Visitor information

Frequently asked questions

What are the visiting hours and guidelines?
General: Noon to 8 p.m. daily

Labor and delivery: The father and/or another significant individual (adults only) may be with a mother during labor. We ask that other family members wait in the Labor and Delivery waiting room located on the second flooor.

Maternity: Families are encouraged to spend as much time together as possible after the birth of their baby. Fathers or the primary support person may visit 24 hours (if census permits). Siblings of the newborn (accompanied by an adult) may visit from Noon to 8 p.m., but must be screened for communicable diseases and infections.

Neonatal intensive care unit: For the health and protection of our special care babies, visiting in the neonatal intensive care unit is limited to two persons at a time—one must be a parent. Parents may visit at any time. Visits may be restricted between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for physicians’ rounds and also during shift change.

Surgery: If you are scheduled to have surgery, your family may visit you in your room before you are taken to the surgical suite. When you are taken to surgery, your family should go to the surgical waiting room and register with the volunteer at the desk. A volunteer will inform your family when you are taken to the recovery room and when you return to your own room.

Visits from family and friends are welcome and an important part of your recovery. Visitor passes are available at the information desk in the main lobby. Only two visitors (over age 12) are allowed in your room at one time. All other visitors must wait in the medical center’s main lobby until other visitors leave.

What are the amenities and conveniences such as an ATM, cafeteria, gift shop and overnight stay?
Cafeteria/meals
As a convenience for our visitors, a restaurant is located on the medical center’s first floor off the main lobby. Vending machines are available 24 hours a day in the cafeteria, located on the ground floor. Guest trays may be served in the patient’s room under special circumstances. To obtain this service, the nurse must approve the tray request and send the order to the dietary office.

Gift shop
The newly renovated and improved Rose Tree Gift Shop in the main lobby is now operated by Lori's Hospital Gift Shops. Take the time to stop in and browse — it will be an experience you will not forget. For the visitors’ convenience, the shop carries greeting cards, magazines, books for all ages, an array of gift items, floral arrangements and many, many snacks. You will also find wonderful clothing and personal care items. The Rose Tree Gift Shop is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can reach the gift shop by calling extension 41-1352.

Online Flower Shop
Advocate Online Flower Shop can create and deliver unique, fresh or artificial, floral arrangements, as well as blooming and green plants to hospital patients and Advocate associates. Orders may be placed online 7 days a week, 24 hours a day but are reviewed and processed only during the retail shop's normal business hours. The retail shop, located at Lutheran General Hospital, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Our shop is closed on Sundays and major holidays. If you have any questions regarding hours, holidays observed, delivery times or any other information, please call (847) 723-8727 or e-mail AHC-FlowerShop@advocatehealth.com.

ATM/check cashing
An ATM machine (Fifth Third Bank) is located in the main lobby of the medical center on the first floor. Fifth Third Bank also has a banking facility in the Physicians Pavilion located next to the medical center. The medical center does not provide check cashing.

Oak Lawn Area Map
This map of Oak Lawn displays area restaurants, shopping areas and other buinesses you may need.

Overnight accommodations for out-of-state visitors
There are three hotels conveniently located near the medical center:

Hilton Oak Lawn - 708-425-7800

Radisson - 708-371-7300

Days Inn - 708-371-5600

Where do I park?

Parking
Parking lots are maintained and monitored by Christ Medical Center public safety personnel. Click here for a campus map.

Christ Medical Center's new 620-space patient/visitor east parking tower offers customers enhanced parking availability and state-of-the-art gating and technology for easy access and faster exits.

Convenient cash-or-credit pay stations in hospital lobbies and outpatient clinics: New technology will allow patients/visitors to pay for parking and receive a ticket for fast and convenient exit from the parking towers. Pay-on-foot stations will be located in the lobbies of both Christ Medical Center and Hope Children's Hospital, Imaging Center lobby, emergency department waiting area, the elevator lobby of the west parking tower and at the outpatient clinic entrance.

Free, dedicated parking in surface lots: Parking in Lot 1 on Kostner Avenue and 93rd Street will be free for all customers. Parking also will be free in Lots 12 and 13 on Kilbourn Avenue, which will be readily accessible for emergency department, Imaging Center and day surgery customers.

• Tower parking, 0 to 4 hours............$3
• Tower parking, 4 to 24 hours..........$8
• Patient drop-off, pick-up west
  parking tower, half hour or less...........free

Christ Medical Center
• Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.....$4

Hope Children's Hospital
• Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
  Valet parking for guest with patient in car.........free
• All other Hope visitors.....$4

Valet car retrieval ends at 7 p.m.; thereafter Public Safety personnel retrieve all remaining cars.

How do I find my way around the medical center?
Click here to download the Advocate Christ Medical Center Campus Map.

Guest services
Guest services staff is available Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and
8 p.m. to assist patients and visitors. For your convenience, wheelchair escorts are available. Guest Services can be reached in-house at extension 41-3880 or via the guest services phones located throughout the first floor.

Useful phone numbers
(When dialing from the outside use 708, prefix 684 and four-digit extension)

Who do I call with a complaint or concern?
The patient advocacy team is here to serve you in a variety of ways. The patient advocacy specialist helps patients resolve problems and explains the policies, procedures and services of the medical center. The patient advocacy team also is available to assist patients who have disabilities or special needs.

The patient advocacy specialist is available from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. To contact the specialist, dial “0” and ask the operator or call extension 41-5452. In case of an emergency, nursing supervisors are available after regular business hours to assist with problems. After hours or on holidays, you can call extension 41-5452 and leave a message and a patient advocacy specialist will return your call.

What are the visiting and other policies?
The treatment area inside the emergency department is very limited and frequently crowded. We welcome relatives and friends to either accompany the patient or join the patient after the physician’s medical evaluation. Minors may be accompanied by their parents. Limiting visitors to two per patient is essential for patient well being, as well as for space constraints. We ask that the visitor remain at the patient’s bedside while inside the treatment area. Vending machines are available.

Cell phones are permitted inside the main medical center in designated areas only. Because we care about your health, Christ Medical Center does not permit smoking within the medical center or in medical center-owned buildings. Smoking has been shown not only to compromise the health of those who smoke, but others who come into contact with smokers. Therefore, in keeping with Advocate's mission to promote the health, wellness and comfort of our patients and growing concern of health risks resulting from smoking and second-hand smoke in the community, all Advocate Health Care sites are smoke-free.