Inside the NICU: Meet the experts dedicated to supporting premature and sick newborns
Each year, more than 215,000 babies are born across HCA Healthcare hospitals – a number that reflects not only the scale of our care, but a deep commitment to supporting moms, newborns and families. Thousands of healthcare professionals – from obstetricians and labor and delivery nurses to anesthesiologists, maternal-fetal specialists and neonatal experts – play a vital role in helping bring these new lives into the world. Their collective expertise and compassion ensure that moms and babies receive the care they need during one of life’s most meaningful moments.
This Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Awareness Month, we’re shining a light on the strength of our NICU families and the dedication of NICU care teams who support them every step of the way. With more than 90 NICUs across HCA Healthcare, we are committed to providing specialized care to newborns born prematurely or sick.
HCA Healthcare’s NICU care teams include pediatric surgeons, neonatologists, neonatal nurses, respiratory care specialists, physical and occupational therapists, case managers, social workers and lactation consultants – all working together to support each baby’s unique and complex needs.
Through collaboration and compassion, we help families navigate the NICU journey to build healthier tomorrows.
Did you know? HCA Healthcare partners with March of Dimes, a leading nonprofit organization fighting for the health of all moms and babies. Their mission includes ending preventable maternal health risks and deaths, as well reducing preterm birth and infant death. For over a decade, HCA Healthcare and March of Dimes have partnered to support healthier outcomes through volunteerism, fundraising and clinical initiatives.
NICU stories of strength
Below, we share inspiring stories of strength from some of our smallest HCA Healthcare patients, along with the NICU caregivers and volunteers who help them grow stronger every day.
From NICU to ‘I do’: Former NICU patient serves as ring bearer for his nurse
When Rhett Smith was born five weeks early in October 2022, he was admitted to the NICU at HCA Florida Healthcare Brandon Hospital. His adoptive parents, Elizabeth and Ken Smith, dropped everything and drove all the way from Kansas City to Florida to meet their son.
Rhett faced several medical challenges, but the Level III NICU team quickly became a source of strength and support for this new growing family. One HCA Healthcare nurse in particular, Gabby Chandler, formed a close bond with Rhett. Gabby, who also was born at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital years earlier, didn’t just monitor his progress – she connected deeply with Rhett and his parents.
“Gabby, from the beginning, was our constant source of reassurance and calm,” Elizabeth told PEOPLE. “She is a ray of sunshine, an angel on Earth. One of the most beautiful human beings I’ve ever known.”
That connection didn’t end when Rhett was healthy enough to be discharged form the hospital. Gabby stayed in touch with the Smiths, attending birthday parties and meet-ups. And, when Gabby got married in 2025, she invited Rhett to be her ring bearer.
“I chose Rhett to be my ring bearer because his family and I made a sweet connection that was more than just being their nurse,” Gabby said. “I also asked Rhett’s sister [Madison] to be in the wedding because the whole family got close to my husband and me. I wanted them to be a part of my special day because they were like family to me, and I’m so grateful for them.”
Gabby hopes the bond continues to grow. “I also now am pregnant, and I’m praying that Rhett and my child get to grow up and be best friends,” Gabby added.
Hospital hosts NICU graduation for micropreemie born at 22 weeks
Born in February 2025 at just 22 weeks gestation and weighing only 1 lb., 1 oz., micropreemie Aaron spent nearly five months receiving expert care at HCA Healthcare’s Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas. Sunrise Children’s Hospital’s NICU offers comprehensive NICU services, including cardiac surgery, neurosurgical procedures, high-frequency ventilation and therapeutic hypothermia.
His mother, Thelma Hernandez, calls baby Aaron a “fighter,” amazed by the resilience he showed throughout his time in the hospital’s Level III NICU.
In July, Thelma received the joyful news that Aaron was healthy enough to go home and continue growing with his parents and big sister. Having recently undergone surgery, she expected to bring her son home with oxygen and a feeding tube – but instead, she was told he was “doing so good” that he didn’t need either.
To mark the milestone, the hospital hosted a graduation-themed celebration complete with a tiny cap and gown and a wall displaying his NICU stats. From barely a pound when he was born, he had grown to 5 lbs., 10 oz., by the day of his discharge.
Looking back on her time in the NICU, Thelma shared with PEOPLE her deep gratitude for the care team, especially the nurses who went above and beyond – some even adjusting their shifts to be presented for Aaron’s surgery. “They treated Aaron like if it was their family,” she said.
Related article: Mom ‘Couldn’t Believe It’ When Her Micropremie Got to Go Home (Exclusive)
NICU nurse now works alongside the nurse who once cared for her as a newborn
Diana Villarreal’s journey began 24 years ago as a newborn in the NICU at HCA Healthcare affiliate Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, where she underwent intestinal surgery and required a NICU stay. Today, she’s back in the very same hospital – this time as a NICU nurse, caring for newborns just like she once was.
What makes her journey even more remarkable is that she now works alongside Pam Benjamin – one of the nurses who once cared for her as a newborn. Inspired by the care she received at the San Antonio hospital, Diana is determined to pay it forward. “I wanted to come back to my roots and give back to the community that gave so much to me,” she said.
Dianna and Pam made the connection while preparing for the hospital’s annual NICU reunion celebration in August. Diana expressed her excitement to Pam about finally attending an event as a graduate, which led her to mention her birthdate: September 10, 2001. That detail sparked Pam’s memory – she had been working in the NICU during the tragic events of September 11 and realized she had cared for Diana all those years ago.
“I felt so proud and I just wanted to cry. I can’t believe that I took care of this person and now she’s a nurse and she’s here. It hit me with how much her life experience affected her path, and being able to be a part of that, being able to kind of help shape her early life in a way that affected her. Nursing is so rewarding and with Diana’s story, I just was so proud.”
Pam Benjamin, NICU Nurse, HCA Healthcare affiliate Methodist Children’s Hospital
Pam credits the opportunity to work alongside a former NICU baby to the culture and support of the Methodist Children’s Hospital Level IV NICU, the highest designation available for neonatal care that provides advanced treatment for premature and critically ill newborns. “As a Level IV NICU, it’s just a privilege to be here,” Pam shared. “There’s been opportunities here that not every place has.”
Diana hopes to continue the cycle of care. “I like to think that maybe 24 years from now, I’ll be sitting across from someone that I took care of,” Diana said. “I thank God every day when I come in. I know I’m doing things that are much bigger than me, and it feels good to be a part of it.”
Related article: What doctors wish patients knew about getting a cesarean section (American Medical Association)
Former NICU patient returns to the hospital to spread cheer with balloon art
In June 2025, families who once spent days, weeks or months with their premature or fragile babies in the NICU at HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Centennial Medical Center returned to the hospital for a special celebration.
NICU graduates and their families were offered a chance to reconnect with the caregivers who supported them during the earliest chapters of their lives. TriStar Centennial Children’s Hospital’s Level III NICU is a specialty unit for newborns in Middle Tennessee who need additional care in their first days, weeks or months of life.
Adding a burst of color and excitement to the day was balloon artist Anthony Lena, whose creations captivated many young NICU graduates in attendance. For Anthony, this event was more than another day of creating balloon art – it was a full-circle moment.
Born prematurely in 1990, Anthony spent his earliest days in the NICU at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, just like the children he entertained at the event. His younger brother, born 10 years later, also spent time in the same NICU and regularly joins him at events. “We’re spreading some joy today,” Anthony said, as he twisted balloons into fan-favorite characters for the crowd.
His journey as a balloon artist began at age 10 with a Christmas gift from his parents. By 13, he was performing at hospital events, and now, 25 years later, he’s turned that passion into a career. For the families at the reunion, Anthony’s presence was more than entertainment – it was a reminder of resilience, shared experience and the unexpected ways NICU stories continue to unfold.
Related article: Balloon artist with NICU past brings joy to hospital reunion – NewsChannel 5
A calming presence in the NICU: Cuddlers provide comfort to newborns
At HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital’s Level III NICU, some of the most powerful medicine is not delivered through machines or monitors – it’s delivered through human connection.
Among the neonatologists, nurses and respiratory therapists at the Panama City hospital are trained volunteers whose sole job is to bring comfort, calm and healing to premature and fragile newborns through the simple act of cuddling.
For the past five years, 85-year-old Fred Scheer has been one of these special volunteers. His connection to offering comfort to others began early, visiting the hospital where his mother worked as a nurse. Today, Fred spends time each week in the NICU, offering quiet companionship and support to newborns.
The work Scheer and other volunteers do goes beyond emotional support – research has shown that physical contact is vital to infant development.
“That’s something that babies really need,” said Dr. Antonio Peña, medical director of the NICU at HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital. “It’s important for their normal sleep wake cycles. It’s important for growth, which happens during sleep. Grandparents always used to say babies grow in their sleep, and they’re absolutely right about that. It’s actually in rapid eye movement that they tend to grow the most.”
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