Scottsbluff, Neb., – Scottsbluff photographer Nicole Smith’s award-winning baby photos have been featured in magazines and on audio books and now they are being showcased in a big way at Regional West’s Birth and Infant Care Center. A total of six three by five foot, close-up images of newborn babies now grace the halls of the birthing center.

“The pictures are phenomenal,” said Connie Rupp, MSN, RN, Regional West’s director of the Birth and Infant Care Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “It’s fun to hear our patients and visitors comment on how wonderful they are.”

The photographic display complements the remodeling and renewal of the Birth and Infant Care Center and other departments throughout the medical center.

Smith was the only panhandle photographer to respond to a letter to regional photographers, inviting them to showcase their art at the Birth and Infant Care Center. The request for proposal included strict guidelines requiring fire-rated canvas, specific dimension, and willingness to allow the Regional West staff to choose the photographs for display.

Smith submitted several photos for consideration and a team of hospital employees selected the six that are now on display. Smith chose larger dimensions for the photographs than required by the hospital, and the results, according to the staff, “are spectacular!”

Smith was named number five of the world’s best newborn photographers in 2015 by TopTeny.com. Her photography has been featured in Mozi Magazine, Newborn Magazine, Maternity Magazine, and Photography Magazine. In June 2013, she was selected as one of the Best Newborn Photographers by PhotographyAssociation.com.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 182-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.