MyChart Login
MCHC Health Centers is pleased to welcome Certified Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Kaitlyn McMahon. She will see patients at Hillside Health Center in Ukiah.
McMahon’s desire to care for women and babies began at a young age. “I’ve actually wanted to work in this profession since I was four years old,” she says. “My parents divorced when my mom was pregnant, and my mom and I were very close. I was there for the entire birth of my brother.”
That experience was transformative. After witnessing her first birth, “I was in love,” McMahon says. “I thought, ‘I want to do this someday.’” While most children frequently change their minds about future careers, her dream persisted.
She pursued undergraduate degrees in nursing, first becoming a licensed practical nurse and then a registered nurse. McMahon then worked as a labor and delivery nurse in a busy hospital in Pennsylvania where 6,000 babies were delivered each year, gaining experience in caring for high-risk patients.
Wanting to further her education and expand her scope of practice, McMahon pursued a dual Master of Science from Georgetown University, graduating as both a Certified Nurse Midwife and a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. “I never stopped going to school,” she says with a laugh.
She was drawn to California after working as a travel nurse in the San Francisco Bay Area. After applying for positions all across the country—including in Michigan, Maryland, Washington, and Oregon—it became clear that MCHC and Ukiah were the right choice. “Once I met the team here and saw that they have the same values I do, caring for the entire person as a whole and not just their symptoms, I knew this would be home for me,” McMahon says.
The Care for Her Director Dr. Donna Smith said, “From the moment we met Kaitlyn, we all knew she was an excellent fit at Care for Her. Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and empathy are contagious! We are lucky that she chose us.”
McMahon and her partner both grew up in small towns on the East Coast. “Ukiah is bigger than both of them,” she says. When they moved here, they discovered some unexpected amenities. “We were surprised we had a Costco,” she says.
McMahon is passionate about providing equitable care, particularly for populations that have been underserved. During her clinical rotation in midwifery school she worked at a Federally Qualified Health Center (the same designation MCHC holds), which underscored the need for community health centers. “I believe midwifery care is so much more valuable and rewarding when you can provide it for people who might not otherwise have access.”
Growing up in a small, rural community with just two medical providers and a 35-minute drive to the nearest hospital, McMahon saw firsthand the obstacles that keep people from quality care. Even those who receive medical attention for acute needs often do not receive whole-person care that looks at the bigger picture. McMahon is a firm believer that healthcare should be about “caring for the whole person, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically—not just passing out medication.”
McMahon commonly encounters misconceptions about what midwives do, primarily that they only deliver babies at home. “There are many different types of midwives,” she explains. “In the clinic, I see patients for prenatal and annual exams, and can help you have a healthy year in between annual exams. For pregnant patients I can also attend hospital births, help with postpartum care, and support your breastfeeding journey.”
McMahon emphasizes the importance of open communication with her patients, addressing patient needs and healthcare goals. She is an advocate for Health at Every Size (HAES) and is educated in trauma-informed care.
Outside of work, McMahon likes to read, hike, travel, watch Netflix, and bake, especially around the holidays. She and her partner have been married for almost five years and recently made the cross-country journey from Pennsylvania to Ukiah, accompanied by all of their belongings and their puppy, Stella. After their move, they set off on an eight-day road trip to explore their new home state, focusing on visiting national parks and exploring the outdoors.
MCHC Health Centers includes Hillside Health Center and Dora Street Health Center in Ukiah, Little Lake Health Center in Willits, and Lakeview Health Center in Lakeport. It is a community-based and patient-directed organization that provides comprehensive primary healthcare services as well as supportive services such as education and translation that promote access to healthcare.