HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The staff at TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center has received a big honor! The facility’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was named a 2022 Human Experience Guardian of Excellence award winner.

This prestigious award is based on feedback from former patients and their families.

Dr. Eric Scott Palmer said this NICU is unique because it is a smaller unit that encourages families to participate with their child’s care.

“We like them to be able to see what their baby can do, what their baby might have a hard time doing, so that they are better able to understand their baby; their baby’s health conditions; and, hopefully, how great their baby is doing at the time it goes home,” said Dr. Palmer.

This news comes as TriStar Hendersonville is expanding, adding 24,000 square feet, which will include four more rooms in the award-winning NICU unit.