Carle Health team members think of patients and colleagues before themselves.
Brian Dimmitt thought of patients and colleagues before himself, even when he was dying.
“He would do anything for anybody,” Dimmitt’s husband, Dustin Vailes, said.
Dimmitt, SCT, HTL, was the cytology coordinator and cytology education coordinator for the Carle Health Champaign-Urbana Service Area. He was known for his meticulous work and commitment to collaboration and education.
After he was diagnosed at age 34 with Stage 4 neuroendocrine carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that begins in the neuroendocrine cells, he worked with his team, empowering them to take on roles related to ordering, education and statistics, Emmaline West, HT (ASCP), histology lead at Carle Foundation Hospital, said. That set the team up for success when Dimmitt was undergoing cancer treatments.
The team continues to honor his memory with these tools after his death in March.
“It takes a very impactful leader to successfully support others in their absence, and Brian continues to support us after his death,” West said.
Dimmitt is among seven Carle Health team members from throughout central and southern Illinois to win a 2026 Pinnacle Award of Excellence. He is the first to receive the recognition posthumously. Vailes and Dimmitt’s family accepted the award on his behalf during the Carle Health Annual Awards Ceremony on June 8. In the photo accompanying this article, Dimmitt is at right and Vailes is at left.
“This is an honor, and he deserves it,” Vailes said. “From the day I met him, I saw how he poured himself into his work. I know he is here in spirit.”
Each summer, Carle Health recognizes team members who ensure patients have a world-class experience every time they interact with the organization. They do so with a Pinnacle Award, which celebrates team members in business, supporting and non-nursing clinical roles who demonstrate excellence in their daily work, serve as mentors to peers, commit to learning through professional development, engage with their teams to offer solutions, and demonstrate Carle Health Values. Carle Health team members nominate colleagues and the system’s Reward and Recognition Committee assesses submissions and selects winners.
All seven 2026 Pinnacle Award of Excellence winners think of patients and co-workers before themselves. In addition to Dimmitt, Pinnacle Award of Excellence winners are:
Valerie Grindley, HIV program care coordinator, Carle Health Champaign-Urbana Service Area. Grindley’s dedication to her patients as she coordinates care within and outside of Carle Health has earned her gratitude among patients and respect among Carle Health and community peers.
Amanda Nickles, BS, RT(R), Certified Radiation Safety Officer and regional radiologic technologist/quality assurance, Carle Health Greater Peoria Service Area. Nickles constantly reviews ways to improve radiology quality and safety through continuing education and discussions with physicists who specialize in radiation protection.
Bonnie Denny, MBA, Carle Health treasury director. Denny has kept the capital approval process running smoothly as Carle Health has grown from a single hospital to an eight-hospital system by working effectively with others and sharing her knowledge.
Cassaundra Helfrich, education assistant, Carle Health Continuing Education. She is the glue of the busy clinical education team systemwide, scheduling new hires for patient care orientation classes and addressing urgent needs as they arise.
Terresa Bunton, administrative assistant/scheduler, Carle BroMenn Medical Center Cardiovascular Services. Her patient advocacy and collaboration with peers have made her the patient-doctor facilitator as she schedules patients for the cath lab, interventional radiology and cardio diagnostic testing.
Heather Knox, RPh, inpatient pharmacist, Carle Richland Memorial Hospital. Knox spends time sharing her pharmaceutical knowledge with nurses and works to benefit patients beyond her job description, including helping to raise money to buy a breast coil for an MRI machine to screen patients for breast cancer.
Join our team
If you’d like to work for a healthcare organization whose team members are recognized for thinking of patients first, click here.
Brian Dimmitt thought of patients and colleagues before himself, even when he was dying.
“He would do anything for anybody,” Dimmitt’s husband, Dustin Vailes, said.
Dimmitt, SCT, HTL, was the cytology coordinator and cytology education coordinator for the Carle Health Champaign-Urbana Service Area. He was known for his meticulous work and commitment to collaboration and education.
After he was diagnosed at age 34 with Stage 4 neuroendocrine carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that begins in the neuroendocrine cells, he worked with his team, empowering them to take on roles related to ordering, education and statistics, Emmaline West, HT (ASCP), histology lead at Carle Foundation Hospital, said. That set the team up for success when Dimmitt was undergoing cancer treatments.
The team continues to honor his memory with these tools after his death in March.
“It takes a very impactful leader to successfully support others in their absence, and Brian continues to support us after his death,” West said.
Dimmitt is among seven Carle Health team members from throughout central and southern Illinois to win a 2026 Pinnacle Award of Excellence. He is the first to receive the recognition posthumously. Vailes and Dimmitt’s family accepted the award on his behalf during the Carle Health Annual Awards Ceremony on June 8. In the photo accompanying this article, Dimmitt is at right and Vailes is at left.
“This is an honor, and he deserves it,” Vailes said. “From the day I met him, I saw how he poured himself into his work. I know he is here in spirit.”
Each summer, Carle Health recognizes team members who ensure patients have a world-class experience every time they interact with the organization. They do so with a Pinnacle Award, which celebrates team members in business, supporting and non-nursing clinical roles who demonstrate excellence in their daily work, serve as mentors to peers, commit to learning through professional development, engage with their teams to offer solutions, and demonstrate Carle Health Values. Carle Health team members nominate colleagues and the system’s Reward and Recognition Committee assesses submissions and selects winners.
All seven 2026 Pinnacle Award of Excellence winners think of patients and co-workers before themselves. In addition to Dimmitt, Pinnacle Award of Excellence winners are:
Valerie Grindley, HIV program care coordinator, Carle Health Champaign-Urbana Service Area. Grindley’s dedication to her patients as she coordinates care within and outside of Carle Health has earned her gratitude among patients and respect among Carle Health and community peers.
Amanda Nickles, BS, RT(R), Certified Radiation Safety Officer and regional radiologic technologist/quality assurance, Carle Health Greater Peoria Service Area. Nickles constantly reviews ways to improve radiology quality and safety through continuing education and discussions with physicists who specialize in radiation protection.
Bonnie Denny, MBA, Carle Health treasury director. Denny has kept the capital approval process running smoothly as Carle Health has grown from a single hospital to an eight-hospital system by working effectively with others and sharing her knowledge.
Cassaundra Helfrich, education assistant, Carle Health Continuing Education. She is the glue of the busy clinical education team systemwide, scheduling new hires for patient care orientation classes and addressing urgent needs as they arise.
Terresa Bunton, administrative assistant/scheduler, Carle BroMenn Medical Center Cardiovascular Services. Her patient advocacy and collaboration with peers have made her the patient-doctor facilitator as she schedules patients for the cath lab, interventional radiology and cardio diagnostic testing.
Heather Knox, RPh, inpatient pharmacist, Carle Richland Memorial Hospital. Knox spends time sharing her pharmaceutical knowledge with nurses and works to benefit patients beyond her job description, including helping to raise money to buy a breast coil for an MRI machine to screen patients for breast cancer.
Join our team
If you’d like to work for a healthcare organization whose team members are recognized for thinking of patients first, click here.
Categories: Culture of Quality
Tags: Awards, BroMenn, cardiovascular, CFH, clinical, cytology, education, Experience, HIV, Methodist, Peoria, pharmacy, Pinnacle, radiology, recognition, reward, Richland, treasury