For four years, Kathy Downey has been the town’s public health nurse. But now she has a new title – doctor.

On May 17, Downey graduated from UMass Dartmouth with a Ph.D. in nursing after three and half years of study. As Marion’s nurse, Downey organizes public health programs, such as vaccination clinics, with officials in Rochester and Health Director Karen Walega.

Friends, family and co-workers celebrated with Downey Monday afternoon in the Town House.

“Earning this has helped my role here in town and how I do my job,” she said. “It’s provided me with a different perspective.”

Before she graduated Downey said she began to put her education to use. She and Rochester Public Health Nurse Betsy Dunn applied for a grant to launch a shingles vaccination program. At a cost of about $200 per shot, the vaccination proved too expensive for Marion or Rochester to cover on their own.

The grant  money will pay for 10 vaccinations shots. Downey said there’s clearly a need.

“We’ve already got about 60 people signed up,” she said.

Downey also holds a bachelors of science in nursing from Boston College and a masters of science in nursing from Boston University.

For her dissertation she studied people who become nurses even though their bachelor’s degree is in another field. As the health care industry grows attracting talented people will be a challenge, she said.

There’s another non-medical interest in Downey’s life and it’s business. With her master’s of business administration from the Wharton School she owns a seafood processing plant in New Bedford.

“I definitely lead two lives,” she said.