Visitor information

Frequently asked questions

What are the visiting hours and guidelines?
General visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., although some units have different hours. The hospital arranges visiting hours on the basis of patient-care needs. It is important that visitors comply with the designated hours. Visitors may be asked to leave if the visit interferes with patient care. Persons who are ill will not be permitted to visit. Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Advocate South Suburban Hospital requests that visitors:

• Obtain a clip-on pass at the information desk in the east lobby
• Be limited to two persons at a time
• Be limited to reasonable length of time
• Leave the room when treatments or examinations are being performed
• Not smoke anywhere in the hospital
• Speak quietly and avoid unnecessary noise
• Be accompanied by an adult if under 12 years of age
• Be free of infectious disease

Intensive Care Unit
Visits are allowed from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors must be immediate family members (although exceptions will be considered) and are limited to two at a time at the patient’s bedside. Children under 12 are not permitted in the ICU. To protect confidentiality of patient information, we ask that you not visit between:

6:20 to 7:30 a.m.
2:20 to 3:30 p.m.
6:20 to 7:30 p.m.
10:20 to 11:30 p.m.

Although rest is an essential part of hospital care, we realize that pleasant visits from family and friends are important to our patients’ daily outlook and recovery. Visiting is encouraged but some regulations must be imposed to provide patients a time to rest.

Family Birth Center
Fathers may visit 24 hours a day. Other visitors and siblings can visit from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Siblings must be free from illness in order to visit the new baby.

Pediatrics
Parents may visit 24 hours a day. Other visitors can visit from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors are limited to two at a time. Patients may be visited by parents, adult relatives or children who are accompanied by an adult.

Smoking
Clean air is important to good health! Advocate South Suburban Hospital is a smoke-free institution. Therefore, visitors, as well as employees, medical staff and volunteers are not allowed to smoke anywhere inside the hospital. Those who feel they must smoke may do so outside the west entrance.

What are the amenities such as an ATM, cafeteria, gift shop and more?
Cafeteria Hours

The snack and vending area is open 24 hours. All seating areas are non-smoking.

Visitors and Staff Cafeteria
Meal service is provided in the cafeteria on the hospital’s lower level during the following hours:

Snack/vending area
A 24-hour vending area is available within the cafeteria. Sandwiches, fruit, juice, chips, candy, coffee, pop and entrees are offered.

Gift Shop
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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.

Clergy Visitation
Patients often wish to have a visit from their pastor, priest, iman or rabbi. When a patient, upon admission, gives the name of his or her church, temple or synagogue, the hospital’s office for mission and spiritual care will notify the designated church, if requested. Visits also can be arranged for patients who did not register the church or synagogue name. To contact the office for mission and spiritual care, dial ext. 3779.

Spiritual Care
Chaplains are available to provide spiritual care for patients, families, hospital associates and visitors, especially during times of crisis, grief or loss. Services include visitation and prayer, ethical consultation, Advance Directives (Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Mental Health Treatment Preference and Declaration), and spiritual and emotional support. Chaplains are in the hospital Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. For spiritual care, call extension 3779. After these hours a chaplain may be reached via long range pager by dialing “0” for the operator. There also is a “Prayer and Praise Line.” By dialing HOPE, ext. 4673, from any in-house phone, callers will hear a short story, lesson and scripture. After the tone, callers can leave a confidential prayer request or praise report. Chaplains will check messages and remember these prayers during the daily prayer time and weekly prayer service.

The Elizabeth Karnes Vaughan Chapel: Located on the first floor near the hospital’s west entrance, the Elizabeth Karnes Vaughan Chapel was opened in May 1997. Its special chapel-in-the-round design was chosen by a religiously diverse task force to evoke a sense of inclusion and of being embraced, where persons of all faiths can come together for prayer and mediation. Open 24 hours a day, the chapel is dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth Karnes Vaughan, a former volunteer and wife of former hospital board member D. Throop Vaughan.

A non-denominational room for prayer and mediation is located off the hospital’s main lobby, and is open to patients, visitors and hospital associates during the day and evening.

Hospital Phone Extensions

To call from outside the hospital, dial (708) 799-8000 and the appropriate extension number.

Telephone services
All patient rooms, with the exception of the intensive care unit are equipped with telephones. To place local calls, dial “9” and the outside number. To place long-distance and credit card calls, dial “9,” listen for the tone, then dial “0” and the outside operator will assist you.

Patients may receive phone calls in their room between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. They may dial out at any time. Patients rooms can be dialed direct with a touch-tone phone by dialing the hospital at (708) 799-8000 and the extension number that is shown on each patient’s phone. For most patient rooms, the extension number represents the patient’s bed number followed by the room number. For example, to reach a patient in Bed 2, Room 317, dial ext. 2317.

Phones and a TDD for patients who are hearing impaired are available upon request. Please contact your nurse if you are in need of either of these devices. To call the hospital, persons with hearing impairments may use the TDD number, 708-799-6190.

The telephones located at the nursing stations and in hospital offices are for hospital personnel only. Public telephones are available in the lobbies for use by visitors. Use of cellular phones within the hospital is prohibited as their signals may interfere with medical equipment functioning.

Where do I park?
Patients and their visitors are advised to park in the front of the hospital at 17800 S. Kedzie Avenue and enter through the main entrance (east lobby).

How do I find my way around the hospital?
Volunteers at the information desk will provide patients and visitors with clip-on identification badges and instructions on how to reach their destination. The hospital has two elevator banks. The A elevators are closest to the east lobby (main entrance). The B elevators are located in the west lobby (rear entrance) of the hospital.

Most outpatient services are located on the first floor of the hospital. The emergency department also is located on the first floor.

How do I find my way around the local area?
Churches/synagogues in the area: There are a number of churches and synagogues in the communities that surround Advocate South Suburban Hospital. Please contact the office of mission and spiritual care at ext. 3779 for assistance in locating a place of worship.

Local hotels: For those visitors who are staying overnight in the area, there are several hotels within 10 minutes of the hospital. Travel north on Kedzie Avenue to I-80 West. Once on I-80, look for the Harlem Avenue exit. There are several hotels at Harlem Avenue and I-80 in Tinley Park.

Currency exchange/Post office: There is a currency exchange located at the corner of 175th Street and Kedzie Avenue, just north of the hospital. A United States Post Office also is located on the southeast corner of the same intersection.

Supermarkets: Two supermarkets are located just south of the hospital on the northwest corner and the southeast corner of 183rd Street and Kedzie Avenue.

Useful phone numbers

Who do I call with a complaint or concern?
Your concerns are important to us. Please contact your nurse with any questions or concerns you may have during your stay. If you do not believe your concerns have been fully addressed, request to speak with the nursing director or the house supervisor.

If I have questions or concerns about paying my hospital bill, what should I do?
If you would like to discuss your bill, you should call a hospital financial counselor at the phone number on your billing statement. The financial counselor will review payment options that may be available to you. Such options include, applying for Illinois Medicaid, KidCare or Family Care programs, Illinois Crime Victims Fund, interest-free extended payment plans and charity care consideration. To help make the process easier to understand, Advocate can provide you a financial counselor who speaks your language.

For more information, please review our brochure, "Understanding Hospital Bills and Health Insurance Claims." Para más información por favor lea nuestro folleto "Entienda las facturas del hospital y la manera de hacer reclamos a su seguro médico."