Glenbrook Hospital Malpractice & Violations

Hospitals are strictly regulated to ensure safety, quality, and adherence to best practices. However, medical negligence still occurs, with doctor errors causing serious injuries or death to vulnerable patients.

If you’ve experienced malpractice or neglect by doctors in Glenview, IL, you have legal options. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can hold Glenbrook Hospital accountable for negligence and secure compensation for your pain and suffering.

About Glenbrook Hospital

This NorthShore facility in Glenview, Illinois, delivers essential healthcare services to the northern Chicago region.

Overview

Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital is at 2100 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, IL 60026. This facility has 173 certified beds and specializes in cardiovascular treatment, orthopedics, primary care, neurology, and oncology. Additionally, Glenbrook Hospital is a Primary Stroke Center and Level II Trauma Center, with 24/7 emergency care.

Ownership and Affiliations

The hospital’s legal business name is Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital. It is a part of the Endeavor Health System, which owns nine hospitals (including Evanston Hospital, Swedish Hospital, Northwest Community Hospital, and Elmhurst Hospital) and operates over 300 locations in Indiana and Illinois.

Reputation and Performance

Healthgrades listed Glenbrook Hospital as one of America’s top 250 hospitals and received a Patient Safety Excellence Award for 2024 [1]. Additionally, this Glenview, IL, hospital ranks in the top 100 hospitals in America for pulmonary care and gastrointestinal care.

Leapfrog, a healthcare industry watchdog organization, gave this hospital an A grade for 2024 [2]. The center performed above average on several measures, including staff working together to find solutions for patients’ issues, providing better outcomes for surgical patients, and staff communicating discharge care to residents.

Notable Legal Actions Against Glenbrook Hospital

Understanding legal actions against healthcare facilities helps reveal patterns of alleged negligence and safety concerns. The following cases highlight significant lawsuits filed against Glenbrook Hospital and their outcomes.

Delayed Diagnosis Resulting in Death

Filed in 2015, Mack v. NorthShore University Health System alleged that doctors at the hospital failed to diagnose and treat a subdural hematoma in September 2013. The victim suffered severe and permanent brain injuries, which led to her death in April 2014. Chicago failed diagnosis lawyers helped the case close in 2018 with a settlement. [3]

Sexual Abuse of Patients

In 2019, Glenbrook Hospital nurse David Giurgiu was charged with sexually abusing two people, including one 76-year-old woman who asked him for a painkiller. Giurgiu sexually assaulted another woman in her 50s after he administered pain medication [4]. He was not fired until the second incident, despite the first victim’s family reporting the event.

Surgical Error Leading to Death

In January 2009, Paul Vanderhoof underwent gallbladder removal, but the doctor cut open the bile duct. Vanderhoof and his family did not learn of the error until later, when he suffered a bile duct leak and had to have drains installed. He developed sepsis and died in March of 2009.

With the help of Chicago surgery error lawyers, Vanderhoof v. NorthShore University Health System was filed in 2013 and was decided in favor of the family in 2015. The jury returned a verdict awarding the plaintiff $910,742.79 in damages. [5]

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Glenbrook Hospital

The Illinois Hospital Report Card notes that, on average, people spend 246 minutes in the emergency room at Glenbrook Hospital, which is much higher than the state average of 178 minutes [6]. Additionally, 19% of pneumonia patients were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, higher than the state average [7].

While the hospital has an A grade on the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, there are some areas where this Glenview, IL, facility falls short. The hospital had a higher rate of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections than average, at a rate of 1.496 compared to the average rate of 0.793.

MRSA is caused by a genetically mutated strain of staph bacteria that does not respond well to treatment, making it particularly dangerous for immunocompromised people and older adults. High MRSA infection rates can mean the hospital is not taking adequate safety measures like sanitizing equipment.

The Glenbrook facility also had higher rates of dangerous bed sores than the average, with 0.8 bed sores per 1,000 people discharged compared to the average of 0.58 bed sores per 1,000 people [8].

These pressure ulcers can be avoided by regularly turning immobile people and practicing proper wound care, so a high rate suggests that staff are not checking wounds regularly.

These issues may be explained by the hospital’s very low handwashing grade, only 40 out of 100. The average handwashing grade is 78.65 out of 100. When nurses and doctors don’t wash their hands between each patient visit, they can quickly spread diseases and result in dangerous infections like MRSA.

Lastly, Glenbrook Hospital performed significantly worse than other hospitals in terms of nursing and bedside care metrics. The hospital’s score was just 15, which is on par with the worst-performing hospitals in this measurement [9].

For comparison, the average score is 74.69. Good bedside manners and attentive nurses lead to better outcomes, especially for vulnerable individuals with complicated diagnoses.

Understanding Medical Negligence and Your Rights

Medical negligence occurs when healthcare providers fail to deliver proper patient care. These errors can result in serious injuries – from preventable falls causing broken bones to fatal mistakes like wrong-site surgery or missed diagnoses.

Common types of hospital negligence include:

• Surgical Errors – This can include operating on the wrong limb or organ, accidentally cutting an artery, or leaving surgical implements inside the patient. Vanderhoof v. NorthShore University Health System was a case of surgical error. The surgeon accidentally cut the bile duct, which led to bile leakage and death.
• Medication Mistakes – Receiving the wrong medication or the wrong dosage can cause serious complications. For example, providing diuretics to a patient with severe kidney disease could cause dangerous electrolyte imbalances, potentially leading to life-threatening conditions.
• Failure to Diagnose – When doctors miss or misdiagnose serious conditions, like dismissing stroke symptoms as stress, this negligence could result in fatal consequences.
• Improper Care – Improper care can include refusing to listen to a patient’s concerns, or it can even involve sexual assault and physical abuse. This abuse sadly occurred at Glenbrook Hospital when a nurse sexually assaulted two women while providing medication.

If you have been mistreated at a hospital, a medical malpractice attorney can help. Personal injury lawyers like Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers will explore the circumstances surrounding your hospital visit and negotiate with Endeavor Health on your behalf, helping you receive compensation that will cover your expenses.

We strive to settle cases outside of court, but we’re fully prepared to take your case to trial if necessary. Our experienced team will present your case to a judge and jury who will determine the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Secure Expert Legal Representation!

The statute of limitations for personal injury in Glenview, IL, is two years, so you must act quickly to secure compensation. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is a Chicago-based leading medical negligence law firm and has helped thousands of malpractice victims receive millions of dollars. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

To schedule your free consultation with a skilled medical malpractice attorney, call (888) 424-5757 or fill out our contact form.

References: [1] Healthgrades, [2] Leapfrog, [3] Cook County Record, [4] CBS News, [5] FindLaw, [6] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [7] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [8] Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, [9] Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.