Chicago Shriners Hospital for Children Malpractice & Violations

Parents want their children to have the best medical care possible. Shriners Hospitals offers free pediatric specialty care to families in Chicago and nationwide. While the nonprofit hospital has done amazing things for children, medical negligence is still possible.

Patients can usually review a hospital system based on reviews, surveys, and ratings. However, some hospitals, such as Shriners, have limited reviews and ratings.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is dedicated to supporting and legally guiding injured patients and their families. Our Chicago medical negligence and malpractice lawyers have the expertise to seek compensation when medical care falls short of expectations.

About Shriners Hospital for Children Chicago

Overview

Shriners Hospital for Children of Chicago is at 2211 North Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60707. This Illinois innovative pediatric specialty care hospital is dedicated to providing specialized care for children, including orthopedics, craniofacial conditions, neuromuscular disorders, and sports medicine.

The hospital focuses on pediatric care, serving patients from birth until 18 years of age. Shriners Hospital for Children also offers specialized pediatric rehabilitation services, which help children overcome injury or medical disability.

Ownership and Affiliations

Shriners International, a men’s fraternity, owns Shriners Hospital for Children. The fraternity wanted to offer specialized care, hope, and healing to families in the Chicago area and first opened its doors in the 1920s.

The hospital is a nonprofit organization with 22 medical facilities nationwide. Patients at Shriners Hospital for Children receive medical care free of charge, allowing families without the ability to pay to receive pediatric specialty care for their children.

Shriners Hospital for Children has been serving children in the Chicago area since March 1926. The hospital continued to add more physicians to the staff and more patient rooms to treat more children. Shriners Children’s Hospital works on an application basis, meaning rooms are limited.

The number of applications has increased annually throughout Shriners Hospital’s history. The hospital continues to respond by expanding and adding new buildings and medical professionals.

Shriners Hospitals also focuses on research and outstanding medical education to improve the quality of medical care available to children. In addition to public grants and fundraising efforts, Shriners Hospitals for Children covers medical expenses through gift funds. Donators can then read stories of actual patients to promote further hope and healing in the community.

Reputation and Performance

Overall, Shriners Hospital for Children has a good rating. However, U.S. News and World Report does not currently rate it. Charity Navigator gives Shriners Children’s Hospital a four-star rating, indicating that donors can confidently donate funds. A four-star rating with Charity Navigator translates to a 100% trustworthiness rating [1].

Additionally, while Shriners Children’s Hospital in Chicago doesn’t have individual ratings from the U.S. News and World Report, the organization has reviewed Shriners Hospital.

Other Shriners Children’s locations, including St. Louis, Erie, Northern California, and Lexington, have received top ratings. Chicago’s parent company, Shriners Hospitals, has received various excellence awards [2].

Shriners Hospital for Children Chicago location has earned Pinnacle of Excellence and Guardian of Excellence awards. Specific support services with high ratings from Shriners Hospital for Children Chicago include patient experience, medical practice, physician engagement, and physician experience.

However, despite numerous awards, medical mistakes can and do happen. When they do, and your child is the victim, it’s essential to take prompt action.

Notable Legal Actions Against Shriners Hospital

Shriners Children’s Hospital and Shriners Children’s Chicago have been named defendants in notable lawsuits. Here are a few to know about.

Failure to Properly Monitor a Patient During Surgery

In Meinhart v. Shriners Hospital, parents accused the hospital of failing to monitor the patient’s condition during surgery properly. The surgery led to a loss of life and a wrongful death case being filed by the parents. This lawsuit involved the Shriners Hospital of Tampa. The case was likely settled outside of court, but no further updates are available.

Failure to Uphold Employment Agreements

Shriners Hospital has also been at the center of various employment lawsuits. Employees have alleged age discrimination and wrongful termination. These lawsuits cover various Shriners Hospital locations. Hiring and training practices are fundamental in medical care, directly impacting patient care.

It’s important to note that many hospital lawsuits are settled outside of court to limit negative publicity. A settlement offer can also be a more affordable decision for both parties. However, it’s crucial to consider your damages compared to any settlement offers received to determine the best next steps.

Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Shriners Children’s Hospital

Inspection and deficiency reports can also provide useful information about the quality of care available at Shriners Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

However, reporting for Shriners Children’s Chicago Hospital is limited. The Illinois Department of Public Health and Consumer Guide to Health Care use patient surveys to determine the level of care.

Shriners Children’s Chicago Hospital is not currently rated [3]. This could be because many rating systems use different credentials for specialized care services. Shriners Hospitals focuses specifically on pediatric care, making it difficult to rate many of the listed categories.

When ratings are available, comparing them against state and national averages can be helpful. However, the difference is that Shriners Hospital offers free medical care to children, making it difficult to conduct a direct comparison.

Medicare also conducts annual inspections and reviews of hospitals in the Chicago area. The Chicago location is also unranked by Medicare [4]. Data is limited, considering that medical care at Shriners Hospitals for Children is free and not rated by insurance or health care providers.

Understanding Medical Negligence and Your Rights

Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare provider fails to follow the standardized level of care expected. Medical providers are expected to provide reasonable care to all patients. When they don’t, the patient’s condition may worsen, or worse, the patient could lose their life.

If a judge or jury rules negligent medical care, the hospital or healthcare provider could be financially liable for damages. While Shriners Hospitals for Children offers free medical care to patients, a negligence lawsuit could still include external medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Medical malpractice may include any wrongdoing in a healthcare environment. However, some common types of medical malpractice include the following:

• Surgical Mistakes: Shriners Hospitals for Children conducts surgery for various medical issues, including craniofacial conditions and orthopedic specialty care. Wrong-site surgery or tools being left behind could be considered medical negligence.
• Failure to Diagnose: A failure to diagnose prolongs treatment.
• Misdiagnoses: A misdiagnosis puts off treatment and healing.
• Improper Care: Any negligent behavior considered improper could be negligence.
• Anesthesia Errors: Anesthesia errors can be dangerous and life-changing.
• Medication Errors: Children tend to be more sensitive to medications, and failure to monitor side effects or drug interactions could be considered negligence.
• Birth Injuries: Injuries before or during birth could be negligence.
• Premature Discharge: Prematurely discharging a patient could be negligent.

A medical malpractice case requires ample evidence of a legal duty of care and a breach of that duty of care. This evidence may include medical records, photographs of the injury, and expert witness statements. Expert witnesses can testify to the care received and its impact on the patients’ lives.

A compassionate medical malpractice lawyer can help families build a strong case against a negligent healthcare provider. At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we’re committed to seeking compensation for victims.

Our legal team manages all insurance communications, case building, and negotiations. While many medical malpractice cases are settled outside of court, our experienced lawyers can represent you if you decide to take yours to trial.

Secure Expert Legal Representation!

Whether your loved one suffered an injury while receiving pediatric specialty care or orthopedic surgery at Shriners Hospitals, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers has the expertise you need to seek justice.

Our Chicago personal injury attorney team works strictly on a contingency fee basis. This means you and your family only pay us if we win your case and recover compensation on your behalf.

While your child’s well-being is a priority during and after treatment, it’s also important to consider your legal options promptly. Most states, including Illinois, have strict time limits on how long medical malpractice victims must file a lawsuit. This time limit is usually just two years from the injury. However, specific details of your case can impact the expected timeline.

Contact us today at (888) 424-5757 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Resources: [1] Charity Navigator, [2] Shriners Childrens, [3] Illinois Hospital Report Card, [4] Medicare

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.