Elm Street Pediatrics

Do not go here, they are disorganized, always bring in the patient late never on time, and the nurses are not so friendly.

If I could give Dr. Nelson, Dr. Levin, and this practice 1000 stars, I would. I have high standards in general, and when it comes to anyone providing care for my daughters, the standard goes up! However, this practice exceeds my expectations in every way, every time.
Like another reviewer, I was a fan of our old pediatrician in the city. When we moved, I considered staying in their practice. I had heard rave reviews of Elm Street Pediatrics and Dr. Nelson, and so I decided to try it.
Aside from the incredible convenience of pulling my car into a free parking spot just outside their office (I’m still getting used to the suburbs!), the attention to detail and care is impeccable.
One of my daughters had a strange rash, and instead of giving a quick diagnosis and a prescription, Dr. Nelson called in Dr. Levin to consult and sent a picture to a dermatologist. The care that she took in really examining the rash and in talking through all the possibilities was highly impressive. Clearly she is a top doctor and has knowledge beyond what most doctors have, but I am always impressed when any specialist (in any field) will seek additional counsel to solve a problem. It makes me know they truly care. It turns out that her first hunch was exactly right.
We saw Dr. Levin when another one of my daughters was sick. The care he took in thoroughly diagnosing the issue was — once again — impressive. I was fully expecting him to take one course of action, but he talked through why that wasn’t the best answer. He also took the time to thoroughly explain his thinking to my daughter.
As if all of this isn’t enough for me to write a great review, Dr. Nelson won me over for life during a crisis that happened on a Colorado ski trip. Of course it was evening — and on a Sunday. My daughter had a concussion — not from skiing, but from a casual ice skating fall, and we were hours away from a hospital. I called the office (after hours), and within 2 minutes, Dr. Nelson called me. I felt as if I was talking to a family member who cared for my daughter just as I do. She was so concerned and talked me through what to do. We decided to wait for an hour, and SHE called ME to check on her. She then said it was time to take her in for a CATScan, and then she wanted updates throughout the process. (By the way, my daughter was/​is fine!) She then called me back again once we were back at home to make sure that there were no new symptoms. Her kindness, genuine interest in my daughter, and her exacting instructions were a gift on that evening that I will never forget.
I will stop here, but if you live anywhere near Winnetka, you will not find a better group of people to care for your children.

When I first moved to the burbs I didn’t look around for pediatricians, but decided to stick w/​my current city practice that had a smaller office in the burbs: Chicago Healthcare Associates*. If you read my review of them you’ll see I’m one of Dr. Rauen’s biggest fans. Over the past few years I’ve spent a lot of time at their office, especially since my youngest has asthma. When I catch Dr. Rauen during her 2 ½ days in the Northbrook office all is great, although on the other days I haven’t been as satisfied with the other doctors in the practice.
I probably would have never switched practices since I was somewhat satisfied, but I had the unique advantage of watching Dr. Levin interact with his many patients in the halls of my kids pre-​school. His daughter goes there too in case you were wondering why he’s roaming the halls of a pre-​school. ;)
A few weeks ago I heard my son coughing at night and was panicked about going to Children’s Healthcare Associates on a day that Dr. Rauen wasn’t there. The next morning he woke up cough free, but that was the day I made the call to Elm Street Pediatrics. It was easy peasy to switch. They actually had my children’s records on file since they use the same system so I didn’t even have to get anything transferred. And then (of course) the very next morning my son woke up wheezing. My original plan was to hit up their sick hours (8:30−10am), but then I saw Dr. Levin while dropping off my oldest at school and he said he’d be there in a few hours and to call his office to have them squeeze him in. Right then I knew I made the right choice to switch and it just got better…
The office called me back and said Dr. Levin would come in a bit early to see my son– amazing!
When I told my 2 year old we were going to see a new Dr he insisted on seeing Dr. Rauen, but as soon as he as he saw Elm Street Pediatrics train table in the waiting room he was all about Dr. Levin. He’s easily impressed! And the Jake the Pirate sticker & lollipop on the way out sealed the deal.
It takes a little more than a train table to impress me, but Dr. Levin did it. We were there for 1 ½ hours, which may be longer than I’ve ever spent at the pediatrician. Dr. Levin spent a huge chunk of that time with us between seeing other patients. My son was very comfortable with him and has been referring to himself as a doctor ever since. When he graduates from med school one day we’ll know who to thank.
Dr. Levin got him breathing again (whew) and even addresses his eczema issues. He called in a bunch of different creams. I was hopeful, but skeptical… but a week later his eczema has miraculously cleared up. Seriously amazing!
Dr. Levin also emailed first thing the next morning to check-​in, which I’ve found is rare when it comes to most practices.
Some other things I really like about the practice (especially from a working moms perspective):
— Walk-​in hours every Monday-​Friday from 8:30−10am. I haven’t taken advantage of them (yet), but hear it’s not too bad of a wait with the exception of Mondays.
— Open til 7pm 3 days/​week
— Saturday hours til 1pm
I haven’t heard much about the other doctors in the practice since everyone I know goes to Dr. Levin, but the front desk staff and nurses were all very nice during our visit.
*

Great office staff. Easy, flexible appointment scheduling. Dr. Nelson and Dr. Levin are outstanding doctors. My children see Dr. Levin regularly and he is kind, compassionate, humble and WISE. He is the best doctor I’ve ever known. I’m so happy my children are under his sensible care. I only wish I had a GP for myself that was as judicious!

I used to go to Childrens Memorial in chicago fr my childrens care. but the drive was crazy long and the kids and I myself would get extremely tired by the time we’d get home. I wasnt getting the best service there and decided to go to Elm St. Pediatrics as I was recommended by a friend. I am SOOO glad I switched! I absolutely love everything about this practice. The doctors are so caring and listen to every concern we have. Even if I bring in one child for a visit, they are willing to see my 2^nd if I have any concerns, right away! without making an appointment or a sick visit appointment! That is very rare! I love the whole staff. The nurses are very cooperative with my little 18 month old who is one loud little girl! She would scream and throw tantrums, but every single person in that practice wont throw a fit about it. They know how kids are, and are very professional. I have seen every doctor here – due to scheduling conflicts.(even though my primary is Dr. Miki – who is awesome! she gets every single concern I have and I can relate to her more since she has daughters of her own) — Which is great! I love that I can see any doctor on my schedule when needed.
Overall, its the best pediatrician i’ve taken my children to, and honestly. I think we’ll be here til they turn 18!

We love this practice! Dr. Josh Levin seems to be doubly skilled — he is great with kids and with parents. He is knowledgable, up-​to-​date with current research and caring with our son. He has an excellent bedside manner and the highest level of professionalism. The nurses and administrative staff are wonderful, too. Dr. Nelson saw our son for his first year and my husband, who has worked in medicine for a long time, affectionately calls her Mary Poppins. Finding excellent doctors is such a good fortune, we are lucky to have been referred to this practice.

I should have rated this practice a long time ago. There is not a single thing that I could say against this place, from the reception staff, to the nurses and medical assistants, to of course, the doctors.
These folks know what they are doing. As the parent of one child with a chronic potentially debilitating illness as well as a «normal» child, we have tested the full range of care. We have lived all over the USA, so this was not our first pediatric practice, but it has been without question, the best.
Not only do they know what they are doing without being alarmist and concurrently not missing anything (how DO they do that?) but they care. Really care. Even if you see one doctor primarily, as we see Dr. Levin, sometimes you see someone else in the practice due to timing, vacation, etc, and they also know about your child, the care is seamless. We have seen everyone at least a few times, and seriously, we like them all, and have faith in all of them. How rare is that?
Its a small, hometown practice that you would expect in 1950, but with forward thinking ideas and methods. They help me with the normal everyday stuff too, like seeing my normal kid when he isn’t really sick but wants to be SURE he isn’t sick like his brother. Or helping my chronically ill child to deal with the issues he faces on the emotional end. So even though this may be the place for solid medical care, it also has a lot of heart. Did I mention they also address the children as people and include them in their own care? They are patient with questions, and compassionate about fears, parental and child both!
In a nutshell, If I really need something, I am guaranteed a sick visit or a call back, sooner rather than later. Not very many places can say that, at least not the quality ones. Somehow, Elm Street Pediatrics can, and still provide all their patients with just the right length visit, no horrible wait times, and superior medical care.
Love is not a strong enough word for the feelings I have for this office. I count it as one of my blessings.

We absolutely love this practice. We live in Wrigleyville and wanted a well respected practice with individualized attention. A few friends recommended Elm Street Pediatrics and we have been extremely pleased with the care that Dr. Levin has given our two year old son. All of the staff is kind, responsive, and compassionate. Dr. Levin is extremely good with our son and is extremely patient with all of our questions and concerns. We have had a great experience with them and highly recommend this practice!

This is a top-​notch practice with very experienced and talented pediatricians who are extremely responsive and helpful. I have brought my two children here for the past 7 years and trust them completely. I have had positive experiences with all of the physicians that my kids have seen there (Dr. Nelson, Dr. Miki, Dr. Levin, etc.). I really like that my daughters have such a positive relationship with Dr. Josh Levin, who is very kind and great with kids. I think its great for them to feel comfortable seeing male or female doctors at a young age. I highly recommend this practice.