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Trailblazing nurse retires from Canterbury Center

By Tabitha Johnston - Chronicle Staff | Dec 10, 2021

Eveline Vreugdenhil stands with Shepherdstown Chief of Police Mike King, Mayor Jim Auxer and Canterbury Center Executive Director Katrina Taylor, at her retirement party in Canterbury Center's dining room on Nov. 30. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Canterbury Center said goodbye to one of its most beloved staff members, with a lengthy retirement party held in the center’s dining room on Nov. 30.

According to Executive Director Katrina Taylor, the party began in the morning, continuing through lunch and into the afternoon, so employees working different shifts could all get the chance to see Canterbury Center Nurse Executive Eveline Vreugdenhil on her final day at the center.

“Throughout her service to Canterbury, Eveline has developed and cultivated a nursing unit that has proven itself to be one of the leading providers of world-class patient care in our panhandle,” Taylor said. “Throughout her tenure, Eveline has implemented and spearheaded countless initiatives, rollouts, new changes and new, innovative concepts, to continue to keep Canterbury ahead of and at the forefront, leading quality patient care.

“Over the last six years, I have had the honor and privilege of working alongside Eveline, as she has lead our clinical team through the twists and turns of our very complex, ever-changing healthcare environment,” Taylor said, mentioning she implemented COVID-19 safety guidelines in the center, before they were required by the law or the center’s managing company, Genesis HealthCare.

Those practices were noticed by Genesis HealthCare, and quickly applied to the other nursing homes the company owns, according to Taylor. Due to carefully following Eveline’s safety guidelines, Canterbury Center has had only one COVID-19 outbreak, which was spread among almost 20 patients in Sept. 2021.

Notes from well-wishers lie on a table at Eveline Vreugdenhil's retirement party at Canterbury Center on Nov. 30. Tabitha Johnston

“Eveline never seems to consider her work as anything special,” Taylor said, mentioning this was in spite of her receiving numerous accolades throughout her career, most recently Genesis HealthCare’s Director of Nursing of the Year in 2018. “She is humble, always serving and never boastful or seeking individual praise. She has embodied the true meaning of servant leadership in healthcare.”

According to Eveline, she and her husband, Daan Vreugdenhil, plan to continue living in Shepherdstown, now that they are both retired. However, Eveline’s free time will continue to be put to good use, as she divides it between traveling, skiing, hiking and filling in with the occasional nursing shift at Canterbury Center.

“I came here on January 10, 2000, so I’ve been here about 21 years!” Eveline said, mentioning she has spent her nursing career, making a difference in countries around the globe. “I’ve done this with the greatest pleasure. But I’m 72, so it’s about time I retire!”

Originally, Eveline intended to retire when she was 70. She delayed that decision for a year, and in that span of time, the pandemic hit.

“I stayed through COVID, because it was a bad time to leave,” Eveline said. “You don’t want to abort the ship when it’s in hard times.”

Canterbury Center residents, staff, former staff and community members attend Eveline Vreugdenhil's retirement party on Nov. 30. Tabitha Johnston