From Spotlight on Health Sept./Oct. 2008

Celebrating a quarter century of cardiac care

Before cardiologist John Mahowald, M.D., returned to his hometown of St. Cloud in 1983, patients with heart disease had only two options to receive advanced cardiac care -- travel to the Twin Cities or the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Mahowald was St. Cloud Hospital’s first cardiologist.

“There were lots of mixed feelings about needing a cardiology program back then,” Mahowald said. “Thanks to the forward thinking of St. Cloud Hospital leadership, the Central Minnesota Heart Center was formed and is what it is today.”

Other cardiologists joined Mahowald -- and the local cardiology program became a bona fide heart center at St. Cloud Hospital with the 1988 launch of open-heart surgery and angioplasty (the mechanical widening of a narrowed or totally obstructed blood vessel).

Mahowald now is one of 20 cardiologists who are part of the nationally recognized Central Minnesota Heart Center at St. Cloud Hospital. These skilled practitioners perform balloon angioplasty, stent placement and electrical cardiac procedures including pacemakers and
defibrillators. They also provide cardiac outreach services at 27 sites across a 16-county area in Central Minnesota as well as Rapid City and Sioux Falls, S.D. Meanwhile, two cardiac surgeons perform coronary bypass and valve surgery.

The Heart Center team includes an array of professionals such as advanced practice nurses and imaging and cardiovascular technologists, who provide cardiac care for patients like Pat Shaughnessy. In May, when Shaughnessy’s heart pain refused to subside, he didn’t think twice about where to go. “I knew St. Cloud Hospital was a great hospital,” Shaughnessy said. “Our two sons received great care when they needed it the while attending St. John’s University.” Shaughnessy, a Worthington high school teacher and baseball coach, had been experiencing chest pain for a couple of months, but the pain always went away when he rested. That wasn’t the case, however, when he and his wife were camping near Richmond during the Memorial Day weekend.

Pat Shaughnessy

“This time the pain wouldn’t go away,” he said. “I knew it was time to head for the hospital.” He underwent a triple bypass at St. Cloud Hospital. “Everything went like clockwork,” Shaughnessy
said. “Everyone was so helpful, from my surgeon, Dr. Teskey, the cardiac rehab and telemetry staff,
to the dietitians. They made sure my wife and I were informed at all times about what was going
on with my care.”

Shaughnessy has advice for others: “Listen to your body and if you’re having symptoms, do something. I was lucky. Others may not be.”

Mahowald’s goal, meanwhile, is to focus on awareness and prevention.

“I’d love to see these patients 10 years earlier when we could combat and treat risk factors such as
obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” he said. “Doing something sooner could often
prevent patients from needing angioplasty or heart surgery later.”

Learn more about the Central Minnesota Heart Center.