Endeavor Health Highland Park Hospital — Local services in Highland Park

I came in 09/17/25 around 6:30PM with active kidney stones, severe lower pelvic pain, and vaginal bleeding. Despite this, I waited two and a half hours without being given an IV or any pain medication before being seen by doctor.

At registration, my condition was inaccurately documented. Instead of noting “kidney stones” and my actual symptoms, the staff only wrote down “left flank pain”—a term I would never use to describe my pain. This misclassification could have led to delays in the urgency and quality of my care.

The waiting area itself is extremely run down. It felt more like a neglected public hospital than a professional medical facility—uncomfortable and visually unappealing.

Once I was finally taken back to the ER room, my experience improved. The nurse who attended to me was excellent—skilled, compassionate, and able to get my IV started with just one attempt. It still took some time before I received IV fluids and pain medication, but shortly after my blood was drawn, I was seen by the doctor. He asked a few brief questions, gave medication orders, and then he left.

While my pain management was excellent—a 10 out of 10—the overall ER experience was terrible. Why does it take so long for ER patients to receive test results? That delay is the real bottleneck (long wait times) in the ER. Patients are left sitting in rooms, waiting on results before doctors can even move forward with care or a diagnosis.

Test results don’t automatically appear in the NorthShore patient portal. I’ve already had to call twice to get test results released. My latest issue is with a radiology (imaging) report—it’s marked as “scheduled for release,” but still hasn’t been made available. If the report is already completed, why should it need to be scheduled at all? This only wastes valuable time.

As a long-time former Highland Park resident, I am well aware of the quality and caliber of care this hospital once provided--and this experience fell far below...

We didn't have a choice. The ambulance brought my husband to this hospital as it was closest to his workplace.

The overall "bedside manner" of the staff was terrible, except for Dr. Zink.

The wrong IV needle was inserted for his CT scan procedure, so the nurse had to do it over again The 2nd blood draw coagulated before it was finally delivered to the lab. So, the nurse had to draw it again My husband had to urinate. The nurse came in and placed a bottle on the cart. Walked back out without even offering assistance - he was wired to machines and would not have been able to reach the bottle if I wasn't there! We waited 4 hours after CT was done before anyone came back into the ER room. I physically tried to ask for the nurse to get the Tylenol that Dr. Zink said he could have almost 6 hours prior! The nurse finally came to the room after we pressed the call button. When the evening shift ER doctor, Dr. Smiley finally came in to talk about the CT results, he kept looking at his watch while we were asking questions. We felt like an inconvenience to his "schedule". When my husband was discharged, the nurse unhooked his wires, gave him his discharge instructions and walked out. Didn't remove any of the sticky heart monitor pads from his chest, didn't offer to help him off the bed, absolutely NOTHING. When we walked out of the ER...not a single staff member said "good night", "feel better", "don't come back"....NOTHING! Final straw...when I went to fill prescription at our pharmacy the next day, they couldn't fill it while I was there because there were no identification numbers on the script identifying Dr. Smiley as a licensed physician!

My pet's veterinarian clinic would have been a better choice than these yahoos!!!

If a zero star was an option...that would be my selection for...

Long story short I have a clotting disorder am on cumadin have history of dvd and pulmonary embolism / strokes. Inr dangerously low sent to er to check injuries from earlier fall before cumadin apt and get a blood thinner shot Becouse of bruising and blood clots in past I could have heart attack and die I sat in waiting area for hours triage nurse thought more necesssfy to get me. Exray which won’t show what’s needed. I asked triage nurse for someone to give shot Because the possibility of clotting which was the greater risk was ignored! I had to get medical attention elsewhere to not risk the obvious above after sitting even longer in waiting room . I will go to orthopedist walk in as my arm. ( you know where your artery is biceps area has a lot of pain swelling as does my wrist. Of which no ultrasound for veins in arm nor X-ray of wrist .This hospital has become one of the worst And in highland park!! Went here for years had six kids here and past 5 years aweful Old lady security guard. Extremely rude hand on taser acting police like to all that came in not.Very crowded. Vacant beds as I was wheeled through er for cat scan and X-rays needed to get undressed in X-ray room. Cuz never had a room didn’t give gown and I had metal on bra …. As male technician at least was professional hiding behind closed door yelling I get you female to assist you…. Just. Bad service other than X-ray and ct scan technicians NEVER saw a doctor talked to dr. Nothing !!!!! They had a triage nurse who never heard or familiar about a clotting disorder when asked cuz I could tell I had to explain …. With the response ohhhh! Crazy this hosp have incompetent nurses triaging ppl. Gets better this Hospital in HIGHLAND PARK had ONE er dr. S much as they charge ...