DO NOT GO HERE AS A DANCER!!! Wrong diagnosis, refused to run MRI and put me at risk of further injury! Knee injury following an ER visit. I call for a follow up appt saying that I need to be treated as a dancer. I was assured this was performing artists medical program, they know dancers/athletes, "they work with the Joffrey Ballet," etc, etc. I'm on crutches, can not stand on my injured leg. They run the basic manual tests, refuse to run an MRI, we discuss my enlarged thyroid that may or may not be cancer and order xrays of only the injured knee. No mention of any thyroid guard for xrays (I didn't know one existed to ask for it). They tell me I have an LCL sprain (no mention of what grade), to go home and "get off the crutches as soon as possible." I literally had to say, "but I can't even stand on it." I drove 1.5 hours home from Shirley Ryan and immediately made an appt with a different Dr. MRI was immediately ordered (without me asking for it) and they told me to definitely stay on the crutches to protect my knee!!! Shirley Ryan xrays were so lacking, a true full set of xrays was re-taken including both knees and a thyroid guard! Thanks for the extra shot of radiation Shirley Ryan. Correct diagnosis is grade 1 ACL sprain/tear! NOTHING wrong with my LCL! My Shirley Ryan office visit was as if they've never been in the same room with any level of athlete whatsoever. I could have gone to any GP, been treated better and not had my body put at risk of further and possibly permanent injury. They used to have great treatment for dancers, 15 years ago. This is not it, this is not a safe place for dancers to be treated medically with the safety of their bodies and careers in mind. Nor do these Drs have any connection to what dancers actually do with their bodies. Later I find out the Joffrey Ballet moved their medical services to Rush back in January...gee I wonder why. Dr. Toledo come baaaack!!! They've ruined everything! read more

Il give them 2 stars just because every other department does they job... I wanna start off with JASMINE in food service... I shoulda known I wasn't going to last off the interview I had with her only question she asked me that matter to her was can I get along and deal with gay men personalities and of course they wasn't even the problem... the whole kitchen needs to be thrown away beside a few people just a messy ass jail in there 12hrs worth of messy shit and the whole kitchen family and half the family don't even do they job can't even READ BUT still have a job the whole kitchen move how they want to and because I called off and "NOT DOING MY JOB RIGHT " I got fried which I found wired but not really they just beat me to the punch... I didn't know I could've gave a review for them or else I would have they nasty don't use gloves the whole They all eat from the tray line goes and make omelettes In shit I GOT MORE I JUST NEED THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING TO REACH OUT.... read more

Check in takes about 45 minutes due to lack of staff. They need all the stuff from your doctor in paper form. Bring everything. Show up early. All the money is spent on architecture. read more

I am very satisfied with my experience at the AbilityLab. After a few sessions with Dr. Goostree PT, I found relief from my back pain. The exercises he showed me were very empowering and I felt like he truly cared about my well-being. I also liked how modern the facilities are. I'd highly recommend the AbilityLab. read more

Excellent care by hospital staff and physical therapy!

Re: Dr Joseph Ihm. Seeing as how back pain is the #1 single most causal factor for disability in the US, you would think someone who is physiatrist would do a better job trying to make a definitive diagnosis. All Dr. Ihm did is suggest physical therapy for my back problem and when that didn't work he attempted to send me on way. I demanded him to order an MRI, which he did, then sent me on my way. The radiologist and physical therapist did more work than he did! He just read her report. If I didn't ask question's, the "appointment" would have been over in less than 3 minutes. I understand a spine doctor being focused on surgery -but Dr Ihm is not that, he's a physiatrist, one who studies how people move, but a very bad one. As far as he was concerned, if I didn't need surgery, there was nothing he could do for me. He didn't once in 2 appointments ever touch my back, try and figure out where I hurt or what I injured in my fall. He didn't examine me to determine what movements aggravated it. How frustrating. Every effort should be made to seek care based on a definitive diagnosis and Dr. Ihm did NOT do that. He couldn't answer questions, like what muscle or ligament is connected to this structure. "Good question" he said. But made no effort to answer it! I had to ask for an MRI and ultrasound. He didn't suggest it. He was condescending, rude, implied that the pain was not there, implied that I wasn't physically fit. I had to print up my workout log for the last 2 years and drop it off at his office. I had been training with a body builder and was very fit. I had to prove myself to him every step of the way and it still didn't help him take me or my problem seriously. He said "I'd be surprised if this lasted your whole life" and let me leave 100% untreated and unresolved. When I went for my ultra sound he convened with the doctor running the test before hand and influenced him to treat me with the same disregard. TERRIBLE MAN! TERRIBLE DOCTOR. read more

The worst place for Just getting even appointment for my Cancer ridden father ,who was referred from Next door building at LAVIN center Northwestern Hospital .We have called for two weeks and Almost 30 Minutes Holds No answer Monday - Friday , Left several messages no Answer .We have reported to Illinois State Attorneys office , Better Business Bureau and other Medical Boards in Chicago. Each time Same message Please provide us with a follow up call at 312-238-1000 option 1 for scheduling so we can transfer you over to correct site ...such a Crap answer ,No Direct Line to any Deptt , you just call & call then wait & wait in the mean time Patients suffers very bad Facility .We wonder The bigger this Abilty Lab is They don't Bother for any Patients, we are amazed if they don't have any negligence Lawsuits following in future. Very bad Organisation ..stay away read more

Okay, maybe they're the big man on campus when it comes to spines and stuff...but they need to seriously work on their customer service. First off, don't waste time filling out the online appointment request...you will spend 45 minutes providing ever detail of your medical history and physical goals only to receive no phone call or email in return...three days later when you send a polite email inquiring when someone will contact you, you will receive a curt response instructing you to call the main office to set up an appointment...you will then have to repeat everything all over again because apparently all that personal medical information went into a shred bin somewhere. Next, don't expect to be seen any time soon...because as the representative will inform you, quite tartly I might add, "the therapists book up very fast so you're going to have to wait." Lastly, don't expect them to be helpful when answering insurance questions. After first calling my provider I was told to contact RIC directly because they were listed under two codes, one was covered and one wasn't and I needed to find out what code I was going to be billed under. When I called, the representative didn't listen to my question/explanation the first two times and kept telling me to call my insurance, then she transferred me to billing, after holding forever, I got a heavy sigh in response to my question and was told to call my insurance company. To summarize this b*tch fest, I'm going back to Athletico. See ya, suckas! read more

I lived here for a bit, yes, lived. You see, this place has won the top rehab hospital award in the NATION for the PAST 20 YEARS. They know what they are doing. They have their act together. And if you ever find yourself in the position where you need some serious help getting a part of your body to work again, this is where you go. Or you try to go. It is not exactly easy to get in as an inpatient because you see, they are good, they know what they are doing, they know how to help you and how to get your body working. When I woke up from surgery and we realized that my guardian angel had gone for an extended smoke break and I was going to need some serious help, my family and I were at a loss. My Docs immediately recommended this place and thought that my condition was rare enough and my prognosis was good enough that I could get in. I waited a bit but did make it. Here is what I found. The staff if phenomenal! I had classes up to 5-6 every week day. They were friendly, helpful and worked my butt off! The Physical therapists, nurses, doctors, social workers, occupational therapists are all amazing!! From group work out sessions to Wii Fridays, they make it fun and worth it! When it was time for me to go home, I was ready, and felt up to the challenge of working with my protesting limbs in my home environment. I truly hope that I never have to be a patient here again. However, given my situation, there are no guarantees. I do know that if I need, I will turn here with no qualms. I am so thankful that we have a wonderful institution close to us. The kind and caring people that are employed here make a difference for in the lives of those they help! Thank you! http://www.sci-info-pages.com/rehabs_top.html read more

Nice place but it's impossible to get a hold of the assigned PTs, I ended up having to try contacting one PT through the generic email account. When I did get a reply, the PT didn't answer one question I had asked and provided another answer for something I never asked. Also, I had to follow-up to get the exercises the PT originally promised. In the end, I don't think I'm in any less pain because they seem to be very conservative. I'm getting concerned about these messages as to SRA's costs, I'm not sure if it's going to be worth it. read more

My mom was referred to RIC by University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital for rehabilitation after she suffered a traumatic brain injury. The process to be admitted into RIC was somewhat of a nail biter, because they had to have someone from their facility come to UICH to assess my mom and decide whether she was qualified for RIC's services. Luckily, UICH has excellent social services and they made the process seamless. Needless to say, my mom was accepted into RIC after the evaluation. When my mom arrived at RIC, she could barely speak, couldn't walk, couldn't eat, and was essentially bed ridden and very incoherent. In a month's time, my mom learned to walk again, swallow and eat again, hold normal conversation and pretty much do everything herself (with the assistance of a wheelchair or walker since her muscles needed to regain their strength). THAT is what this place does-- it essentially brings you back to life. My mom received physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. The sessions started out slow to assess where my mom's abilities were, and they improved them everyday. I think the most amazing therapy was the speech therapy. To bring someone from unable to swallow water to eating full meals is a complete miracle to me. ALL the therapists that my mom had were wonderful. They were all extremely caring and comfortable to work with, and even when my mom refused therapy (which she did often!), they persisted and she ended up going to therapy-- and enjoying it! The nursing and doctor staff were also fantastic. They had compassion for my mom and they had excellent communication with me. Some of the doctors who cared for my mom were from Northwestern Hospital next door, just FYI. To give a couple honorable mentions, the security staff you meet when you enter the building are also some great folks, as well as the valet staff. Beware of getting change back from them, however-- they tend to keep tip money from your change for themselves, which they had no right doing. One guy ruins it for you. But the valet experience otherwise was easy. On another side note for the parking, if you park in the parking garage on Superior, make sure you ask for a parking validation at the security desk at RIC- you'll pay $10 a day versus the insane $52 (depending on the length of your visit). Those parking validation a saved me hundreds of dollars-- make sure you use them. Overall, my mom spent a month at RIC on the 8th floor and it was one of the best medical experiences a person can have. I'm very pleased with RIC. read more

Terrible! I was referred here because physical therapy wasn't working.... What was I prescribed... physical therapy. Why would I pay thousands (and you will be charged thousands even with insurance) for something that I had tried multiple times before? Cause they want your money and they want you to come back to them over and over. They are crooks. Look up other reviews at their other locations. Same story over and over. Also the doc cut my meds in half without telling me... so I started taking half the dosage not knowing and wondering why I was in so much pain. When I called and asked about it the nurse was rude. Which she always is, rude and nasty. I was referred from Northwestern, so I assumed they were reliable... They aren't. Don't go. read more

If you ever have a loved one with a traumatic brain injury (hopefully you don't), pray they have insurance that is accepted at RIC. I work in Neuro, and coincidentally enough, only am familiar with Neuro rehab here. It's the best you can get! Good Rehab, especially in the beginning stages, is so important! Do your homework before you send someone to a facility! *Not that it really matters when you find yourself coming here, but parking is really easy for family/visitors. Trust me, you need any little perk to make your life easier in this situation! read more

This facility was amazing to my cousin, who had a fatal cancer diagnosis. The staff was supportive and caring to our family, and made a bad situation, much better. I would definitely recommend this facility! read more

Dr. Radar is amazing, and I will be forever grateful to her. About 4 1/2 years ago I was sitting in my living room and got this INTENSE back pain that didn't go away (still hasn't to this day). I have seen all kinds of doctors, have had ALL kinds of tests, x-rays, injections, medications, etc., and it's still here. Dr. Radar was the first doctor (and I've seen A LOT of bad ones) to really listen to me, and has helped keep my pain under control. While we are still trying to figure this mystery out, she has remained SO positive and has always been available when I need her. So for anyone that needs pain management from an understanding and supportive Doctor, she is the one. read more

These people are like pieces of living God. Known as one of the top rehab places in the world and I see why. Nothing less than a full five stars. Blessed to be here. read more

SRAL is a godsend. I was in pain for about 10 years, and for about 1 year the pain was debilitating. Before joining the 4 week pain chronic pain management program, I was unable to walk or sit for more than a few minutes without experiencing debilitating pain. 3 months after joining the program, I was running a 5k. Now 6 months later, my pain is no longer debilitating. My quality of life is radically better because of the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. The physical therapy, occupational therapy, core strengthening, education, coping mechanisms, etc., I was taught combine to make me stronger each day. Even though I'm still in some pain, every day I feel stronger, and every day becomes easier, and it's because of SRAL. Not everyone who goes through the pain management program has the same outcome as me. Some of my peers have been pain free since leaving the program. Some did not find pain relief. I don't know why this is, but I was told it works for most people. Talk to the doctors there if you aren't sure if this is right for you. I wasn't sure it was going to work for me at first. The team will try their best to get you the treatment you need. I trusted them when I was most vulnerable, and they helped me even though my condition eluded other medical professionals for years. Don't be afraid to call / visit them. Rehabilitation can be very hard. I couldn't have done it without SRAL. read more

Yes, sadly to say, stay away from this place. Not because of quality of the therapy which is good, but because of billing practices. They tell you one thing then send you a bill for the amount they said it would be, you pay the bill and then they say they miscalculated and double the bill. Go to ATI or Athletico for the same treatment without the hassle . You would think with all of the billing problems listed by persons on yelp and other sites they would have cleaned up their act by now. read more

If I could give Shirley Ryan no stars, I would. Please do not send your loved one here if you expect improvement. Upon the initial consultation, the therapists will tell you that they are able to accomplish certain things before you are discharged. You will get excited with the possibility. The progress will fall overwhelmingly short, not accomplishing anything originally discussed and then the inpatient care worker will inform you that you have met OT and PT goals set and that you are to be discharged. All OT and PT therapists state that the patient is not to be discharged in an unsafe environment - meaning if there is a great possibility that the person will be harmed from medically not being able to perform tasks. My husband is being discharged no better than he came in, except with a few shiny new toys, but has been discharged in the aforementioned environment. The inpatient care worker will then passive-aggressively ask if there is anything else that she/he can do to aid in the discharge while they are kicking you out of the door. They (SRL) will exhaust as much as your medical benefits as possible and kick you out the door. #1 Rehab facility is a joke and if it is #1, God help any person who needs to be in an acute rehab facility. I am thoroughly disgusted with the acute inpatient rehabilitation center. It was honestly a waste of 3 weeks when I could have been getting my husband the assistance he actually needed. read more

My son was hospitalized for 3 months prior to checking into here. The therapists are great. Stayed for about 10 weeks. Mike and Megan were awesome! read more

The office itself is a bit outdated and the front desk isn't too friendly but the therapy is very good. My therapist was Andrea Freeman. She was very helpful in giving me the tools I needed to get better. She went through the exercises with me, correcting my form and providing advice. Afterwards she had printed out a sheet of exercises with the number of sets and repetitions needed. The next session built on the first and again she was very helpful in showing me new exercises and answering any of my questions. This is a place I would go back to in the future. EDIT: At first I gave 5 stars but I'm amending it to 4. The scheduling system is bad. A few times it took way to long scheduling my appointments. The last time I was there, I arrived only to discover my appointment was "auto canceled" by the system. read more

Check out their amazing Life Center! Life Center helps you locate disability organizations,support groups and much more. Check them out at http://www.ric.org/healthinfo/index.aspx read more

Be very wary of this place and how they charge patients. We were seen for an evaluation for my daughter who has special needs. After Dawn "confirmed" that our insurance would cover the evaluation we went in. No therapy ever happened later, just a 45 minute evaluation. We then received a bill for almost $800. Multiple calls to our insurance and SRA and we were able to determine that our insurance in face never said they would cover the evaluation. So we are now stuck with a huge bill and we never even received therapy. It's so upsetting, especially from a non profit who claims to have a mission of helping people. read more

Absolute shit show wrapped up in a pretty package. Do not stay inpatient! My 6 year old daughter's medications were late EVERY SINGLE TIME, literally late 3 times per day. The respiratory therapist didn't know how to do manual chest percussion therapy and actually asked if you supposed to get all the stuff out when suctioning.... um yeah. The medical team is horrendous. They did not include me or even talk to me about the care of my daughter. They did rounds from which parents are no invited. Even after stating that I wanted to be present during rounds to be able to ask questions they excluded me. They sent some random guy at 10 at night to hook up a "trace" which I was never told would happen, never told what it was, and never given explanation as to why it was necessary. They altered the dosage of my daughter's medication from one of her regular providers without consulting her doctor or telling me they were altering her medication. I EXPLICITLY told them I did not want the respiratory therapist to preform an intervention on her after seeing what a terrible job he did, explaining I would do it myself because he frightened her. The medical team proceeded to go against my explicitly stated wishes one hour later when I went to get lunch. The nurse gave my daughter's medication at 5:30am with out me checking what she was giving (huge mistake on my part) at 9am another nurse came in with a bunch of medications insisting they were scheduled for 9. I asked what the hell she was given at 5:30, he said he didn't know but her seizure med and the others were scheduled for 9. WTF!?? I was SUPER pissed thinking her seizure meds were almost 4 hours late. Come to find out the nurse training him or in charge of my child (no one told me why there were two of them) decided to change the schedule of her medications and gave all of her afternoon medication 3 hours early!! So her stomach motility drugs due 30 minutes prior to meals were given 3 hours early, her seizure meds were given 3 hours apart and she would get her next dose for 10 hours, are you kidding me!! ??? The final straw occurred when my mother in law stayed to keep an eye on her for me. My brother was visiting from out of town so I went out to dinner and spent the night at my home with plans to return in the morning. Apparently some genius decided to turn down my daughter's oxygen (she had increased oxygen needs do to respiratory issues after spine surgery) in the middle of the night when she already has increased oxygen needs when perfectly healthy. They did this without telling me or consulting me in anyway. I would never have consented to this. Well, that apparently sent her on a horrible downward spiral. I am not sure what transpired because no one bothered to fucking call me. At 7 am I was a block away from the building when the doctor called and said she wanted to talk about Emma, I said I'd be right up. I got to her room minutes before an ambulance to bring her to the ER. Emma's nose was bloody and she was coughing up blood from the absolutely vicious and incompetent way the respiratory therapy had tried to suction her nose. From the story I was told they decided to mess with her oxygen at 2 am and it sent her in to a downward spiral to the point that they felt the need to use an Ambu bag..... they literally felt the need to use manual resuscitation mask and NEVER FUCKING CALLED ME for 5 hours to tell me anything was going on!!!! 5 HOURS! They were completely unrepentant for their behavior and utterly rude dismissive when I attempted to talk to them about these issues. The one doctor I talked to merely said "well, they didn't call me either until 6am". What the fuck it that! We checked her out a week early. No friggin way we were going back there. They need to stick to outpatient therapy. read more

The therapists are wonderful! Some are better than others, so if you're not happy, try someone else. In general, far superior to other PT/OT places. Beware of Billing - I get bills in the mail, but I'm not allowed to pay in person when I go to my appointments. The receptionist tells me I have a past due balance, but I can't pay her! Also, I get three different bills for three different "services," though it all seems like the same service to me. So I pay a bill, then I get another bill for the same amount, over and over. I keep having to go to my online banking to confirm my checks to SRA have cleared. I finally spoke with Billing and the person (who seemed annoyed with me right off the bat) told me that there are two digits in a number on the bill that indicate which service that particular bill is for. So I have to keep track of whether I'm paying off "12," "13," or "14." She finally promised to send me ONE bill for all balances I owe to SRA. read more

Malcolm White was my PT for my post THR surgery. He did an excellent job - was courteous, friendly, observant, and most importantly knew his material. I highly recommend Malcolm! Thank you for the good work! read more

My experience with Shirley Ryan Ability Lab this past April has been nothing short of a nightmare. During my stay the therapist communication with me was just about non-existent. The Therapists did not want to be questioned about why something was being done. The Inpatient Speech Therapist was about one of the most condescending, abrasive people I have ever encountered. While the Physical Therapists may have been knowledgeable in their field, they did not confer to discuss my goals with me and how they would be realized. This lack of communication carried over to the Day Rehab facility. After several weeks of what seemed to be mindless activity- I requested a meeting to discuss my level of frustration with the program and what the plan was since this had not been relayed to me at the start of my time here. I met with two therapists and they explained what was going to happen and that once they received the results of a neuropsychology exam, they would be poised to develop a plan and goals. I received the results of the exam from the neuropsychologist, and the written results were sloppy. There were errors, I was referenced by someone else's name and other issues. It made me wonder how much attention she was actually paying to what she was doing. Then to be told that I could get a second opinion was somewhat rude. Billing- I called the billing department to inquire about charges and it was like speaking with a kindergartner at nap time. I will have the insurance company follow-up. Lastly, upon discharge I was provided with a survey to complete and a couple of handouts with exercises on them. I had to request my own return to work letter from my neurologist, not the rehab physician. I have never seen such a mess in my life. read more

Never go to this facility! I went for the most basic of physical therapy services. I did some modified abdominal exercises with the therapist. No machines or equipment were used. The appointments lasted about 35 minutes. After 5 appointments I get a bill showing they are charging me over $500 for EACH of these appointments. read more

I recently had what should have been minor surgery at a nearby "hospital" which left me dangerously close to losing my leg and my life. If not for Dr. Soriano at Shirley Ryan, who I would swear is an angel, I would most likely now be without a leg and most likely not be here at all. The "expert" Moh's surgeon saw the infection which grew from his surgury due to the infection and swelling growing and splitting my skin over the period of several months, during which time I begged for help and all he came up with with one antibiotic which was not effective with the type of infection he gave me, and a topical antibiotic - not at all effective with that infection, vaseline and usually just said to wash it off and tape sponges over the growing and continuously bloody, oozy yellow and green infection. I would post a photo, but I don't want anyone to get sick! I then demanded further help and got it as soon as I could get into Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. Dr. Soriano read the lab results from my last culture from the "witch doctor" and knew right away what to do. She put medical grade honey in my wound and wrapped my leg twice a week, and within a month the wound finally began to close. She is truely a miracle worker to whom I owe my leg and my life! read more

Delayed procedure and delinquent billing! Was referred here in 2016 for a torn rotator. My primary care and my chiropractor both said it was a rotator tear. I had an order for an MRI. Met with Dr. Sheng who said I didn't need the MRI but needed an X-ray and physical therapy. The problem was that 3 months later no change and then the MRI and that showed some fraying, "but not enough for surgery." Gave me an injection of cortisone. The problem was in the delay of the procedure. RIC Shirley Ryan Ability caused me to pay for a procedure that would have been under my former insurance. Deductible was met in 2016! Since all their work was done in 2017...new deductible had to be met. I also didn't receive any bills until March of 2017! And they charged my insurer in 2017 for work done in 2016! Their billing department is a mess. The therapist even admitted that! read more

Physical Therapist Malcolm A. White, PT, DPT accurately dissected through my list of recurring symptoms after breaking my right wrist 19 months. He is an amazing young man! Astute, intelligent, caring and above all extremely attuned to the body. Thank you Shirley Ryan for hiring him. I cannot say enough good things about him. Keep up the great work! read more

Was referred here for some minor back pain. Met with a doctor for 5min, nobody else. He suggested if I want to, I can schedule physical therapy sometime in the future. Two weeks later I received a $150 "facilities fee" and a $40 doctor copay. Ridiculous waste of money and time. read more

There's clearly outstanding leadership here because everyone from the housekeeping staff to the cafe workers to doctors and therapists is kind, helpful and knowledgeable. Really an outstanding experience. read more

Aside from chronic pain, the billing department has been my worst nightmare. After many many many many joint calls with my insurance and sra in 2017 prior to surgery I was able to sort out my billing. It was unbelievably frustrating. Especially being that I was unable to get pain relief from my many sessions. That said, I just now received a first bill for over $500 from sessions dating back to July 2017. Truly unbelievable. Unacceptable to receive a bill (especially that was already addressed with both sra and insurance) almost 2 years after the fact. read more

Shady and deceptive billing practices which cause more pain and anxiety. Rehab staff is great but billing will screw you over big time for they bill everything separately and with diff codes that won't necessarily be covered by insurance.. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS TO SPECIFICS. Just Bc the doctor get a test done, it WONT be included in physician bill read more

I had heard some good things from an acquaintance about Shirley Ryan (formerly RIC) and so when I experienced leg and back pain, I decided to give them a try. For some reason, I started with one physical therapist who created a treatment plan and I began doing the exercises. After two times with her, I was referred to another therapist, who contradicted the first therapist and had me doing exercises that the first therapist said I should not be doing. She also was typing on her computer almost the whole time I was doing the exercises. When my pain didn't get better, I decided to go somewhere else. I then received a bill for $358 dollars which related to my deductible. I was paying $50 approximately every other week, but their financial offices kept hounding me for the full payment. I have one payment left, and they called today and said they are sending my account to collections. Unbelievable! Don't go there. They are not that great and they are not understanding about financial difficulties! DK read more

I went to the Shirley Ryan ability lab for physical therapy after a muscle injury. I have to say the service and expertise that I worked with in the "Womens health" department is very sub par. You are very much treated like a number here. 1. your physical therapist spends only 45 mins with you, I dont know about you but 45 mins for physical therapy is just enough for you to walk in the door set you stuff down and leave. 2. the physical therapists spend their entire time in front of a computer taking notes, and i mean e-n-t-i-r-e t-i-m-e. I have been to other physical therapists much cheaper and much more efficient and they do not spend their entire time in front of a computer! what could you possibly see or get done by looking at a screen rather than the patient and how they're actually performing the exercises. 3. They pretty much give everyone the exact same treatment and exact same exercises to any one that walks in with the same injury, without taking in to account any prior injuries, what you build may be what your habits may be to perpetuate such injuries. 4. I got so fed up with my physical therapist that I decided to never come back after 2 months. Yes I was there for two months, at first i thought okay maybe we need to give this physical therapy thing some time nothing changes over night. after the first month i started to notice that my physical therapist would forget every single time what we were actually working on, even though she took a TON OF NOTES. felt like it was groundhogs day and we were starting from the beginning each time. 5. i ended up leaving Shirley Ryan to go work with a different physical therapist, mind you completey affordable and caring. What i acheived in 2 weeks with this guy could not measure to the nonsense and "treading water" i was doing at the Shirley Ryan ability lab. 6. I do recognize though however this place does wonders for people with much more serious cases/illnesses/injuries/accidents. Heard wonders for post stroke patients. But if you come here for physical therapy for average joe injuries such as a pulled muscle, broken arm, strains, done waste your money at Shirley Ryan. moral of the story, there are cheaper places, more knowledable people, people who spend 90 minutes with you, Shirley Ryan just wants your money. gave them 2 stars because their facility is beautiful. read more

I'm honestly really disappointed currently with my experience with this clinic. When I called to schedule my first appointment (meant to be for the /first/ week of November) I was incorrectly booked for a PT even though I told them my gyno recommended I see a specific doctor for diagnosis first. When I got there for my first appointment, I essentially showed up for nothing bc the PT they scheduled me with told me I should have seen a doctor first (even though the lady on the phone disregarded me when I said as much). At least the PT was nice and helped me get rescheduled, but that's a trip wasted. They also lost my referral paper and said they didn't have it when I showed up (I wasn't even able to MAKE the appt without them receiving it so they obviously lost it somehow). They rescheduled me for November 19th, okay, fine, I'll wait two weeks. Now they're saying the clinic is CLOSED for two weeks (which I understand covid) but I can't do a physical exam over zoom. And when I called to reschedule I'm told there's nothing available til the second week of January. So now I'm pushed behind other people who were booked after me. I should have been seen at the beginning of November and now I'm all the way pushed out til JANUARY due to errors on their end. It's incredibly frustrating trying to get help with a medical issue and having to deal with this and further waiting for help. I just hope it's worth it by the time I'm finally able to be seen. read more

Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (formerly RIC - Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, or as I call it, the Rehab Industrial Complex), has been ranked the number one rehab hospital in the United States for 30 consecutive years. It only goes to show that you can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time. Just keep saying you're great, and people will believe you. Anyone who has navigated the institutional arrogance and managerial incompetence of this institution knows exactly what I'm talking about. Do not get me wrong, there are some outstanding therapists and practitioners at SRAL, truly top notch, dedicated professionals. And quite a few who have no business working at an institution of this "stature." These therapists (I'm talking about certain speech therapists and occupational therapists that we've worked with) are simply dialing it in, they're on automatic pilot. They arrive late, end early, and spend half the session talking about what they're "going" to do instead of actually doing it. Caretakers of loved ones with post-stroke aphasia and apraxia of speech beware! Do not let them tell you that your loved one has "plateaued." If they do, call them out immediately. They are lying to you. Plateauing, as regards therapy, is a term invented by insurance companies. It has no medical or therapeutic meaning. You've "plateaued" only if your insurance coverage has run out. OR, if the therapist lacks the skill set and knowledge to continue being of any help. Remember, patients do not plateau, therapists plateau. But in a blame the victim culture, it appears we also blame the patient. Secondly, at Shirley Ryan they love throwing around the term "evidence based." Everything they do is "evidence based." Never mind if the evidence actually proves that what they're doing doesn't work, they still do it because it's all they know how to do. Because it's, you know, evidence based! Finally, Shirley Ryan's so-called Center for Aphasia Research and Treatment is essentially a boutique therapy spa for wealthy stroke survivors. Do not expect any guidance or care or even basic information from them unless your willing to purchase their products. For $22,000 (not covered by insurance mind you) you can buy a 4-week "aphasia intensive" that "increases the possibility of improved communication." Increases the possibility of improved communication? Hmm, I wonder if that's there way of saying don't expect a whole lot. The aphasia center is, at best, a huge disappointment, and at worst, well...In closing, I do want to reiterate that there are some amazing people at Shirley Ryan. We are blessed to be working with some of them to this day. But at least in our experience, the institution does not, in any way, shape, or form, live up to the hype it very aggressively disseminates 24/7. All things considered, it is simply "okay." read more

My daughter has cerebral palsy. She's just turned 2 yrs old and is getting outpatient physical therapy. Since my daughter was 6 months old she's been getting therapy in baltimore( my fmr city) but after starting at this hospital I see a true improvement. They are making her work but vastly patient with my little tot. I would recommend this place to anyone who has. Disabled child. read more