We have many more details documented about or daughter's Northwestern Memorial experience including an ER visit without a diagnosis and refusal of the ordered MRI. There were several patients we observed who were registering complaints at payment relations who were very upset about mistreatment they received at the hospital upon our leaving. Some of the distraught patients were being ridiculed and spoken to very disrespectfully by the patient relations staff. Northwestern has refused to address any of...

I’m am currently in the Emergency Room. We checked in at 11:00pm on 11/29/18. We had Nurse Hannah. Which did a good job receiving us. But soon as they or (Nurse Hannah), immediately put us out the triage area and stuff my clothing and my wife’s clothes together, mind you she’s the patient. Into (2) garbage bags and pushed us into the hallway. With promises of s waiting bed on the second floor above the emergency room. But after they rolled my wife, Carolynn Simpson into the hall. Where we sat from 12:30 am till 5:48 before Elizabeth S., came over to assist us in, (us) still not knowing what’s going on. Mind you Ms. Nurse Hannah. For location purposes we were in triage #6. So we didn’t have any communication with Hannah at all. Hate to say she had a bad attitude. Not sure what nurse treats her patients in a manner. As we were moved outside in the hallway. Another patient was brought in to triage #6. Whatever was going on in the room. Triage (room without doors) a smell came out and it stunned very bad enough to wake my wife 20 feet away. And make me gag. I asked Nurse Hannah can she assist in slaying something. She smartly answered maybe. So I started asking all the nurses can they spray or move us. With all the people going on and out of this smelly room no one thought to move us. I know it’s busy and they are assisting people. Biut to leave us be in the hallway. They left us unattended, and poorly served. Thanks for having a Nurse like Hannah on your staff. We are not satisfied with thus or the service of a nurse that takes an oath! Sincerely a let down husband of a patient.

After they placed us in the hallway there was no communication. My husband had to grab Elizabeth’s attention and ask about being moved to a room and additional questions about medication, and if I could have some water or ice chips (I asked for this when I was in room 6). Elizabeth checked and told me that I couldn’t have anything to eat or drink. I said ok and that nobody told me this earlier. Elizabeth explained when my next dose of antibiotics would be and to let them know if I was in pain and they would see about getting more pain medication. I understand that this is a busy time but we all deserve proper communication. When you’re not feeling well that in itself is scary enough add not knowing what’s Going combined with dealing with staff with bad attitudes that’s makes it more challenging. I’ve been in the hospital since 2:00pm. I started at Weiss and was transported over here. I still only know one thing that I have to see a Ear and throat specialist. It would be nice to know...