08/13/2025
Today we celebrated 40-plus years of Shelia McMahon during a retirement breakfast at The Arbors Independent Living.
“I’ve had a lot of titles in 40 (plus) years,” says Shelia, who oversaw our Managed Care. “I think part of what’s kept me here has been the ability to slip into other roles and not get burned out in any one.”
She moved into the role here about five years ago. She started as a PRN with Virginia Health Services in 1983 and was a med nurse at The Newport in her early days when she worked full-time and was a full-time student while raising a young son as she earned her LPN.
“They worked with me as far as schedules were concerned (when I returned to school for a RN). They made it possible for me to do that — and at that time, I was a single mom. It was really important to be able to juggle going to school full time, work full time. … That allowed me to better myself,” she says. “And by doing that, it gave me inroads to other areas of VHS.”
She was head nurse at York, in-service director for VHS and skilled care coordinator at James River. Then she got to travel to all VHS facilities when she became the resource utilization manager.
Shelia said she was the first in the company to get the certification to do MDS.
“I physically worked in all the facilities, except Lancashire, as an employee of the facility. I have traveled to all of the facilities when I was utilization resource coordinator for the company,” she said. “I really enjoyed that (traveling position). It’s a different perspective in each facility.”
She has witnessed 40-plus years of change, including the complete remodel of The Newport, the introduction of computers, and the end of having to wear white nurses’ caps.
“VHS has always been a leader in the community. It’s always been well-respected. It’s never been a place that’s not been welcoming to everybody,” she said.
In retirement, she will have more time to "play in the dirt." Shelia loves to garden and is a certified Master Gardener with York-Poquoson VCE. She also will have opportunities to travel, and is currently deciding between a couple of trips.
Thanks so much for your years of service, Shelia, and best wishes!
