Published October 22, 2026
Jeanette Vertentes struggled to hold back tears when she stepped to the podium during a reception celebrating the 14 paintings she recently donated to Westerly Hospital.
“For me, this hospital… it’s just special,” she said. “When you come in as a patient you’re facing some of the hardest times in your life. Every time I come here … everyone is just so amazing. The care they provide is their gift to our community. All I can offer is my art, so it was easy to gift that back to everybody.”
Vertentes’ artistic generosity is legendary. During the COVID-19 pandemic she offered via Instagram to mail a print to the first few nurses who shared photos of themselves caring for patients. As photos poured in, she couldn’t say no, eventually mailing more than 180 prints across the country and beyond.
At the request of a Westerly Hospital nurse, she recently donated a vibrant floral work to help the hospital’s Nursing Professional Governance (NPG) Council recognize DAISY and Sunflower awardees. Westerly’s Facilities team hung that picture and all the other works, receiving kudos for its skill and attention to detail.
“Jeanette, your artwork has transformed the walls and the hallways of our hospital,” said Mary Anne Stchur, executive director of Development, L+M and Westerly hospitals. “Your works will lend more warmth and a welcoming feel, which is absolutely what we need, and what we’re all about.”
Ashley Napolitano, RN, Westerly’s NPG Council chair and the nurse who first contacted Vertentes about her artwork, said she never could have imagined that one simple inquiry would lead to such a special gift.
“Jeanette told us how she remembered the compassion and dedication of our staff, and how meaningful it can be, during some of the hardest moments in life, to have something beautiful to look at,” Napolitano said at the reception. “Suddenly these paintings on the wall weren’t simply ‘artwork.’ They were part of the patient experience.”
Napolitano said she’s seen people stop in the hallways and smile at the artwork.
“Those moments might seem small, but in a hospital, small moments can mean a lot: a moment of peace when someone is scared; a moment of beauty when someone is having a difficult day; a moment that gives a patient, a family member, a visitor or a staff member, something positive to focus on. Jeanette has given us 14 paintings, but I think what she has really given us is 14 opportunities to create those moments.”
