Guidelines for visitors

Visitor policy

All Advocate Health facilities have a visitor policy in place that helps us ensure safe care. See our visitor policy

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the hospital located?

What are the visiting hours and guidelines?

Because we listen, we know the support of family and friends is important to our patients. At Advocate Trinity Hospital, we will assist you in spending time with visitors while being considerate of all patients.

When family or friends come to visit you at Advocate Trinity, it is necessary for them to stop by the information desk in the main lobby and pick up a visitor’s pass. For the well being of our patients, only two visitors (over age 6) are allowed in a patient’s room at a time. For the comfort of our guests, waiting rooms are located throughout the hospital. Ask any hospital associate for locations.

Hospital volunteers and public safety personnel are available 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at the information desk in the main lobby to provide directions, patient room numbers and meeting location information. After 8 p.m. all inquiries are directed to the emergency department. Also, information is available from every Advocate Trinity associate. Simply stop someone and ask.

General Visiting Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Nursery: Parents may visit 24 hours a day. For the safety of the children and babies, a special security system is in place. All visitors must present a photo ID before being given a visitor’s pass. Please call in advance to arrange for passes from the nursing unit.

Special Care Nursery: For the health and protection of our special care babies, visiting in the special care nursery is limited to mothers and fathers and relatives who are accompanied by one of the parents. Visiting hours are 24 hours 7 to 7:30 a.m. and 7 to 7:30 p.m. when the nursery is closed.

Labor and Delivery: The father/support person and another significant individual may be with the mother during labor. We ask that other family members wait in the waiting area on the third floor or on the first floor near the security desk. The support person can remain with the mother during her hospital stay.

Postpartum: To help you rest following the birth of your child, only two visitors are allowed in the maternity suite at one time. Special visiting arrangements may be made for siblings. Please contact the nursing staff to make these arrangements. Visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Intensive Care: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. For our patients’ well being, visits are limited to those 16 years or older.

Surgery: Family members may visit with you in your room before your surgery and are invited to remain in your room when you are taken to the surgery suite. Visiting hours in surgery are restricted. There is a waiting area for friends and family members. Staff will contact family members when you are taken to the recovery room and to your hospital room.

Family and friends may call for information about your condition, room number and telephone number. Because we respect your privacy, we will release a diagnosis or other specific medical information only with your permission. For patient information, friends and family members can call 773-967-2000 and ask the operator to connect them to the nurses’ station on your floor.

Because we care for the health of our patients and visitors, Advocate Trinity maintains a smoke-free environment for all patients, visitors and associates. Thank you for not smoking on our hospital campus. If you do smoke, there are two smoking huts located on the north side of the hospital.

What are the amenities and conveniences (e.g., ATM, cafeteria and gift shop)?

Light on the Hill Café: Our café, located on the first floor of the main building, serves a variety of hot and cold foods and beverages. The café is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. In addition, vending machines serving snacks and beverages are located in the café and on 3 north. If you would like to have a meal with your visitor, you may request a guest meal tray from the nursing staff. There is a nominal charge for this service.

Nearby Restaurants: There are several restaurants near Advocate Trinity, including fast-food establishments near the intersection of 95th Street and Jeffery Boulevard and along Stony Island Avenue south of 87th Street.

Interpreter Service: Auxiliary aids and interpreters are available to patients and family members who are hearing impaired or who do not speak English or have limited English skills. If you require an interpreter or auxiliary aids, ask any associate to secure an interpreter for you.

Notary Public: Notary publics are available at the hospital. If you need this service, contact any associate to assist you.

Telephones: Pay telephones are located in the hospital lobby and the emergency department. Guests in general patient rooms also have a telephone at their bedside. Follow the instructions on your phone for easy one-touch dialing both inside and outside of the hospital. See the patient handbook for additional calling instructions. Patients are able to receive phone calls from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. After 10 p.m., patients cannot receive incoming calls. To reach a patient by phone, dial 773-967. and the patient’s bed number and room number. For example, 773-967-1204 will allow you to reach the patient in bed 1, room 204.

Cellular Phones: The use of cellular phones is not allowed anywhere in or around Advocate Trinity due to potential interference with high-tech medical equipment. For the health of our patients, please turn off your cellular phone before you enter the hospital.

Mail: A U.S. mailbox is located just outside the main hospital entrance. Pick-up times are 7 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon on Saturday. Postage stamps can be purchased at the Oak Tree Gift Shop, located in the main lobby.

Cashier: The cashier is located on the first floor, just off the main lobby near the admitting department. Hours:

  • Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Saturday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Closed Sundays, holidays and noon to 1 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays  

ATM: A Cash Station™ automatic teller machine (ATM) is located just off the hospital’s main lobby near the passage to the Professional Office Building walkway.

Change Machine: If you need change for a $1 or $5 bill, you may use the change machines located in the café or in the emergency department on the first floor of the hospital.

Gifts: The Oak Tree Gift Shop is located in the hospital’s main lobby and carries an array of interesting gift items. These include Beanie Babies, books, magazines, greeting cards, snacks, candy, gum, stationery, toiletries, fresh and silk flower arrangements, balloon bouquets, baby gifts, children’s clothes, nightgowns, slippers, robes, personal care items, plush animals and much more.

Hours:

  • Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Sunday: Noon to 5 p.m.

Advocate 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 24/7 but are reviewed and processed only during the retail shop's normal business hours. The retail shop, located at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 12 p.m. to 4 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.

Newspapers: Newspapers are available in coin-operated machines in the hospital’s main lobby, near the emergency department and in front of the Professional Office Building.

Hotels: If you or a family member are planning to stay overnight in the area, there are hotels nearby. For lodging information, contact the patient representative by pressing “customer service” on your room phone, or ask your nurse to contact the patient representative for you.

Chapel: Located off the hospital’s main lobby, our chapel is open 24 hours a day for anyone seeking a quiet place to meditate or pray. The chapel also is used for occasions of formal worship and memorials led by the chaplains.

Chaplains: Because your spiritual needs are important to your recovery, our professionally trained chaplains who representing all faiths, are a vital part of our healing team. They are available 24 hours a day for pastoral care, counseling and sacraments. They also assist with ethical concerns, Living Wills and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. To see a chaplain, call the hospital operator or ask an associate to page the chaplain on duty.

Area Churches: There are many churches and houses of worship nearby. For more information, contact the mission and spiritual care office at ext. 5184 or ask an associate to page the chaplain on duty.

Lost and found: If you have lost or found an item, call public safety at ext. 3333. A public safety associate will take your report, check the lost and found area for the missing item or store the found item.

Public Safety: Advocate Trinity public safety associates are available 24 hours a day. To reach public safety, call ext. 3333.

We’re Listening: Please help us to identify and honor those Advocate Trinity associates and teams who demonstrate our commitment to excellent service. Patients will also receive a patient satisfaction survey mailed to their home after their stay. We encourage you to take a moment and let us know how we’re doing. We are also interested in listening and responding to your compliments, concerns and comments. You may fill out a ‘We’re Listening’ card and return it by mail or in one of the convenient drop boxes located throughout the hospital. Or, you may ask to use an Opinionmeter, a device that registers your customer service feedback and instantly reports it to the hospital associates. Opinionmeters are located throughout the hospital and Professional Office Building.

What special services are available?

Medical Records: Located on the first floor, across from elevators 4 and 5, the Health Information Services department is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Advance notice and patient authorization are required. Processing takes from seven to 10 business days. There is a fee for this service. Please call for additional information.

Call 773-967-5090 to request medical records

Outpatient Pharmacy: The outpatient pharmacy is located on the second floor of the Professional Office Building, across the street from the hospital, and is easily accessible through the overhead walkway. Your prescriptions can be faxed to the pharmacy from your doctor’s office and can be picked up. Please bring the original prescription with you. Cash, Visa and MasterCard are accepted, as are most insurance plans. The pharmacy fax number is 773-967-3877. Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Call 773-967-4142 for more information.

Senior Advocate: Senior Advocate is a special program of services and benefits to promote a healthy and independent lifestyle for people age 65 and older. Exercise programs, monthly breakfast talks and free health screenings are available for members of Senior Advocate.

Call 800-3-ADVOCATE to become a Senior Advocate Member.

Social Services: Social workers are available to assist you with planning your care for after you leave the hospital. This department provides patients and their families with guidance for nursing home placement, home care, financial resources and referral information. A social worker is assigned to each patient floor. Ask your nurse to contact one so they can have everything ready for your return home.

Support Groups: There are many support groups available at Advocate Trinity, including those listed below.

  • Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Asthma
  • Breast cancer
  • Cardiac rehabilitation
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Diabetes
  • Grieving
  • Nutritional support
  • Perinatal loss

Call 800-3-ADVOCATE for more information.

Job Opportunities: Advocate Trinity is part of Advocate Health Care. Advocate was named one of Chicagoland’s 25 Best Places to Work by Chicago magazine. More than half of Advocate Trinity’s associates live nearby. Advocate Trinity’s current job opportunities are posted on Advocate Aurora Health's careers site. Individuals may apply for positions using the computer that is located in the café, by submitting a resume in person or fax at 630-990-4746 or by email on the careers site.

Where do I park?

Free parking is available for patients and visitors in the main parking lot directly across from the hospital, just east of the Professional Office Building on 93rd Street, and on the corner of 93rd Street and Crandon Avenue. This convenient lot provides secured parking 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For emergency patients and visitors, there are parking lots conveniently located on 92nd Place across from the emergency entrance and just west of the emergency department. A public safety associate is available to escort visitors to their cars if requested. To reach a public safety associate, dial ext. 3333.

How do I get to the hospital with public transportation?

You can reach Advocate Trinity Hospital via several CTA bus routes. The 95E 93rd/95th bus stops directly in front of the hospital. In addition, there are several bus routes that stop at the corner of Jeffery Boulevard and 93rd Street or Jeffery Boulevard and 95th Street. In addition, CTA bus transportation is available to the CTA Red Line subway station at 95th Street and the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94), and to the Metra South Shore train station at 95th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue.

What are useful phone numbers at Advocate Trinity?

Who do I call with a complaint or concern?

Advocate Trinity Hospital is committed to meeting our customers’ needs. However, occasionally, differences may arise. Attempts to resolve concerns will be made at several levels (associate, manager/director, administration) but the grievance process is available to patients to resolve their concerns.

A grievance is a complaint about any condition of service rendered to a patient that they believe to be unjust or inequitable. This complaint has been unresolved at the associate and manager levels.

If a leadership team member fails to provide an acceptable response to a patient’s complaint, the patient should be reminded of the Patient Grievance Process. The leadership team or patient should contact the patient representative. The patient representative attempts to resolve the issue. If unable to do that, the patient representative is responsible for calling the Grievance Panel together within five working days.

The Patient Grievance panel consists of three members:

  1. Executive team member
  2. Governing council member (Facilitator)
  3. Ethics committee member

Each member of the grievance committee is responsible for reviewing all of the evidence available, and helping to arrive at a fair and just decision.

The Patient Grievance panel will listen to the concerns of the patient and attempt to develop a mutually acceptable resolution within five days of the meeting.

The patient representative will work with the governing council member to notify the patient in writing of the resolution of the complaint.

The patient representative will report quarterly to the executive team and governing council on any issues/resolutions of grievances.