Retired St. Luke's Nurse Executive Becomes Patient, Survives 'Widow Maker' Heart Attack
It’s unlike Mary Ann Osborn to miss lunch plans, so when she was absent from an American Heart Association Go Red for Women luncheon, her friends became concerned. It turned out she was at another heart event – her own. She was on her way to UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital Emergency Department with chest pain.
Earlier in the day, Osborn was returning to her car after a different activity. She ran up the parking ramp stairs and became short of breath. Later, her symptoms worsened.
“I thought to myself, ‘you need to do more of this – you’re out of shape,’” Osborn says. “I drove home, went downstairs and all of a sudden I had this pressure in my back, then a burning across my chest. I knew it was cardiac.”
Osborn knows the heart attack warning signs. She’s a retired nurse and former chief nursing officer at UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s. She started in 1977 as a bedside nurse in the adult intensive care unit and helped grow and expand Cedar Rapids’ first open heart surgery program, which St. Luke’s began in 1978. Still, she second-guessed her need to go to the emergency room.
“I told my husband I was going to wait and see if the feeling happened again,” Osborn recalls. “I told him I’d be embarrassed if it was nothing, but he said, ‘We’re not waiting; we’re going to the ER. You’d make me go.’ He was right.”
Full Suite of Care: ER, Cardiology, Rehab
St. Luke’s ER team checked Osborn’s heart enzymes (troponins), an indicator of heart muscle damage. The readings raised little concern, and she wasn’t having any additional symptoms, but they admitted her for observation. The following morning, she had a CT scan, which showed diffuse cardiac disease – a long section of hardened calcium (plaque) within an artery.
“I needed two overlapping stents in my LAD – left anterior descending artery – the main artery of the heart,” Osborn explains. “It was 95% blocked. They call this the ‘widow maker,’ (because LAD blockage can cause a severe heart attack and often leads to death).”
Following her procedure, Osborn attended St. Luke’s cardiac rehab for a couple of months. This allowed her an opportunity to build up her exercise routine. Cardiac rehab also provides education on preparing and eating healthy foods, stress management and developing a healthy mindset. The rehab team monitors heart activity and stays in close contact with patients’ cardiologists throughout the program.
Advocating for Heart Health
Osborn had the opportunity to share her story at the most recent Go Red for Women, in November 2025, for which St. Luke's has been presenting sponsor for more than 20 years. That was almost exactly one year after the luncheon she missed due to her own heart event. She and keynote speaker Laila Payvandi, MD, St. Luke’s cardiologist, were in unison with their message to “know your numbers” for heart health.
Dr. Payvandi shared the four key numbers to know:
- Cholesterol: Talk to a doctor about the numbers right for your total cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides.
- Body Mass Index (BMI): The recommended range for BMI is 18.6-24.9.
- Blood Pressure: Less than 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal range for non-pregnant individuals.
- Blood Sugar: A normal and healthy range for fasting blood glucose is lower than 100 mg/dl.
She also recommended coronary artery calcium scoring (St. Luke’s Heart Scan) – a CT scan for asymptomatic patients, used to detect calcium buildup in the arteries. St. Luke’s Heart Scan is for individuals ages 40-70, particularly those who have risk factors or family history of heart disease. There are no injections, treadmills or pre-test fasting. All that’s required is a doctor’s order.
Ironically, Osborn had a heart scan scheduled, but she required heart care before her appointment. Her calcium score while being treated was over 500 (300+ is considered severe). Since that time, each of her three siblings has had a Heart Scan, and several of her friends have scheduled one.
“I had tremendous trust in our care team. Everyone was so competent, compassionate and caring. It felt great being here – like I was at home.”
Don’t Delay – Trust St. Luke’s ER, Heart Experts
Reflecting on her experience, Osborn says she's grateful her husband was adamant about seeking care, and she was happy to be at St. Luke’s.
“I had tremendous trust in our care team,” she shares. “Everyone was so competent, compassionate and caring. It felt great being here – like I was at home.”
Osborn’s underlying message to the community – eat healthy, live an active lifestyle and get the care you need.
“The earlier [you seek care] the better,” she says. “If I hadn’t gone to the ER when I did, I could have had a full-blown heart attack. I could have been driving a car or doing something that would have caused danger not only to myself, but to others.
“I think people are reluctant to go to the ER, especially those of us who have been in healthcare because we’re afraid of being wrong. That’s what they are there for – let the experts decide.”
If you have symptoms of a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
