Deirdre Pettus BSN, RN, CRRN, a 2018 graduate of the Mount, returned to her alma mater as director of Health Services in October of 2021.
Pettus oversees the college's Health Services office, which aids students in their health management and hosts events that promote wellness and healthy living.
"To work here at Mount Saint Mary College is such a blessing to me," said Pettus. "I feel so appreciative that I have been given the opportunity to work with the students, faculty, and staff. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming."
She added, "As a mother of four children...I have seen the struggles and triumphs of these students and I want to be part of their journey. I want to help these students with their health and wellness."
Pettus comes to the Mount from Garnet Health Medical Center (previously known as Orange Regional Medical Center) in Middletown, N.Y. where she served for more than 20 years as a referral specialist for Inpatient Rehabilitation Services.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Mount and an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from SUNY Orange.
Becoming the director of Health Services "has brought me full circle," Pettus said.
Pettus takes over for Doreen Bischof, RN, BSN, who helped to guide the Mount through the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time Bischof passed the torch to Pettus, more than 94 percent of Mount students were vaccinated and 100 percent were compliant with the college's COVID-19 policy.