Living the Mission: Deirdre Capozzoli

For Deirdre Capozzoli, RN, caring for others is more than just a career —it’s her lifelong mission. With more than 30 years of nursing experience, Deirdre began in medical/surgical telemetry at St. Francis Hospital, and today serves as a member of Catholic Health’s Community Outreach team. 

“I have wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember,” Deirdre recalled. “When I was five years old, I ran a children’s hospital from my bedroom, taking care of all my sick baby dolls! As a young adult, I went to Molloy University to study nursing, and my first job out of school was a telemetry role in Salem, Massachusetts, and I fell in love with the geriatric population.”

In her current role, Deirdre travels across Long Island providing free health screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and glucose to medically underserved communities in Suffolk County. In addition to caring for Long Islanders from day to day in her capacity as a nurse, Deirdre helped collect winter clothing for those in need. 

“As a registered nurse for community outreach, I have the privilege of caring for diverse groups from all social, economic and educational backgrounds,” said Deirdre. “My favorite thing about my role is education, especially diabetes education. I am able to take the time to educate each individual, based on his/her needs and knowledge base and make a personal connection while doing so.”

For Deidre, the most rewarding part of her work is seeing the impact firsthand. “When patients thank me for explaining their results and providing educational information to help improve their health—I know I’m making a difference.” 

She’s also credits Catholic Health and her colleagues for their support. “I’ve been fortunate to work with great people who want me to succeed. Here at Catholic Health, we are a great team, and you are never alone.”