Lutheran General Hospital Malpractice & Violations

Hospital performance refers to the specific policies and staff training guidelines that direct patient care. The best hospitals are recognized for their safety, quality of care, research, and adherence to healthcare standards.

Consequently, violations, patient surveys, negative reviews, and lawsuits can determine whether a hospital has room for improvement. Reviewing hospital and healthcare programs can help improve the quality of Chicago public health.

Failure to receive quality care can lead to worsening patient symptoms or developing further medical problems. Our Chicago medical negligence and malpractice attorneys are proud to advocate for patients in Chicago and the surrounding areas, helping them seek justice and compensation when hospitals or healthcare services fail to meet standards.

About Lutheran General Hospital

Overview

Lutheran General Hospital, sometimes called Advocate Lutheran Hospital, is a faith-based general care system offering health and wellness services to patients of all ages.

The hospital is located at 1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge, Illinois. It serves the healthcare needs of many Chicago suburbs, including Park Ridge, Elk Grove, Oak Park, and Arlington Heights.

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital has 645 beds and serves many healthcare needs, including orthopedics, women’s health, primary care, neuroscience, and cancer care. They are well-known in the Chicago area for offering minimally invasive surgery options.

Ownership and Affiliations

Lutheran Grace Hospital is owned and managed by Advocate Health Care. In 2018, the ownership company merged with Aurora Health Care of Wisconsin to form Advocate Health, today’s third-largest nonprofit healthcare system in the United States.

The company owns 11 hospitals and 250 medical sites, employs over 6,300 physicians, and aims to meet its patients’ physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.

Today, Advocate Health Care has locations in six states and is recognized as a healthcare leader across the Midwest.

Reputation and Performance

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital has a few good credentials that can speak to its overall standard of care. For example, the hospital has been recognized as a Magnet organization for the American Nurses Credentialing Center for multiple years.

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital maintains an average rating among multiple patient satisfaction surveys. According to patient experience, U.S. News & World Report lists it with a three-star rating for patient satisfaction [1].

The hospital has high-performing heart attack and failure care ratings but maintains an average rating for valve and bypass surgery. The physicians at Lutheran General Hospital have high-performing ratings for geriatrics and gastroenterology surgeries. It also maintains average ratings for diabetes care.

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital has the most significant room for improvement among surveys in patient experience. Patients report average overall satisfaction with the hospital. Patients give doctor and nurse communications a three-star rating. They also report an average rating for staff involvement in recovery and overall staff responsiveness.

Notable Legal Actions Against Lutheran General Hospital

Previous and pending lawsuits can also tell patients a lot about the quality of care available at a Park Ridge hospital. The number of settled or pending lawsuits includes cases filed in the local courts.

Failure to Meet the Appropriate Standard of Care

In 1992, in Uhr v. Lutheran General Hospital, with the help of Chicago wrongful death attorneys, the hospital was ordered to pay $1,870,000 to the family of a deceased minor after the nurses failed to notify physicians of excessive blood loss, which eventually led to her losing her life.

The trial jury determined that the attending nurse’s failure to track blood loss deviated from the expected standard of care [2].

Failure to Diagnose and Treat

In Browning v. Advocate Medical Group, a patient filed a lawsuit against the healthcare system for failing to diagnose sepsis following surgery. Chicago misdiagnosis attorneys claimed medical negligence, and the judge awarded the patient $47 million. The healthcare system appealed the decision in 2023, which was upheld [3].

In many cases, lawsuits against larger healthcare systems are settled outside of court. A settlement offer allows victims to recover compensation for their injury while protecting the hospital’s information. This means the results of all Advocate Lutheran General Hospital lawsuits may not be publicly available.

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Lutheran General Hospital

Inspection and deficiency reports are another great way to learn more about a specific healthcare system. The Illinois Department of Health and Medicare regularly inspects healthcare systems in the Chicago area.

Lutheran General Hospital patients would recommend the healthcare system to others approximately 68% of the time. This is 2% higher than the state average, according to the Consumer Guide to Health Care Illinois Hospital Report Card [4].

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital patients are willing to recommend the hospital to others more than the state average but lower than the national average.

Common complaints among Advocate Health Care patients include the hospital’s failure to maintain a quiet room, staff not communicating medications, and patients not receiving help when needed, all of which fell below both state and national averages.

Advocate Health Care patients also claimed that nurses and physicians don’t communicate as well as other healthcare systems.

Medicare also gives Advocate Lutheran General Hospital an average rating based on patient survey ratings. However, they rate the healthcare system with five stars based on health services, readmission rates, and safety of care.

Understanding Medical Negligence and Your Rights

Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare provider’s actions fail to meet industry standards or expectations. A medical negligence case is often decided based on what treatments or behaviors other healthcare providers in a similar situation would have done based on industry training and hospital safety and care protocols.

Patients expect medical staff to advocate and provide a good standard of care. When they don’t, patients may be left with a worsening of injury, further symptoms, or even a loss of life.

Negligence in a medical care setting may include any of the following errors:

• Surgical Errors: Mistakes during a surgical procedure can harm the patient’s health.
• Medication Mistakes: Medication mistakes may include interactions or improper doses.
• Failure to Diagnose: A failure to diagnose a healthcare condition can lead to injury.
• Failure to Treat: Failure to offer prompt treatment can worsen the patient’s health.
• Improper Care: Improper patient care includes any behavior deviating from standard care.

A medical negligence attorney can be beneficial to your case. Our legal team aims to advocate for patients affected by malpractice at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital or other healthcare systems in the Chicago, Illinois, or Park Ridge area.

After conducting the necessary research for your case, we’ll build a strong claim that holds the negligent hospital and its staff accountable. We fight for fair compensation by collecting evidence, data, and expert witnesses.

While many medical negligence cases are settled outside of court, our team is prepared to represent you in trial if you don’t receive a fair offer. A settlement offer from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital should appropriately cover your economic and non-economic damages.

If it doesn’t, you need a legal team with trial experience. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is committed to helping medical negligence victims in the Chicago area.

Secure Expert Legal Representation!

Consulting with a lawyer may be worth it if you or a loved one were a victim of medical malpractice or negligence.

Whether you were the victim of medical malpractice at a Chicago Advocate Health Care system or a different healthcare office, we have the local expertise to build a strong case. Our team of Chicago personal injury lawyers knows what it takes to win a case, even when facing the largest healthcare networks, including Advocate Health Care.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is a Chicago-based firm that proudly serves clients across Illinois and select cases nationwide. Our Chicago medical malpractice attorney team is here to help you navigate your case and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers today at (888) 424-5757 or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Our legal service is based on contingency, meaning you only owe us if we win your case.

Resources: [1] U.S. News & World Report, [2] Casetext, [3] Cook County Record, [4] Illinois Hospital Report Card

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.