Froedtert & MCW Froedtert Hospital

Overall a very unsatisfactory experience. For starters, I had to wait 1 month for surgery after I had been diagnosed with breast cancer – that’s one full month of cancer cells multiplying exponentially before anything was done about it. A lymph node ultrasound was ordered, which was negative, and then when it came time for surgery, a lymph node biopsy was recommended by the surgeon. If she wanted to go ahead and remove some lymph nodes, why did she order an expensive test and then ignore the results? As it turned out the biopsy was positive – apparently the cancer had spread there in the month I had to wait!
I chose to have breast reconstruction and there is a procedure in which an expanding implant is slowed pumped up until the desired size is reached. Well, during one of these pump –ups, Dr. LoGuidice accidentally punctured the implant and deflated it so that over the course of the next month, all the saline leaked out, and I couldn’t do anything about it until I finished chemotherapy 8 months later. Now I have to go through the entire surgical procedure again starting from scratch, costing me an estimated additional $ 40,000.00 with additional surgery, procedures and lost wages.
As if all that wasn’t enough, I called the hospital when all the bills came in and asked them if I could pay the entire bill upfront. They gave me all the account numbers and the total and I promptly mailed them a check to the tune of $ 8,000+. A little while later I got a bill for additional amount and when I questioned it, I was told «Sorry, there was a disconnect somewhere.» No explanation just a «disconnect» issue. A previous reviewer was right – they are practically sending your bill to a collection agency before you even get the bill!
Would I recommend this to a friend or relative? I wouldn’t let my worst enemy go there!

Highly recommend this facility to family & friends. Great care and professional staff. Top ranking facility based on our experience.

Very Disappointing. They use the patients as ‘test subjects’ for their student doctors from the medical college. Every time I went there I felt like I was the lowest priority in the doctor office, no focus on the patient, only interested in training doctors. It is very apparent that Froedtert interests are in themselves …
Plus, you will get two bills, one from the hospital and one from the medical college, because they don’t care enough about their patients to streamline these together. It’s basically impossible to predict what your expenses with them will be.

Waiting time unacceptable. I took in my mother to the ER I arrived at 2:15 pm and has to ask to be reevaluated 2 times. I had to work the next morning so I swapped out sitting with my mother with my wife. Going home She ws finally seen at 11:00 pm 2 hours later they admitted her. Breathing is essential to life and when someone is there with a breathing issue it is a trauma. Other people with simple upset stomachs or flu like symptoms should go to urgent care which plugs up the ER. Very disappointed with wait time Staff seem over worked and under staffed for a level 1 trauma center. Over staff was good but to be seen was a joke. Major overhaul needed maybe put a PA in for simple flu cases and quick triage no everyone has to see a Doctor for an infection.

My multiple sclerosis went undiagnosed for a full month because of two ER trips that did nothing. The nursing care was wonderful, but the physicians were lackluster at best. Each time, I was loaded with fluids, anti-​anxiety drugs, and Benadryl, left to sleep for a few hours, and sent home. The fact that both legs were numb led to a test of my reflexes, which were fine, and I was still sent on my way. The doctor kept chalking it up to migraines, which I never had before in my life. Come to find three weeks later that I have multiple sclerosis. My MRI lit up like a Christmas tree.
I will stick to my current ER, it’s close to my house and they actually listen to me.

Superb stroke care. If you go anywhere else you risk paying for less quality. Don’t pay for less, pay for what you deserve. Froedtert.

Went here recently for surgery and had to stay overnight. The staff was GREAT. The nurses made things so much easier to deal with, even those middle-​of-​the-​night wake-​ups just to check my vitals. Thank-​you to the doctors and staff.

I would give this place more stars but my Father did die here. Not that it was their fault. They provided great care for him and tried to ease his pain. Stage 4 kidney cancer isn’t easily healed. All and all he was attended to and taken care of as best they could. Thank you

No one likes going to the doctor or hospital, but Froedtert has some of the most kind and compassionate nurses and doctors I have ever come across. not to mention they have some of the highest rated doctors, surgeons, and equipment in the state, if not the country. All of their facilities are clean, up to date, and well presented.
In the past year I have had to have 2 operations. I am EXTREMELY afraid of any sort of procedure being done but needles especially scare the living hell out of me. Before my last surgery, my doctor came in to talk to me while they where placing the IV. He saw how upset I was and offered to hold my hand while it was done. That offer is pure kindness on any level. Everyone I came into contact with during and after my surgeries have been more than accommodating, friendly, and understanding. Not once did I ever feel bad being a grown adult and crying due to fear. One of the surgery teams I had was so great that I even purchased a thank you card and dropped it off a week later.
The reason I don’t give Froedtert a 5 star rating is due to their ER. I had to go in a few years ago and the nurses in the ER where very impatient with waiting for a family member of mine to help assist with any issues I was having and to contact my parents. One even resulted to rolling her eyes when I said I would like to have my husband with me before we decided on any sort of treatment or drugs they would administer. While I understand that I was in the ER and they want to help me as quickly as possible, she was huffy when I asked to wait an extra 5 minutes. It was just plain rude.
I also docked a star because I did have a billing mishap that took quite a few phone calls to clear up. But, I haven’t had one since then.
I do see my regular doctor and specialists through Froedtert also and have never had an issue making an appointment. Obviously some specialists will be booked up. The longest ive had to ever wait to see a specialist was 3 weeks.
Their clinics and hospital also have test results online which is amazing. No awkward phone calls!
They also have free parking which is awesome.
Again, everyone at this hospital is very well educated in their field, and most, go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. I would recommend it to anyone!

I wish Unilocal had half stars because Froedetert would get 3.5 for sure.
There are so many cons to this hospital, but just as many pros, which makes it hard to rate. I am here about twice a month for tests, doctor visits, etc. I Have had one hospitalization and one surgery here.
The clinic appointments generally run on time and have very friendly check-​in people. The rooms are usually clean and everyone is professional.
One are of concern to me, is the infusion clinic. I have had about 6 different nurses thus far, and each nurse has a different way of doing things and thier own «protocall» which makes me a little uncomfortable sometimes. I wish they had better trainings and stricter protocols to make all visits the same.
For my one hospital stay — my main factor was cleanliness. The room was not very clean and there was some «substance» on the floor. If you have a loved one being here overnight, I would suggest cleaning the room top to bottom before you let them in.
For my one surgery, I had very freindly nurses, but when it was over, I was almost kicked out and sent home before I was ready. I could not believe how fast they were shipping me out!

After spending a week here when my son was born, I’ve come to realize this place is simply amazing. The nursing staff in the baby centers were so helpful, that we both were blown away. Of course there were one or two nurses that could lighten up some, and the med students that need to leave the cologne at home, overall we were very happy with our stay.
Baby number two, will be born here, there is no doubt about that.

I recently moved from Racine to Chicago and am trying to decide on new docs and hospitals. All I can come up with is that none of them sound as great at Froedtert has been for me. I have been to the ER 3 times (for serious conditions), been inpatient twice on cardiac care unit, used Cardiac Rehab, and I have gotten all my outpatient care at the clinics for almost 6 years.
This is the best hospital/​medical center in the world! Sometimes I tell staff that this must be a great place to work because every staff member is so happy and pleasant – and competent! They agree! Many have worked there many years. Even the contracted lab has fabulous desk and tech staff.
I would recommend Froedtert hospital and clinics to anyone. I’m still undecided about medical care in Chicago, since I am so pleased with Dr. Gilligan in Internal Medicine, and Dr. Siegel in Cardiology. I have to move on, but I have a great standard of care with which to judge other medical facilities!

I’ve fortunately/​unfortunately had to be a customer more than most would like. Add the birth of my son, and the fact that I’m still alive, this is the place for me. The number of highly ranked and acclaimed specialists is second to none.
Outside of that, all of the staff is top notch and extremely friendly. This is the place that I would trust my loved ones at.

I went to the ED in September 2012 and both the resident and the doctor were fantastic however the nursing care was not very good at all. The RN was no where in the area when I was having an allergic reaction to an IV medication that was being given and thankfully another nurse came in after my call light was going off for several minutes, requested a pillow three times with no success of getting one, requested a snack and again that request was ignored however, he did find time to feed himself As he entered my room eating a cookie. The RN was sub standard and not very professional.

FASLV**** Oh yes most people dislike hospitals but I’ve had been here to visit many family members. They have a great setting for teams of experts to exercise clinical reasoning. And great group of case managers to stream line the diagnosis and effective treatment of illness/​disease.
After many years of billing to use parking lots things have improved greatly.
So many years of charging family staff and people to park to visit loved ones and for pick ups and drop offs or for routine rehab or chemotherapy or radiation, dialysis treatments. Now they offer validated parking to each department that you visit.
I can honestly say that ER is a place where the triage nurse treats every one equally no matter if you are former doctor of the year or Joe Blow off the gutter. I’ve been there for 15 minutes and as long as 3 hours and 15 minutes. To help family members. Each of the departments work well and that Includes billing pharmacy nursing and MD’s
(****)
Food — 3.5÷5 above average the staff menu has the same offerings as does the patients.
Atmosphere — ³⁄₅ average clean rooms, elevator and dining room.
Service — ⁵⁄₅ caring qualified staff who are working to ensure great service delivery.
Location — ³⁄₅ out West with great parking security.
Value ⁵⁄₅ competitive services. With some of the states best medical experts and teams of support staff.

I have not received treatment here, but my mother has and she loves (well, as much as you can love going to the hospital) the medical treatment she receives here. She was very sick early last year, and after she went to see her regular doctor to see what was wrong he took one look at her and immediately sent her off in an ambulance. Very early the next day she was in emergency surgery. She stayed in the hospital for almost 2 weeks since it was an intensive procedure to recover from.
After a while of finally being home, her incision became infected and she went to the ER again. They fixed her up and sent her home the same day with strict instructions. A nurse visited her regularly to take care of the incision at her home until it was healed properly enough that my parents could take care of it themselves. I don’t know if that nurse is a service from the hospital or an outside source, but they treated her well.
Earlier this year she had a complication due to the nature of her surgery (not due to negligence, the surgery she had put her at a high risk for it) and she went for surgery again. They told her there was a 25% chance that a very small incision with a camera would work, but most likely she would have to be cut open again (which is what happened). She was in the hospital for about 5 – 7 days before being sent home. The first 24 hours were the worst for her, they couldn’t give her pain meds for a while because she had a very bad reaction to what she was given during /​post surgery and they had to give her a shot which wipes out every medication in your body (they said the name, I don’t remember). I guess there was something they could have have given her to reduce the pain, not a pain killer but something else to make her body stop reacting (sorry to be vague, I won’t say what she had), but they didn’t think to give it to her until hours later (seriously?!).
She still goes as an outpatient to keep an eye on the issue which sent her here in the first place. She likes her doctor. The place looks nice and spacious. People get THERE OWN ROOMS at this hospital, which made me very happy (dad was in a hospital once where the patient DIED right next to him and he could hear the family crying… you want individual rooms). There are a few outdoor sitting areas which are lovely gardens; some patients even have the luck of having a window right next to one of them (my mother did the second time, she can look out but they can’t see her). There are a number of places to grab food if you don’t want to order hospital food (I would suggest going downstairs, the food is better). The gift shop is cute, and really handy if you forgot a balloon or flowers. Many things are over priced, but that’s not a surprise. Suggestion: if I didn’t become vegan last year I would still be buying the dark chocolate almond butter toffee and chocolate dipped pretzels. Over priced, yes. Yummy… good enough to pay it anyway.
Mom had a variety of nurses. One was very professional and straight forward, not the friendliest but I think she thought more of the seriousness of her job so no complaints. Another one of her nurses was really sweet and understanding, one of those nurses you swear can heal you with a hug. A few trainees here and there to take care of basics, sometimes they accompanied an experienced nurse for certain tasks.
One thing I think helped us is that one of us could usually stay with her the entire day, but at night she was on her own. I would show up in the morning at leave between 5−7pm when I could. Usually I just read or did homework and she slept. What kind of care would she have received if she didn’t have a barrage of family members keeping an eye on her (calls, visits, etc.)? I can’t answer that.
Some tips from someone who’s had a family member in this situation: 1) bring a laptop and some DVDs, it relieves the boredom of hospital TV. Just don’t let the volume get too loud, and if they need it loud bring head phones. 2) unless they don’t want visitors, if you can stay with them as long as possible without getting in the way of treatment please do so. You might catch a mistake, you may know something important about the patient the hospital doesn’t, and for some people this can help them feel more relaxed so they can sleep easier. Keep it down to one or two people, max. 3) Try to have family/​friends limit the phone calls made in a day, too many calls can get in the way of treatment. I actually ended up taking many of mom’s calls so she could sleep, another reason having someone there is helpful. 4) Teddy bears, balloons, flowers and more filling a room shows that the person has many people who care for them and better not screw up. They also liven up the room. 5) Turn off your cell phone. Seriously, how hard is it to sleep and feel better when someone is yapping away. If you really need to take that call LEAVE THE ROOM. 6) Post an emergency contact list on the wall or white board, with patient permission.

I ended up here after an earlier visit to the walk-​in clinic. The instructions given to me by the clinic if my problem got worse. I arrived at 1 am and left at 4:30 am. There were a ton of staff and at one point eight staff were sitting at the front desk joking about people that came in for services. I realize they may have experienced some messed up stuff but making fun of patients while others are waiting is a bit inappropriate.
When I was called in it was about 3:50 am. The nurse was asking me questions and then said I looked like a «really good patient». Like I shouldn’t be there? She then got a call on her headset from another nurse asking how long I would be there, «will it be a quick in and out?». The doctor came in and asked the same questions the nurse did but did a basic physical exam. She gave me the same recommendations the clinic did and gave me examples of when I should come back to the ER.
Honestly I’ve been to the ER once and I don’t go for fun. I will continue going to Froedert because all of my doctors are out of the Medical College but I wasn’t impressed by the professionalism or lack thereof of the staff.

I am not a fan of any hospital. But if I have to go to a hospital, I will choose Froedtert. I have been in the ER a couple of times and had surgery here twice. The ER experience is hit or miss. I have had both good and bad service here. The last two times I went to the ER, it was an actual emergency. Even though I was dropped off, I was triaged and sent to a room immediately. I have to say the nurses are what holds this place together. In the ER, don’t expect to see a doctor any time soon unless you are in dire need of treatment. But, that is how an ER needs to run to be efficient.
The surgical experience was good. Although I felt that when I was in excruciating pain, I was not medicated near enough to control my pain. Otherwise the nurses were very responsive to the call light.
Froedtert has free parking now in any lot or structure. There is plenty of parking throughout the campus. The buildings are easy to find. Inside, things are marked well enough to find your way around. They also have numerous information desks to help.
I would choose this hospital over Aurora or ProHealth or Wheaton any day.

Our experience here was very pleasant. It is a little bit hard to find the entrance. It is a little bit crowded at the front entrance compared to other hospitals we are familiar with. But there were no hassles and parking was convenient and free with a validation.
The help desk was friendly and quick to help us. We found were we needed to go easily.
The cafeteria was nicely set up with a good selection and all very inexpensive. It was exceptionally clean.
This is the second time we have had friends in this hospital and both times have been very good experiences excellent results.

I’ve never had a positive experience here. Aside from providing poor care they also contract out the billing so you practically have a letter from a collection agency waiting in the mailbox when you get home from the hospital. I was in a car accident once and I got sent to the trauma unit and my doctor wondered a couple days later what kind of moron would just give a bunch narcotics to a person with a concussion. I’ve also been to the emergency room a couple of times and had the feeling both times that I was not a human being and that I must have been speaking a foreign language or even that I must have only imagined I was speaking because it was impossible to get anyone to listen to what I had to say. I also chose this hospital because I had been to urgent care clinics and needed to see an actual doctor. Several hundred dollars later, I was not seen by any doctor, despite being assured I would be. There were several people coming and going and there didn’t seem to be any communication between any of them. Not that it would matter because you have to repeat yourself a hundred times because they don’t pay attention. I would never go back to this hospital unless I were in an ambulance again. How do hospitals get like this?