Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group

Love Dr. Locatelli. She was recommended to me by another satisfied customer after I had a hard time finding a primary care physician. Dr. Locatelli takes her time, listens to what you tell her, and, of the two medications she’s prescribed for me, has done an excellent job in treating the issues.
I deducted one star because they bill my insurance $ 300+ for an office visit — seems high when the average I’ve seen is $ 150-​$ 200.

Nice staff small office with parking, have never waited very long. Finally got Dr Locatelli as my primary she was unable to diagnose and treat hypothyroidism even though I told her about previous diagnosis family history and significant symptoms. I had to go to a Dr of integrative med. who I found on my own she didn’t refer to an endocrinologist just told me to do the Mediterranean diet. She did not do appropriate bloodwork or consider history, symptoms. Very disappointed will probably change docs

Dr. Locatelli seemed comfortable and compassionate with me. Exactly what I’ve been looking for in a primary care doctor. I only had my first visit with her today, but I think feel comfortable going back. I liked the whole staff from the receptionist to the person drawing my blood.

Disclaimer: This review is about the call service for NMPG. It has nothing to do with the doctors’ practices in this group, since I never was able to see any of them.
Seeking to establish a new PCP, I called their call service to make an appointment. I asked if they took my insurance, and the man said they did, and then took down all of my personal and medical information [down to my member and group number for my insurance]. He scheduled me to see her for a physical at her first available time, which was about a month and a half in the future. I know these kinds of waits are common for new patients of general practitioners, so I went ahead and scheduled the appointment. The man from the call service also instructed me to fast for 8 hours beforehand, since the physical might involve blood tests.
Having fasted for the 8 hours [skipping breakfast and coffee] I went in today for my appointment — arriving early to fill out new patient paperwork. But when I handed over my insurance card, the receptionist informed me then that they didn’t actually take my specific sub-​type of BCBS insurance [Blue Choice PPO].
A month and a half ago, whether or not they took my specific type of insurance was the second question I asked the man from the call service [after whether or not their doctors were taking new patients].
The call service completely wasted my time. Now, I’ll probably have to wait another month or two before I can see a different general practice doctor in my area. I’m pretty peeved.

I haven’t even seen Dr Locatelli yet, and already I know I won’t be setting foot ever in that practice. A bit of context: I am a new patient, this is the day after Labor Day. I had an appointment for 7:30 this morning and yesterday afternoon — on Labor Day — a robot called to inform me that my appointment was at 10:30 and that there was a no-​show or late-​show fee. The cheek!
I was there at 7:15 on the dot (as told, to fill out new patient paperwork) only to find the office closed and opening hours listed as 8 – 5! The radiology receptionist next door very kindly invited me to come in and wait with them (now there’s a professional) and listened patiently to my dismayed remarks and tried to be helpful however she could.
So here’s the gist: I have made special arrangements for a first-​thing in the morning appointment (I work part-​time, my husband works, we have two children), only to be told by a robot on Labor Day that I was going to have to waste the morning waiting for a hypothetical appointment and that I would be charged a fee if I made changes after 4pm on Labor Day! Stay away from that place.

This is a somewhat late review but still wanted to post. It’s been a few years since I moved from Chicago but my sister and I still talk about how great Dr. Connelly was as our physician (my sister recommended him to me and I stayed with him as my physician for close to 5 years before I moved). Most doctors chastise and/​or lecture, usually poor bedside manner. With Dr. Connelly, he was always so positive! He was such a wonderful cheerleader on gains made health-​wise such as dropping weight, cholesterol, etc… I actually looked forward to my checkups to see if I could beat my stats from the previous ones. After close to three years in NYC I still have yet to find a Dr. as good as he is. The only problems I had with that office are the same with other reviewers. Scheduling can be a huge pain, so try to do it in advance as far ahead as possible. Can’t comment on any responses to emergencies, never had one thankfully and the insurance costs were just as high with other offices I went to, I blame the insurance companies on that.

Get ready to empty your wallets.
For some minor arm tingling the PCP recommended an MRI.
MRI: $ 4,898 ($ 195 Pharmacy, $ 4,600 Radiology, $ 103 Laboratory)
Someone to read the MRI: $ 706
Findings: nothing.
$ 5,604 later there is no explanation on the arm tingling.
What did the PCP recommend? A sleep study.
Idiots.
We don’t need a health care reform, we need hospitals to make less money.

The doctors in the office are actually good. I see doctor Connolly he’s a good guy, that is when I can actually see him, speak to him, or anybody from his office.
That’s the problem. When you need them, you can never get ahold of anybody directly.
I’m talking Monday-​Friday regular hours. Nothing.
The group and service gets them a 0.
Getting ahold of your doctor is impossible. They won’t let you speak to anyone directly.
They have an attitude when they speak with you. «That’s just how it is»
You cannot contact your doctor directly or even anybody that works in that specific office. You have to go through 312−296−3627 phone service #.
I promise you Comcast is easier to deal with. Screw this place.

I’ve seen Dr. Locatelli for years now and I would say that I am way less than impressed with the results. I could write a book about why I think this, but I can sum it up in a couple ways. First, she has ZERO interest in anything outside of a prescribed medication as far as treatment for an ailment or condition. When I’ve asked about herbs or diet as an approach for my health, she won’t even have the conversation with me. Second, when I’ve listed some concerns or changes to my medication that I would like to try, it is long forgotten about by the end of the visit (I’ve never seen the woman take a note). If you need something in a pinch or just need to have a yearly visit and are healthy, she could work out for you. If you have a long lasting condition for life, I would say shop around and find a doctor who has an interest in treating that type of thing. The only way I would ever go back is if I don’t find another PCP in the meantime.
I saw Dr. Connely once when Locatelli was on vacation (even though I wasn’t told that until I showed up for the appt, which I thought was insane) and he seemed to have a better approach and was very kind. I would actually think about seeing him instead, but I’m just going to make a fresh start at another office.

Great service– I walked in very sick and when they couldn’t see me they set me to there halsted location where i was taken great care of and already feel better.
i plan on making them my primary doctor.

Had a great experience and would highly recommend Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group.
I couldn’t drive out to my usual doctor, so I checked out this physicians group since it is conveniently located in the heart of Wicker Park. I called in the morning and got an appointment same-​day. Dr. Connelly listened to me carefully and patiently and sent my prescription to the fancy Walgreens just down the street on Damen/​North/​Milwaukee. Ueber convenient.
If I didn’t love my usual doctors and the online system of NorthShore University HealthCare System, I’d switch practices entirely.

I have been going to NMPG for about 2 years. I recently moved away from the city, and can only hope to find a doctor half as great as Dr. Connelly. He is the best. Period.

I tried to set up the appointment originally in November. I was scheduled for early January. I asked if I could be put on a waiting list for an earlier date. I was told Northwestern didn’t do waiting lists, but I could just keep calling back everyday to try for an earlier appointment.
The day before my visit, I was called and told that my doctor was out sick and I would need to call back to reschedule. I called back immediately and was told that I had been rescheduled for the next week on Thursday. I showed up on the day my scheduled appointment was to find I wasn’t in the system. I was told that they had record of me being rescheduled and being given a confirmation, but they didn’t actually have me scheduled. The doctor didn’t have time to see me because he was already filled up and double booked. I had been fasting all day so I was not very happy. I was rescheduled for Saturday.
If I missed my appointment or even cancelled late, I would have been charged $ 50. But for some reason when it was Northwestern’s mistake, nothing was done to make amends. They didn’t even offer to wave my co-​pay.
The «central scheduling office» is the exact opposite of efficient. It’s pretty sad that when you need to see a trusted physician you are put on hold for 20 minutes and then have everything screwed up. I hope you make improvements to at least provide the hellish customer service I get from calling my cable company.

Been going to Dr. Connely for about 3 years.
Scheduling department is good. Connely is nice and speaks calmly. I have stayed alive since I have been seeing him. I am not sure if its him or the fact that I am 34 years old. But as long as I remain alive, he will be getting 5 star reviews on Unilocal from me.

Doc Connelly has been by my side for almost 7 years now and counting. He is kind, listens to you, cares about you, and very knowledgeable! I always feel that he has the time to address each of my concerns and actually cares about my life, my health, and my overall well being. I have had a 2 major surgeries during the last 7 years and literally dozens of special medical procedures done or scheduled /​monitored by the good doctor and his staff /​colleagues. NMPG is a rock solid organization of professionals that have proven that I do not need to go anywhere else for medical treatment or advise.
Thank you from myself and my family!

I selected Dr Connelly based on the Unilocal reviews and so glad I did. I really liked that I didn’t feel rushed during the appointment. In the recent years, I feel doctors just push you in and out and don’t take time to get to know you. With Dr. Connelly, we had a conversation first and got to know my world. He was answered all of my questions and gave great advice for general healthcare tips. I especially like that he treats you like a human and not a machine.
So grateful that I have found a doctor like Dr Connelly! Highly recommended!

I really cannot say enough good things about Dr. Connelly. He has been my regular Dr. now for over a year, and I see no reason to change. On every visit he is nothing less than extremely thorough, caring, and very knowledgeable.
If you need blood work, or any other test, it’s actually Dr. Connelly that calls you with the results, not a staff member. Impressive, and unfortunately rare these days.
Highly recommend!

I had an appointment with Dr. Locatelli at 10:45 am. I got there early to do paperwork since it was my first time and the staff there is really nice! :)
i had to wait an additional 15 min before being seen but it wasn’t that big of a deal. Dr. Locatelli is awesome! She answered all of my questions and any concerns that I had. I was just there for a physical and she’s a really great doctor to talk to. I’m glad that I listened to everyone on Unilocal and went to see her. Yay! :)

I haven’t yet seen a doctor (my appointment is today) but I’ve been on hold trying to speak to someone in their call center regarding my appointment for the last 12 minutes and counting.
This isn’t making the practice look very good.

My regular internist is downtown and when I’m sick, she is definitely very inconvenient to get to. Also, the fact I usually have to wait an hour in the waiting room (even though I have an appointment) is really annoying. I wish they would at least have interesting magazines to read while I’m waiting, but nope. I love her dearly. We had a good run for five years. But it’s just time for a change.
And that change is Dr. Connelly at Northwestern Memorial Physician’s Group in Wicker Park. Just a five minute drive from my apartment!
Last week I had sore throat to the max and had to go in to see a doctor. I decided to not even call my regular internist and decided to Unilocal any docs close to my area. There were great reviews for Northwestern Memorial Physician’s Group so I called to see if they would take new patients.
The receptionist was so nice and she booked an appointment for me the same day with Dr. Connelly. I was beyond ecstatic! She kindly told me to show up 15 minutes prior to fill out the paperwork.
I got to the office and noticed they had a free parking lot in front! Score!
I filled out the necessary paperwork and got taken to the exam room exactly on my appointment time. This is unheard of in my experience! And btw, at least they have good magazines to read in the waiting area!
Elizabeth, who was my nurse, was awesome. She did a strep test on me and although I’m very squeamish with a bad gag reflex, she totally got the swab and totally made me laugh the whole way. She rocks. I think she is my fave nurse ever.
As soon as Elizabeth left Dr. Connolly came in. Usually I have to wait a good 15 minutes for the doctor after the nurse, but not here! Dr. Connolly is so nice. He examined my throat and answered all my questions. He doesn’t rush you. He is very patient and listens well. He thought what I had was viral so my body would just fight it itself and told me to call him if it didn’t get better in a couple days.
Well, over the next couple days my pain got pretty bad… and to make matters worse my jaw locked because of the stress the sore throat was causing. I called the office just to let them know and they told me to come in and that the Dr. would see me that day. I went in. He did some tests to make sure he could rule out anything it possibly could be. He is really methodical, a very good doctor and just a nice guy.
Rose, the nurse who took my blood was awesome! She got it in one try! And I couldn’t believe she was done so fast!
All in all, I love this practice and will be going there from now on. Five stars :-)