Her nursing career took her across the country—and around the globe. Today, she supports the university she credits with giving her the foundation for success.

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When Janet Secatore ’69 attended nursing school at UMass Amherst, it was unusual for nurses to be trained in a college setting. Instead, most earned their nursing credentials through hospital-based diploma programs. Secatore, however, really wanted to go to college and says it was a “wonderful experience.”

“I met some of my best friends I have in the world [at UMass],” she says. “A group of us have maintained our friendship since we graduated.”

Secatore doesn’t just credit UMass Amherst with inspiring lifelong friendships. She says the university also provided the foundation on which she built a successful nursing career.

“The College of Nursing gave me the foundation I needed, which was helpful in developing my career,” she says. “It was pivotal to my ability to do the work I loved to do.”

After graduating from UMass, Secatore entered the workforce and soon landed at Beth Israel Hospital (now the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) in Boston. The hospital gave her the other foundational piece of her nursing career, she says.

“[Beth Israel] is where I learned how to be a nurse in practice, as opposed to what I learned at the university,” Secatore says. “It gave me a strong clinical background.”

After spending 15 years in cardiovascular nursing, Secatore earned a master’s degree in nursing administration from Boston University in 1983. By this time, Beth Israel was gaining attention for its outstanding patient care.

“Beth Israel was known for the collaboration between doctors, nurses, and other patient care staff.  We really understood what putting the patient first meant. Everyone was there because of the patients,” Secatore says. “We had extraordinary leaders who understood this collaborative team effort leads to the best patient outcomes.”

Taking Her Expertise Abroad

Leaders from Beth Israel traveled around the United States and abroad sharing the story of the hospital’s success with other organizations. Secatore soon joined them in these efforts and ended up at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

“Alfred was a large teaching hospital, the largest acute care hospital in Victoria,” Secatore says. “It was a wonderful opportunity.”

Alfred Hospital invited Secatore to return in six months to see the progress they’d made thanks to her guidance. What was to be a visit of a few weeks took a different turn when the chief nurse announced her retirement and Secatore decided to apply for the job. She stayed in Australia for the next 10 years, an experience she says was incredibly rewarding.

“I had a wonderful staff I was able to develop,” Secatore says. “Some of them now run some of the largest health care organizations in Australia.”

After 10 years in Australia, Secatore decided to return home to the Boston area, wanting to be close to her parents and siblings. She spent nine years at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute before retiring.

A Strong Connection to UMass

Secatore has long maintained a connection with her alma mater. She began donating to UMass shortly after graduating and has been a consistent donor ever since.

In 1989 Secatore received an invitation to attend an alumni brunch at the College of Nursing featuring the college’s then-new dean, Melanie Dreher. Dean Dreher spoke about her vision for the college, and Secatore was inspired.

“She was so dynamic and exciting,” Secatore remembers. “She was trying to build something, so I put my name down to help.”

Secatore was elected chair of the alumni committee that was created to support the dean’s efforts. She maintained this connection with the school for several decades, including during her time in Australia.

“I stayed engaged in what was happening and returned home every year, often during the fall Homecoming luncheon,” she says. “I was really involved for the entire time: planning celebrations for anniversaries of the College of Nursing, developing mission statements for the group, and more.”

When Secatore returned to the United States, she was also invited to serve on the Dean’s Advisory Board. Her service to the College of Nursing continued until she stepped down in the spring of 2025.

Giving Back

When Secatore decided to establish a fund to support the College of Nursing, she drew on her professional experience to determine how she could make the greatest impact.

“I decided to make the Janet Secatore Dean’s Fund a dean’s account because I had been in the shoes of people who had restrictions,” Secatore explains. “I was always challenged [as chief nursing officer] to find ways to support the things I wanted to do that weren’t in the budget.”

The Secatore Dean’s Fund allows the dean to explore opportunities and address needs as they arise, benefiting the college, its students, and faculty.

“I understood what it was like to be in a role where you’re unable to do things, even smaller things, that could help advance your goals. The dean is closest to [the college’s] needs. I told her to do what she thinks is the most effective.”

Nursing alumna Janet Secatore ’69

Interested in supporting aspiring nurses at UMass Amherst? Make a gift to the Secatore Dean’s Fund Endowment.