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Healing Through Art: Inside the New Art a La Carte Program at Monadnock Community Hospital

Toni Gildone, Liz Keeney, and Caroline Gomez proudly present the Art a La Carte binder at Monadnock Community Hospital. Part of the Healing Arts initiative, this new program allows patients in the Medical Surgical Unit to choose personalized artwork for their rooms—bringing comfort, choice, and beauty to the bedside.
Bringing Beauty to the Bedside

As part of our ongoing Healing Arts initiative, we’re excited to share the Art a La Carte program in our Medical Surgical unit. This volunteer-led effort gives patients the opportunity to choose artwork to hang in their hospital room during their stay. From peaceful landscapes and calming abstracts to colorful nature photography, every piece is thoughtfully selected by our Healing Arts Gallery Committee and reproduced for display. 

The process is simple and patient-friendly. Each patient room in the Medical Surgical unit has a clear acrylic frame mounted on the wall. Volunteers bring a binder filled with thumbnail images of the available artwork. Patients browse the collection and pick something that speaks to them. Once they decide, the volunteer swaps out the existing piece for their new selection, making the room feel more personal and comforting. 

It’s a small gesture that brings big comfort. According to Katharyn Ernst, a member of the Healing Arts Committee and Philanthropy team, “We hope this simple act of choosing a piece of art will bring comfort and a sense of control during a hospital stay. It’s about making the space feel a little more like home.” 

Why Art Matters

Research shows that art in healthcare settings can lower anxiety, boost mood, and even support faster healing. For patients, especially during longer stays, picking out a piece of art offers a simple moment of control, beauty, and calm. 

A Community Effort

The Art a La Carte program is part of Monadnock Community Hospital’s Healing Arts initiative and brings together our Volunteer Services team, the Medical Surgical Unit, and our Healing Arts Gallery Committee. It’s a team effort with one shared goal: making every patient’s experience a little more human, one frame at a time.