So many wonderful things to say about the staff and my experiences with the Wicker Park Eye Center. I had a pretty serious eye infection onset very quickly. Found myself bouncing between emergency rooms and doctors scratching their heads. Within just a couple days, what started out as a little redness ended up evolving into a growing irritation. Maybe just an eye lash under the hood, maybe a small inconvenient scratch. Then I swelled up like a bee planted a stinger in my eyelid. A slow but constant stream of reddish puss began draining down my face. Lost the ability to open the right eye completely, and to see anything except vague blurry colors, if I gingerly and painfully pried the eye to status. Started to feel like other eye was beginning to develop similar symptoms. I was in pain. It was scary and dark. Then I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Shah and it changed the course of everything. The staff was gentle and their bedside manor genuine. They were calm, caring, and confident professionals. After a couple days of antibiotics and steroids, Dr. Shaw had me pain free and counting my blessings. It took a couple treatments, but I can see smiling faces again. My own included. I couldn’t be happier. Thank you Wicker Park Eye Center. You are making a difference. You are why people want to go into medical care to truly help others. More
Had a great experience each time I’ve been here. I was having an eye issue that I went to five other physicians about that were not able to help me and Dr. Shah was able to quickly diagnose the problem and I’ve had no issues since! The rest of the staff was also very friendly and efficient. Had little to no wait time for my appointments. Would definitely recommend to others!! More
I first saw Dr. Tepper over six years ago, after relocating from California. That’s where I discovered I had glaucoma in both eyes. I also have a thin cornea, so my eye pressure has to be a bit below "normal" to preserve my vision.The first ophthalmologist I saw in Chicago didn’t specialize in glaucoma. (Something his office failed to tell me when I made the appointment.) Turns out that was for the best. He referred me to Dr. Tepper and Dr.T. is fantastic!In Cali, I had been prescribed two very strong (and very expensive) drugs to keep my eye pressure from destroying my optic nerve and blinding me. Even so, Dr. Tepper told me right away that he thought I had been medicated too aggressively given my age and overall health (54 at the time). He asked me if I would consider alternate medications that are not as caustic.I went for it and he monitored the results. The bottom line is that my eye pressure remained under control just as well as it did with my previous "designer" meds! Also 10X cheaper! No exaggeration. The cost went from $300.00/Mo to $30.00/Mo.Because of Dr. Tepper, I was able to get off of two separate corporate drug assistance programs (which are bureaucratic nightmares) and just pay out of pocket. This really simplified my life. More than that, I’m getting first rate medical care. One visit I wondered out loud if my blood pressure was too high and Dr. T took a reading on the spot. I never had an ophthalmologist take my BP before! Dr. Tepper factors in all aspects of my health and fitness. He is not a shill for big pharma like a lot of doctors. He stresses a healthy lifestyle instead of solely relying on meds alone. He also shares info about leading edge treatments, studies and breakthroughs relevant to my condition. His practice is busy, but Dr. Tepper never makes me feel like he is in a hurry to see another patient. He is extremely personable and sincere. Because of this and his expertise, I referred my mom (age 95) to Dr. T. She is super picky about doctors and SHE chose Dr. Tepper for cataract surgery. That says it all! More
I am surprised to read about bad experiences at this practice. I called two weeks ago on a Thursday because my 15 year old son lost vision in his left eye. The administrative staff was courteous on the phone and said since this could be a serious situation the doctor could see us on Friday morning. I had been calling opthlamologists for two hours Thursday morning and none would see us immediately or even within a week. Upon check-in, the staff was courteous. Our insurance doesn’t cover eye exams, so they asked for payment up front, which was fine. We had to wait for about an hour before we were seen, which was fine since they got us in within a day of calling for an appointment. My son had an eye exam with an assistant and was given drops to dilate his eyes, and we waited about 30 more minutes before we were seen by Dr. Tepper - again, fine. Dr. Tepper was courteous, fast paced, but thorough. My son was diagnosed with a detached retina. Dr. Tepper referred us to a retinal specialist, his staff called to set up an immediate appointment because of the seriousness of the situation, but that specialist was out for the day. He made a second referral to a retinal specialist at UIC eye clinic. His staff called and notified them of our situation and the doctor at UIC was ready and waiting for us when we arrived. My son had surgery that Monday. Because of Dr. Tepper’s willingness to see us quickly, his diagnosis and referral, my son might regain most of his vision in his eye. If there is one thing I have learned about seeing a specialist, through this and previous experience, it is that they often run behind because they make concessions for emergency appointments, meaning maybe they are overbooked. Doctor’s also get held up with patients who have a number of questions/concerns/problems. I would rather know my specialist is committed to his patients, than churning them out as quickly as possible. By the way, we have seen our retinal specialist twice since my son’s surgery, and the first time he was on time, but we waited two hours the second time. He happens to be one of the best retinal specialists, and worth every minute of our wait. I can say the same of Dr. Tepper. More
I scheduled an appointment because a minor vision issue had me scared and I was looking for some reassurance and peace of mind. Dr. Tepper’s team was very professional, efficient, and explained what was wrong with my vision, and why it was occurring in layman’s terms. I was able to completely understand the severity of my issue and what my options were moving forward. Dr. Tepper spent additional time with me to make sure all of my questions were answered even though he was extremely busy. I highly recommend. More
Called in Tuesday morning due to a speck of metal which was lodged on my pupil. Reception got me on the schedule for the afternoon. In and out in decent time, Dr Tepper was very patient with me and was able to remove the piece of metal with little fuss. This is the second time in 3 years I’ve had to get a piece of metal removed from my eye. In the previous occurrence the ophthalmologist who removed the foreign body prescribed me very expensive eye drops for the weeks following. At Wicker Park Eye Center Dr. T gave me similar/same eye drops from his cabinet which was unexpected and a huge relief for my wallet. More
Very friendly staff. Knowledgable and always patient with me and my many questions. I feel comfortable coming here. I like that they really explain things to me and WHY we have to do certain tests and what the results mean. I recommend this eye doc for sure. Plus they don’t just fit you for contacts. This is an MD. They take care of your eye HEALTH. More
My optometrist referred me to Dr. Tepper and I’m so glad he did! In spite of the fact that Dr Tepper had to squeeze me into his busy schedule, I felt like I was his only patient when he evaluated and treated my eye infection. He is one of those lucky individuals that found his true calling as a doctor. Don’t worry if the waiting area is busy when you walk in. His office is very efficient, the staff does a great job processing his patients, and when Dr Tepper is with you, you have his full attention. He is genuinely interested in delivering quality eye care to his patients and I, for one, am lucky to be one of his patients. More
I had an excellent experience at Wicker Park Eye Center. As a medical student who has spent time at a number of different clinics, I would recommend this office. The staff was courteous and capable. The office was clean and recently renovated. Of course, there was a slight wait for the doctor, but the office manager was actively moving things along and I never felt ignored or forgotten. When the doctor arrived I felt like he cared about my problem, understood what I was trying to relate, and then was communicative about forming a plan for my treatment. A couple side-notes: I was impressed with the level of Spanish that I overheard the doctor and his staff speaking in the room next to me. Also, the doctor was well-informed about holistic/organic options in my treatment plan. Parking is easy and the clinic location is ideal if you live or work anywhere near Wicker Park. Totes awesome! Go here! More
Wicker Park Eye Center ROCKS!!!Needed new glasses and these folks in Wicker Park did not disappoint. Got an appointment a week in advance. They took my insurance. Easy free parking in the lot, waiting room was clean. Magazines were decent. Didn’t have to wait long to see Dr. Tepper.Once I met with Dr. Tepper, I sort of went on this wild informational, informative yet completely interesting, almost entertaining, journey through the different intricacies and functions of the human eye. This gentleman physician has a charisma about him that will help you not only see better, but simply make you WANT to take better care of your eyes. It was refreshing to finally find a doctor who I know I would come back to again and again. I really only thought this was something you see in the movies, but hands down an excellent experience and I highly recommend Wicker Park Eye place for any eye problem, glasses or contacts. More