Saint Mary's Regional Health System Names 2024 Mercy Award Winner

Saint Mary's Regional Health System recently announced that Nicole Sweet has been recognized as the facility’s 2024 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint Health’s facilities who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded. 

Established in 2001, the Mercy Award is an annual recognition program that honors the life and contributions of Scott Mercy, Lifepoint’s founding chairman and chief executive officer. The award is considered the highest honor a Lifepoint employee can receive. 

“At Saint Mary’s, we are committed to advancing Lifepoint’s mission of making communities healthier, and our devoted team members are critical to this work – especially Nicole,” said Casey Willis, CEO of Saint Mary’s. “We are so proud to recognize her positive contributions to improving the overall health of our patients, supporting their families and serving our community. Nicole always goes the extra mile to meet any need that may arise and is a true champion of our caring culture at Saint Mary's.” 

In her role in obstetrics, Nicole plays a vital part in welcoming new lives into the world. Her compassionate care extends beyond routine treatment, providing essential support to families grieving the loss of a newborn. 

Nicole has been deeply committed to Saint Mary’s fetal demise program, which aids families in navigating their grief. She was instrumental in securing a CuddleCot™ for the program, giving families precious time to spend with their baby. This device was generously donated by Brittany and Ryan Helmer. Additionally, Nicole ensures families can receive keepsakes like printed footprints and photographs. She also organizes the collection of donated clothing for the infants. 

Nicole takes care to send personalized Mother’s Day and birthday cards to new mothers during their first year. She is also actively involved in our Good Siblings program, which helps siblings adapt to the arrival of a new family member. 

Each facility winner, including Nicole, will be considered for Lifepoint’s 2024 companywide Mercy Award. The companywide winner will be announced this summer and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., in August.