Loyola Center For Health At River Forest

Unless you’re quite sure that you need to go to a facility like this, I highly recommend you don’t, unless you have the kind of insurance where you pay basically nothing out of pocket.
We have a high deductible plan so we pay cash for most services. A few months back our son was referred here by a school nurse because he cut his chin and she thought he might need stitches. After seeing the doctor for less than a minute (really), it was determined he did not need stitches. They cleaned up him, put some liquid bandage on the cut, and sent him home. The entire visit lasted 15 minutes.
We were billed nearly $ 500 dollars for this service. In fact, the bill they sent to our insurance company was nearly $ 1200! It was reduced to just under $ 500 through the negotiated insurance discounts, and that’s what we’ve been asked to pay. After multiple follow up calls (most of which were not returned, by the way), I was informed that they were quite sure the charges were correct.
Most expensive bandaid I ever bought. Stay away from places like these, who prey on our screwed up insurance system to charge outrageous fees just to say hello. Next time go to a Minute Clinic.

I went there because I was in a great deal of pain in my lower spine and lumbar region. I had seen my Primary Care doctor the day before, but I was in so much pain that I seriously couldn’t stand it. After waiting for about 35 minutes in the exam room, Dr. S. Andrews finally came in. He asked me what was going on, etc. I told him I had been treated for cancer the year before, and had extensive radiation in my pelvic area, and that I also had scoliosis. We decided it wouldn’t make sense for him to examine me since I was just seen the day before. He suggested I have an MRI (so did my GP). He also suggested I might have a bone tumor!!! I asked if that would be possible considering I had a CAT just 3 months earlier. He said «yes, they can spread quickly». I can’t express the mental anguish and fear I experienced by him telling me that. I suffered so much because of my cancer and treatments, and he just casually threw that out at me, like he was telling me I had a silly sinus infection or something, without even knowing anything about my medical history! What a horrible thing for a doctor to do!!! What a terrible doctor, period!
BTW: My MRI revealed a fracture of the L3 and L4… no tumors, thank goodness!

«What do they call the person who graduates last in his or her class in medical school?»
«Doctor.»
This joke was in the front of my mind while at this office. Dr. and her staff were underqualified. For example, they didn’t seem to know the difference between a bacterial and viral infection. For the record, viral infections only last 3 – 5 days and go away on their own. Viral infection usually involve a high fever that can spike, and viruses tend to affect your whole body. Bacterial infections are typically indicated by low-​grade fever, they affect a much smaller part of the body, and they DO NOT go away without antibiotics. They can linger for weeks, even months if not treated. Both the doctor and her nursing staff seemed to be ignorant about these medical facts. The staff also seemed to think that strep was the only possible bacterial infection.
The only reason I went here was because I do not have a GP (I have lots of other doctors), and I needed help quickly. Neither was accomplished with this visit. The wait was LONG (over an hour), the doctor barely saw me, and she did not diagnose my problem accurately, and yet gave me a lot of attitude. Arrogance should not trump intelligence.
I know some people think of this clinic as an alternative to the ER, but if you have a serious problem, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!

It is a walk-​in care facility. Most of what I saw walk in was by no means «urgent» but it beats a trip to the ER. It is clean and bright on entry. We were greeted immediately, answered a few questions, and then had a seat. The wait was, maybe, 5 minutes.
Doctor was extremely professional, as were the rest of the staff we met. X-​ray and lab are on site. Wish there was a Loyola facility farther west. When it is not an emergency situation, these urgent cares are the way to go.