Shailee S. Shah, MD

We had a very disappointing experience with Dr. Shah's practice! My husband's condition deteriorated significantly and he became completely bedridden, yet after his PET scans we were left without any follow-up appointment or meaningful communication regarding the findings. I ultimately had to contact the imaging center myself, where I was informed that the results had already been released and discussed with Dr. Shah. However, whenever I inquired, I was repeatedly told by the office staff that the doctor would contact us after reviewing the report and that we would need to wait several months for an available appointment. Dr. Shah initially recommended IVIG treatment, but there appeared to be inadequate follow-up with the insurance process. The treatment had to be canceled twice due to unresolved insurance issues. Eventually, we were informed that IVIG would not be pursued after all, indicating a change in the treatment plan without what I felt was sufficient explanation. What was… particularly frustrating was being told that my husband had corticobasal syndrome (CBS), which is a clinical syndrome describing a pattern of symptoms rather than a specific underlying pathology. We were also told that he had a terminal brain disease, yet no definitive underlying diagnosis was provided. As a caregiver trying to understand my husband's condition and future care, I found this extremely difficult and distressing. Equally troubling was the complete lack of empathy and patient-centered care we experienced throughout this process. During one of the most devastating periods of our lives, when my husband was rapidly declining and eventually became bedridden, we felt unheard, unsupported, and left to navigate complex medical decisions on our own. Our experience was marked by poor communication, prolonged delays, lack of follow-up, insufficient explanation, and a concerning absence of compassion. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this practice based on our experience.

This doctor destroyed my family and left my husband with permanent brain damage, so that he no longer has the 22-plus year specialty career he worked tirelessly to build. AVOID Dr. Shailee Shah at Northwestern AT ALL COSTS. Dr. Shah showed zero ability to think beyond a basic checklist or connect clinical data points. I had to order and pay for critical out-of-state labs and tests (money we don't have) to identify the root cause of my husband’s illness. She dismissed my questions arrogantly, insulted my concerns when I pushed her to reconsider, and repeatedly refused the specific test that ultimately revealed the source of his condition. She also refused to provide a simple financial hardship letter required by Mayo Clinic, blocking us from seeking better care despite knowing our dire situation. Dr. Shah was fully informed of our financial crisis, our family at risk of losing our home due to my husband’s sudden illness. She misdiagnosed him, under-treated him, and when she learned… we were consulting legal counsel, she abruptly pulled his treatment in an apparent attempt to force him back under her care and cover her negligence. Her ego drove every decision. Her incompetence clouded every solution. Northwestern’s system enabled this. The neurology department manager, Caitlyn, confirmed that patient care takes a back seat: doctors have total control (“It’s their license, their say”), even without objective evidence that treatment is unnecessary. Being trapped in the Northwestern network allowed Dr. Shah’s errors to persist across multiple providers. Over eight hospital stays and ten months, the aligned neurologists doubled down on her misdiagnosis. My husband deteriorated into catatonia, seizures, and coma. Only a targeted infusion finally woke him. If I had followed their collective advice, he would likely be dead or far more damage than he is, caused under Dr. Shah and Dr. Santwani’s care. This was preventable incompetence compounded by institutional protection of negligent doctors. Spare yourself and your loved ones: DO NOT TRUST Dr. Shah with care. Your quality of life depends on it.