Northwestern Women's Health Associates's Online Review Report Card

Ever since coming here at the beginning of the year to have a procedure done, I have felt uneasy interacting with several of the Hispanic receptionists. They often have nasty attitudes and unwelcoming demeanors for no reason. I overlooked it because my experiences with Dr. Anhalt were positive, and because of my hectic life, I did not feel like finding another gynecologist. My last visit was on Halloween of this year. I came early to check in, as I always do, and one receptionist was talking to what appeared to be another worker. They turned around, looked at me as I came in, and resumed talking. I stood there for another minute and eventually left to use the bathroom. They were still talking after coming out of the bathroom a few minutes later. Soon after, the lady left, and I approached the window. After waiting close to 15 minutes for that interaction to end, I could finally check-in. She very weakly apologized for the wait and checked me in. Next, as I was leaving, I was approaching the counter to check out. The receptionist was on her phone and finally looked up. I told her I was trying to schedule a follow-up for a procedure, and she asked, "For what?" and I asked if it was detailed in the notes. She raised her voice saying "No, it isn't," and became verbally aggressive. Unfortunately, I let her reaction get to me ( as I'm only human) and reacted the same way, saying I'd call to schedule instead, telling her to have a nice day, and then walking off. I was visibly angry at her behavior and response toward me and left venting, which caught the attention of other patients who probably thought I was the problem or something was wrong with me. That was a very embarrassing and humiliating situation and the tip of the iceberg. That was completely unacceptable, and I refuse to accept that service anymore. I will not be returning to this practice. It should have been evident to me by the lack of diversity in the staff that they don't like people who look like me.

I had a great experience with NWHA and specifically Dr. Lakhanpal for both of my pregnancies. Dr. Lakhanpal is knowledgeable and friendly, and her upbeat and positive personality helped me navigate the medical side of pregnancy with confidence. I would recommend her without reservation, especially to any new mamas who are looking for world class care during their pregnancy journeys.

I saw two different ultrasound technicians for my 12 and 20 week appointments. Both were very cold and straight up rude. It was really disheartening because this is supposed to be such a special and exciting milestone to experience, but both ladies made my husband and I feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. It’s a shame that neither of them could offer support on our journey. We left both times with an icky taste in our mouths instead of being over the moon like we should be when seeing our little baby. Not the type of people who should be interacting with pregnant moms or couples because they clearly lack warmth, empathy and basic human interaction skills.

Dr Belmonte performed an invasive surgery on me without numbing me in any way. Every doctor I’ve asked after having this surgery done to me has said they would have numbed the area with local anesthesia first. She cut into me with a scalpel and ignored me wailing in pain. I asked before the procedure if I could be numbed and she said that’s not how it’s done, which by every account, is a lie. I asked if I could have a moment to think about it beforehand, she declined. This woman is cruel and in no way cares about her patients. Please, spare your wellbeing and don’t see this doctor. I could cry just thinking about this experience. I don’t understand how this was allowed to happen. And to top it all off, the surgery was ineffective. In response to the owner's response: I've already contacted the manager of the practice and they did nothing for me. I still even had to pay the full amount for the procedure. She just told me that every doctor has their own standards.

I've had nothing but positive experiences with Northwestern Women's Health Associates! Dr. Friedell and the nursing staff have been fantastic in guiding me through my medical needs, surgery, insurance matters, and more. I highly recommend Dr. Friedell and his team!

My daughter did surgery with Dr Stanley. He is very nice and all the staff is very nice when she call. Dr Stanley saved my daughter life when she had too many problems with bleeding. This clinic is the best.

Dr. Belmonte at the clinic was by far the coldest provider I have ever experienced in the healthcare setting. I stopped our apt within the first 5 minutes due to her condescending tone, requesting a reschedule with an alternative provider. There was miscommunication on her end as to why I was there, her lack of empathy was clear, her “clarifying questions” were demeaning, treating me as if I was a child, and not once did she make eye contact. It’s a shame this is how she treats women in a women centered practice. I highly do not recommend her. Hopefully there are better providers in the practice.

Dr. Friedell is a wonderful doctor. He has all the qualities you need in a physician; intelligence, skill, experience and as a bonus he's a super nice person. I recently had surgery and he and his team were excellent at every step. My experience from pre-op to post-op was great because they all took time to make sure I understood everything that was happening. I felt very well cared for before and after the surgery. He personally reached out to check on me! If you want a doctor who listens to you and is clinically excellent go to Dr. Friedell! Everyone in the office is also great. I've been a nurse for 42 years and doctors like this are a dream come true.

I am deeply disappointed and heartbroken by my experience at Northwestern women's health associates particularly under the care of Dr. Lakhanpal and Dr. Anhalt's. Despite expressing my concerns about a possible infection, Dr. Anhalt dismissed them without proper examination or testing. As nurse practitioner myself I know that if a patient comes in with any chief complaint you work them up to diagnose or eliminate that differential. Dr Anhalt saw my picture of my mucus plug that I lost earlier that morning and simply stated it will go back. I even questioned but if I have an infection would that impact the fetus? He shook his head no. I then asked two more times in my 20 minute visit to get swabbed for BV as it can cause chorioamnionitis which can lead to fetal demise. Well he shock his head no again and refused to send a culture. I messaged the office everyday until Saturday morning when I ended up in the ER with bleeding. I lost my baby at 16 weeks due to their negligence. Run! Throughout my appointments, I felt unheard and disregarded. Instead of addressing my symptoms seriously, Dr. Anhalt and Lakhanpal consistently downplayed them, which delayed the necessary intervention. The lack of attention and care was not only unprofessional but also devastatingly impactful on my health and the health of my unborn child. I trusted Dr. lakhanpal and Dr Anhalt to provide competent and compassionate care during my pregnancy, but this trust was completely misplaced. The profound loss I have experienced is a direct result of the inadequate and negligent care I received. I urge anyone seeking an OBGYN to look elsewhere for someone who will genuinely listen, care, and act promptly on their patients' concerns. No one should have to endure the pain and loss that I have faced due to Dr. anhalt's negligence.

I am deeply disappointed and heartbroken by my experience at Northwestern women’s health associates particularly under the care of Dr. Lakhanpal and Dr. Anhalt’s. Despite expressing my wife's concerns about a possible infection, Dr. Anhalt dismissed them without proper examination or testing. Dr Anhalt saw my wife's picture of her mucus plug that she lost earlier that morning and simply stated it will go back. She even questioned but if I have an infection would that impact the fetus? He shook his head no. Shen then asked two more times in the 20 minute visit to get swabbed for BV as it can cause chorioamnionitis which can lead to fetal demise. Well he shock his head no again and refused to send a culture. She messaged their office everyday until Saturday morning when she ended up in the ER with bleeding. We lost our baby boy at 16 weeks due to their negligence. Please don't let what happened to us happened to you. Throughout my appointments, I felt unheard and disregarded. Instead of addressing my symptoms seriously, Dr. Anhalt and Lakhanpal consistently downplayed them, which delayed the necessary intervention. The lack of attention and care was not only unprofessional but also devastatingly impactful on my health and the health of my unborn child. I trusted Dr. Anhalt to provide competent and compassionate care during our pregnancy, but this trust was completely misplaced. The profound loss we have experienced is a direct result of the inadequate and negligent care we received. I urge anyone seeking an OBGYN to look elsewhere for someone who will genuinely listen, care, and act promptly on their patients’ concerns. No one should have to endure the pain and loss that we have faced due to this practices' negligence.