Frequently asked questions

Appointment Scheduling

  • Appointments are confirmed one business day in advance of the appointment date by text message.
  • We ask that you arrive 15 to 20 minutes before your scheduled appointment so that you may complete all necessary paperwork.
  • As a courtesy to your physician, we would appreciate 24-hour notice if you need to cancel your appointment. You may be asked to reschedule your appointment if you do not have the required referrals or are routinely late for your appointments.
  • The doctors see urgent visits as soon as possible, however there maybe times that the doctors direct the patients to go to OB/Triage because of the type of care anticipated.
  • Please contact us by phone 312-997-2229 if you are running late
  • Due to unexpected emergencies, our physicians may need to leave the office. If this occurs, we will do our best to inform you as soon as possible. This may require rescheduling or changing appointment times.
  • Scheduled appointments that are "no show" or do not call ahead with changes will incur a $50 charge.
  • Schedule an appointment now.



Office Hours

Monday through Friday – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We are closed for all national holidays.



COVID-19 Infection Prevention & Control Procedures

Women's Health Consultants has adopted the following infection prevention and control procedures based on current CDC Guidelines

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  • WHC provides alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) with 60-95% alcohol, tissues and non-touch receptacles throughout the reception area, waiting room, and examination rooms.
  • The reception area and waiting room desk are sanitized throughout the day; examination rooms and medical equipment are sanitized before/after each patient visit.
  • All healthcare and administrative personnel are required to wear medical-grade facemasks during patient visiting hours. All personnel undergo regular temperature checks and Covid-19 symptom monitoring.
  • All patients and visitors are required to wear a cloth or medical-grade facemask at all times while in the facility. Facemasks are provided to all patients and visitors as necessary.
  • All patients and other visitors have temperatures taken and undergo Covid-19 screening prior to entering the facility.
  • Waiting room seating is arranged in order to ensure appropriate social distancing. Appointment schedules are staggered in order to ensure that patients are not congregating in our waiting room and are able to maintain social distancing at all times.
  • Instructional signage regarding Covid-19 Prevention Protocols and Procedures are placed throughout our facility.
  • In addition:
    • Patients have the option to do Televisits (video calls), phone calls, and other remote interactions in lieu of in-person visits whenever possible.
    • Patients are instructed to call ahead and discuss the need to reschedule their appointment if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection within the 10 days prior to their appointment, or if they have had close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within 14 days prior to their scheduled appointment.
    • In the event patients are diagnosed with Covid-19, suspect that they may have Covid-19, or are requesting evaluation for possible SARS-CoV-2 infection, they are instructed to take preventative actions and undergo special procedures in order to mitigate potential spread during in-person appointments, including prior notification (e.g., calling ahead from car), appropriate source control measures (e.g., facemasks, hand sanitation), and direct placement into examination rooms.
All WHC staff have been fully vaccinated.



Location & Directions

Women's Health Consultants

58 East Walton Street

Chicago, IL 60611

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WHC is located on the third floor of the 58 East Walton Street building. Our office is on a one-way (westbound) street between Michigan Ave. and Rush Street.

We offer discounted valet or garage parking nearby with a validation coupon (available at our reception desk).

Download parking info here.



Parking

There are 3 convenient parking options nearby for your appointment with us:

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  1. One Magnificent Mile Garage at 120 E. Walton Street offers 3 hours of valet parking for $9 with a WHC validation coupon. Please note, there is a flight of stairs to gain street access and retrieve your car from this garage.
  2. Laz Parking Garage at 100 E. Walton Street (just 6 doors east of our office entrance) offers $3-hour parking with WHC validation coupon
  3. Metered street parking on Walton Street through Park Chicago is available for $4.50/hour with a 2-hour maximum.



Phone Directory

Women’s Health Consultants

  • Emergencies, 24 HOUR SERVICE: 312-997-2229 (BABY)

  • Billing Inquiries: 773-275-4800

  • FAX: 773-797-2884

  • Rush Medical Center: 312-942-5000

  • Labor & Delivery and Prenatal Classes: 312-547-8850

  • Labor and Delivery Tours: 888-352-7874

  • Labor and Delivery: 312-942-5073

  • Lactation Consultant: 312-947-8800



Televisits

healow TeleVisits™ are a safe and secure way for you to connect to your doctor remotely, via video and audio connection either on your smartphone or your computer (with audio and video capabilities).

How do I join a TeleVisit?

On your smartphone or computer:

Click on the text or email link you receive from your doctor’s office. No login required. Or you can start the visit by logging into the healow app or Patient Portal.

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On the day of your appointment:

  • Set aside a secure and private location for your appointment.
  • “Arrive early” by logging into the Healow app, Patient Portal, or clicking the link within the email reminder or text message your doctor’s office sent you.
  • Fill out any patient questionnaires and vitals if applicable (answers are not mandatory on either form, but fill in what you can).
  • Click “Proceed” to check your computer’s speed and ability to support a TeleVisit.
  • Click “Start TeleVisit” to enter the virtual waiting room.
  • Your physician will begin the face-to-face TeleVisit and disconnect when the visit ends.

TeleVisits Access to Within WHC Portal: https://health.healow.com/whcchicago

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TeleVisits Mobile Applications:

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Medical Emergencies

When there is an emergency or urgent problem, please alert the telephone receptionist that the nature of the call is either urgent or emergent. Pregnancy emergencies and other types of complications that will be addressed immediately can include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

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  • bleeding
  • watery vaginal leakage, discharge
  • severe abdominal pain
  • regular contractions or abdominal tightening occurring more than 3 weeks before your due date
  • decreased or absent fetal movements after 24 weeks gestation.

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If the call is after regular office hours, the call will be forwarded to the physician on call for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. If you do not receive a call back within 20 minutes, a second call should be made. If the second call is not returned after an additional 15 minutes, call the hospital Labor and Delivery (312) 997-2229 and ask for the nurse.

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However, if the condition is urgent, as in the examples described above, a visit to OB/Triage or the nearest hospital emergency room is indicated immediately.

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For emergent life-threatening situations call 911.



Insurance

Women’s Health Consultants verifies a patient’s insurance coverage before scheduling an appointment. When you call the office, we ask you to provide your insurance information. If your insurance requires a referral, we ask that you fax the referral to our office.

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For more information, please visit our Insurance Carriers Page.



Prescriptions

Refills require 48-72 hours to process and will not be refilled after hours. Please be sure to refill your prescriptions accordingly. In order to process the refill, the patient has to be seen yearly. If the patient is due for an annual visit, we will only grant a limited refill once an appointment has been made.



Forms

Many pregnant patients have maternity/FMLA/Disability forms that are required to be filled out for work. We charge a fee of $25 for any form that must be filled out during your pregnancy. Payment is expected at the time that forms are submitted. We ask that patients make sure to fill out and sign the patient portion of the forms. Please allow 5 business days to complete forms.



Lab Results

For pregnant patients, all normal lab results are reviewed at your next prenatal appointment. For any abnormal or concerning lab results, patients will get a call for follow-up or treatment. Depending on your insurance, patients will be given options of locations to have their blood drawn.



Medical Records Release

Use our Medical Records Release Form to request another provider to release your records to Women’s Health Consultants. Prior to your appointment, please follow up to make sure the records have arrived at our office. This same form may be used in the event you are requesting records be sent from our office to another provider or to obtain a copy of medical records for your personal use.

Authorization to Release Medical Information



Who will deliver my baby?

Dr. Pombar and Dr. Mehendale are designated delivery doctors at Women's Health Consultants. We realize that the delivery of your baby is a very personal experience. Unlike larger group practices where you may not meet the doctor who will deliver your baby, Women's Health Consultants focused approach to patient care means that you will have a greater opportunity to get to know and interact with our entire staff, including our delivery doctors.



What do I do if I have a question or concern after hours?

Call our main office number, 312-997-2229. If it is after business hours or on a weekend, you will be directed to our answering service. They will contact the on-call physician for you. If you are having an emergency, we advise you to call 911 immediately.

If you have concerns during business hours, please contact our nurse line at 312-942-2690.



When should I contact my physician?

Contact your physician’s office immediately if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

  • Leaking of fluids
  • Vaginal bleeding
  • Less than normal fetal movement
  • Contractions 4 or more times an hour before 34 weeks gestation
  • Contractions every 4 minutes or closer after 34 weeks gestation