Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital — Local services in Palos Township

Horrible, painful, filthy, rude ER experience! I came in because I passed out and was concerned that I had a seizure at 4pm yesterday. I arrive around 6:30. They tested me for everything except seizure. I read the intake notes and half of them say exactly the opposite of what I told them. They just ignored everything. They left me crying in pain for hours and told me “I’ll let the Dr know, be right back” (and it was NOT busy) but the rude and unprofessional Dr. didn’t bother to grace me with her presence until 3am (Dr. Kristen Doherty). It wasn’t until 2:50 they finally offered me something for my intense headache but by then I didn’t want it so I could be clear headed to speak with the Dr. They never offered it again afterward, they just left me in pain(photos of my eyes nearly swollen shut from crying). The first nurse could not get an IV and blew all the veins on my left arm leaving me completely bruised up (photos). She left the blood all over me and I had to ask for wipes and then they made me clean it off myself. Then they put the blood pressure cuff on that arm so that it squeezed the blown veins painfully every time.They could’ve used the IV side since it was all the way down in my hand. They gave me IV fluids but never addressed all of my depleted electrolytes, because I’ve been vomiting for 2 weeks from a glistening and an underlying GI issue, or even mentioned them to me. I saw the results the next day. Also, vomit spilled on my blanket and I asked for them to clean it up repeatedly and they didn’t. I ended up having to do my best to wipe it up myself(photos). The next nurse who came in to get the IV put it in, took off her gloves, got blood on her finger, wiped it on her shirt, then typed on the keyboard with my blood on her hand! (photo of the filthy contaminated keyboard). They never had me meet with neurology so I was unable to get an EEG. If they would have listened immediately I could’ve gotten one same day, which is the only time it’s really going to show if I just had a seizure. Instead the Dr said “I don’t think you had one because you’d be groggy afterward”. I said “I WAS, it happened 11 hours ago! Now I’m weak, nauseous, and have a pounding headache.” And she literally shrugged at me with a smug face and said “all I can do is admit you and you can talk to neurology tomorrow”. At this point I no longer had any faith in this hospital and chose to see my own neurologist (who, btw, agreed I should’ve had an eeg). So, on my discharge papers this completely unprofessional Dr DIDN’T even write anything about me and my medical needs! It’s almost comical! All she wrote about was trying to cover her own butt and how she offered to admit me but I didn’t want to stay. It’s no wonder the waiting room is empty, everyone is going everywhere else so they can get real healthcare and avoid hepatitis!!!! Look at the filth of this room!!! Is that blood on the floor under the chair?! Northwestern downtown would be appalled to see this place. They should be shut down and restaffed by the REAL Northwestern. I literally had one nice and helpful nurse, Kailyn. I hope she finds herself a nicer place to work for her sake. She treated me how medical staff is supposed to...

Avoid this hospital at all costs if you will need to go o a rehab facility after surgery or care. The caseworker for my father, Dawn, who does the paperwork to place the patient in a rehabilitation facility was cruel to my family, and either unable or unwilling to do her job. Because she did not send the full referral package to the nursing homes we picked for my father which were 5 star medicare rated, he lost out on two beds at good nursing homes. I confirmed this with admissions at the nursing homes. They stated that they had beds but could not evaluate him for admission until Dawn sent the full package with the missing clinicals. I had been told by Dawn that the nursing homes never called her back and that meant they had no beds. This was obviously not true, as one of the nursing homes admission staff told me they had called and left a message with Dawn to ask for the missing clinicals. They did not receive a response from Dawn. When I found this out I called Dawn and begged her to send the complete package. Her response to me was "You have taught me a valuable lesson, I will never answer the phone after 4:30." She says she sent the package, but it was too late because she kicked my father out of the hospital to a terrible nursing home in Palos Heights. The nursing home Avantara was a three star medicare rated home with serious red hand abuse warnings. The only choices she gave us were the three star rated homes in Palos that are so bad no one wants to go there and they will take patients without a full referral because they need to fill the beds. Or possibly she sent the full referral to these homes and not to the ones we requested my father be sent to. I called Dawn's supervisor Lindsey and left a message with the above details, begging her to help me send referrals to more nursing homes so I could get my father out of Avantara. Lindsey never even called me back. Throughout this horrible process, whenever we had to interact with Dawn, we all felt like crying afterwards. She was so thoughtless and cruel, she had absolutely no compassion. She just wanted to do the minimal amount of work, and if that meant putting my father in a nursing home so terrible that it was cited for serious abuse of patients, that was fine with her. I would not be surprised if she has some kind of arrangement with these nursing homes, it seemed like no matter what we did or how much we begged, he was going to be stuck in one of the three poorly rated abusive homes she kept referring us to. DO NOT go to this hospital if you will need rehabilitation. The fact that there was no follow up from her supervisor indicates to me that this is acceptable behavior at Palos...

So sad to say this hospital has really gotten bad . Last time I was here was in 2016. They legit saved my life . From the doctor in the ER named Dr Dan to the ICU nurses and doctors it was a very difference experience and hospital back then. Now May 2024 , let me start by saying much different. To start off my stay I arrived at ER at 4:30pm . I completely understand how busy a ER can be , I worked at one . So I was called back after 2 hours of waiting , again understandable it’s a ER. But here is where my nightmare begins . I’m walked through the ER wall to wall beds in hallways and every room is filled . I’m walked over to a bed in the hall for me to sit and wait to be seen Which again is fine they are busy . But when I sit and throw my legs up on the bed it felt warm . To my surprise I jump up and I’m covered in someone’s URINE!!!! Yes the bed was soaked in urine !!!! I was soooooo mad and disgusted I almost puked . I was legit yelling let me see the doc I want to sign out AMA NOW!!!!!!! I was horrified at just what had happened . They brought me to a room so I could wash up , but now i have no clothes to even drive home in !!!!! I was calmed downed and convinced to stay because, I needed medical help . I was admitted and finally made it out of the ER around 3AM almost 12 hours in the ER. That’s the worst of my experience. But I also noticed they no longer have housekeeping come by on a daily basis to ckean floors , wipe down rooms etc. I was told you want housekeeping put a call in for them. Then my medication they were trying to give me 2 medications that should not be given together . I questioned the nurse and she didn’t believe me so she called pharmacy and they confirmed they shouldn’t be given together. What the heck !!!!! I’m obviously able to speak for myself but what about other patients who can’t or don’t know this !!!!! This can seriously be a serious problem . And then the food is so awful I have no idea how anyone eats it . And you are given what they have for the day and will get it when they bring it to everyone. There was alternatives to the day menu but no one even explained that to me. Very sad to see a hospital I once thought very highly of , now to see how awful it’s become. And now to be under the Northwestern umbrella I expected much more . Now I just want to say I was hospitalized back in Dec 2023 at Sherman Hospital in Elgin , and I must say wow a completely different experience and what a wonderful hospital and experience that was . I staying at my sons and had a medical emergency. That’s how I winded up there . They were absolutely fantastic from...