Dr. Daniel Joseph Combs, MD

I recently had a deeply concerning experience with St. Vincent's Emergency Room regarding my wife's care that I feel compelled to share as a warning to others. My wife made multiple visits to St. Vincent's ER with alarming symptoms: severe chest pain, nausea, resting pulse over 140, numbness on her right side, blurred vision, and difficulty seeing out of her right eye. She clearly informed the medical staff about her Graves' disease diagnosis, which can cause serious cardiovascular complications. Despite these concerning symptoms, the ER doctors only performed basic CT scans and IV treatment.They noted her elevated blood pressure (over 140/90 at times) but still repeatedly discharged her without admission or specialized testing. she left the hospital, her condition remained serious - she would return to our car shaking, with blurred vision, numbness on her right side, and continued chest pains. I specifically requested neurological testing due to the right-sided weakness and vision… issues, but was told she "didn't meet the qualifications" for admission or additional testing. What's most disturbing is that when we finally sought help elsewhere for her chest pain, the other medical provider informed us that had she waited just one more day, she could have died. During our final ER visit, I explicitly informed Dr. Combs (affiliated with Ascension St. Vincent Anderson) that I feared for my wife’s safety if discharged. She still had: Chest pain radiating to her right arm Numbness/weakness on her entire right side Blurred vision and pain in her right eye Despite documenting her Graves’ disease history (a known risk factor for cardiovascular emergencies) and her recent major surgery, Dr. Combs dismissed my concerns. He declined to order specialized neurological imaging. If Dr. Combs or St. Vincent’s ER staff minimize symptoms matching my wife’s case, demand escalation to a senior physician or immediately transfer care. Her subsequent providers confirmed these symptoms required emergency care.