The Terrace North

Pros

• The staff are consistently kind and informative.
• Dr. Esmon provides amazing care and genuine compassion for her patients.
• Olga is an amazing, friendly, and knowledgeable primary care doctor.
• Front desk staff are highly praised for their service.
• Patients receive the best level of care at every visit.
• The clinic is spotless and the service is very friendly.
• Dental procedures are phenomenal and efficiently performed.
• The team goes above and beyond to help with referrals and finding specialists by phone.

Cons

• Appointments were given away on different days for the reviewer and their father.
• The clinic requires verification of appointments three times up to the day of the appointment.
• They have to wait months for appointments.
• Care has declined due to frequent doctor changes and staff not knowing the purpose of the visit.
• The security officer was rude to a parent.
• There are long hold times to make an appointment and phone lines go unanswered.
• A nurse was rude and unprofessional and did not provide the expected vaccination.
• The place is described as the most horrible place to vaccinate and not recommended.

Review

The collection of experiences from this Zion-area health department clinic paints a picture of a facility that many families rely on and deeply value for its compassionate care, even as they grapple with inconsistent scheduling and some frustrating administrative hiccups. Across multiple viewpoints, the staff and physicians are described as genuinely caring and attentive. Patients repeatedly highlight the warmth and dedication of clinicians, with Dr. Esmon singled out for her remarkable care and compassion toward a child, and Olga praised for her knowledge and approach. The front desk and general staff are frequently noted as kind, informative, and supportive, contributing to a sense that, when the care team is engaged, families feel well-cared-for.

A recurring thread centers on the human touch and the way the clinic handles special needs and complex family situations. Families with handicapped relatives mention feeling seen and supported, and they commend the way the team accommodates their unique needs. Several reviewers also emphasize the proactive outreach they experience: reminders for appointments, check-ins on referrals, and help in locating specialists over the phone. In these moments, the clinic is described as going "above and beyond," with staff who understand the challenges of follow-up care and work to keep patients on track, even when outside life makes appointments difficult.

Yet alongside widespread praise for the clinicians and the empathetic approach, there is a clear undercurrent of frustration with the clinic's administrative side. A number of reviews recount appointment scheduling missteps - appointments being given away on different days and verifications required multiple times, sometimes up to the day of the appointment. Patients note the inconvenience of months-long waits and the hassle of presenting verification texts more than once. There is a call for the processes around scheduling to be tightened so that families don't have to juggle conflicting information or endure repeated confirmations just to secure a slot.

The phone system and wait times also appear as persistent pain points. One parent describes calling for almost two months, leaving numerous voicemails, and repeatedly encountering dead ends with callbacks never arriving. Others report long hold times and difficulty getting through to someone who can assist with urgent needs, such as vaccines for a baby who is due for shots. The practical impact of these delays is real: delayed vaccinations, missed opportunities for timely care, and the stress of trying to coordinate appointments around busy family schedules.

There are also a handful of negative encounters that some readers felt weighed the overall experience down. A few reviews describe front-desk behavior as rude or unhelpful, with complaints about a lack of work ethic and being told they were late for an appointment through no fault of their own. There are mentions of a security guard being rude in the lobby, and at least one harsh observation about a nurse who appeared distracted and dismissive during a vaccination visit. Other comments reflect distress about emergency situations where communication broke down or where the environment during vaccination was not perceived as professional. Taken together, these perspectives highlight real concerns about customer service and the clinic's environment in moments of high stress or heavy demand.

Despite the negatives, a strong thread of loyalty remains. Several reviews describe choosing this clinic over others due to cleanliness, efficiency, and the overall experience when things run smoothly. There are mentions of unexpectedly quick experiences, no line moments, and a spotless facility that helped redefine what one might expect from a public health setting. People express a preference for returning because of the positive interactions with staff, the quality of care when they are able to access it, and the reassurance that their children and loved ones are in capable hands. In some cases, this trust and appreciation outweigh the discomforts of occasional scheduling or wait-time challenges.

In sum, the clinic is seen as a place of genuine care and indispensable service for many families, with clinicians who earn praise for their compassion, expertise, and dedication. The strongest sentiments celebrate moments when the team truly connects with patients and helps families navigate difficult health matters. At the same time, the reviews illuminate real and actionable frustrations around appointment scheduling, phone responsiveness, and some interpersonal interactions that can undermine otherwise positive experiences. The recurring call is for more reliable scheduling, clearer communication, and consistent, respectful service across all touchpoints, so that the remarkable clinical care can reach its full potential without being overshadowed by administrative obstacles.

This part of Zion, Illinois, offers convenient access to a variety of healthcare services, including physicians specializing in surgical oncology, plastic surgery, dermatology, and more. There are hospitals nearby such as Cancer Treatment Centers of America for specialized care and Vista Medical Center for general medical needs. In terms of amenities, there are several pharmacies within a short distance for easy access to medications. The area also features various dining options ranging from fast food to sit-down restaurants like The Shanty Restaurant. Additionally, there are parks nearby for leisurely walks and relaxation. Places of worship such as St Therese Church and St Paul's Lutheran Church offer spiritual support and community engagement. For entertainment, residents can enjoy movies at Gurnee Mills Cinema or Cinemark Tinseltown USA. Overall, this part of Zion provides a well-rounded environment that caters to the needs and interests of seniors looking for a vibrant community with essential services within reach.

Physicians

• Hatem Halabi, MD, FACS | Surgical Oncologist (0.5 miles)
• Meadows Plastic Surgery (1.3 miles)
• Vista Physician Group (5.2 miles)
• Family Primary Care Clinic (6.1 miles)
• North Suburban Dermatology Associates (6.8 miles)
• Hanger Clinic: Prosthetics & Orthotics (6.9 miles)
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (7 miles)

Hospitals

• Cancer Treatment Centers of America - Gastroenterology (0.5 miles)
• Waukegan Il Hospital Co. (4.7 miles)
• Vista Medical Center - East (4.7 miles)
• Ocenco (6.5 miles)
• Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (9.1 miles)
• Kenosha Medical Center (9.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Jewel-Osco Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Walgreens (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.8 miles)
• Walgreens (5.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (6.1 miles)

Parks

• Illinois Beach State Park (2.2 miles)
• Waukegan Park District (5.5 miles)
• Gangler Park (8.1 miles)
• Southport Park (8.1 miles)
• Millenium Park of Lindenhurst (9.2 miles)
• Eichelman Park (9.4 miles)
• Wolfenbuttel Park (9.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Taco Bell (2.6 miles)
• The Tropics (3.4 miles)
• Shirl's Drive In (3.9 miles)
• The Shanty Restaurant (5.3 miles)
• Country Pride (6.5 miles)
• Starlite Club (6.7 miles)
• Culver's (6.9 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (5.7 miles)
• Starbucks (7.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (7.8 miles)
• Panera Bread (8.8 miles)
• Corner Bakery Cafe (9.3 miles)
• Starbucks (9.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Therese Church (6.6 miles)
• St Paul's Lutheran Church (7 miles)

Theaters

• Gurnee Mills Cinema Gurnee, Il (7.4 miles)
• Cinemark Tinseltown USA (9.1 miles)