Healthcare Heroes: ImageFIRST Announces Eight Honorees

ImageFIRST, King of Prussia, PA, announced the winners of its Sixth Annual HeroesFIRST Contest.

Each year, ImageFIRST Service Team members recognize exceptional Healthcare Heroes who go above and beyond to positively impact the lives of their patients. Nominations poured in from across the country this year, with more than 600 submissions. From that pool, 20 finalists were selected, and members of the public cast their votes on the contest’s website to decide which stories inspired them the most.

Following the nationwide vote, the heroes that received the most votes will be awarded a cash prize, totaling $16,500. If preferred, an equivalent donation will be made to a charity of the winner’s choice.

The 2026 HeroesFIRST Top Eight Winners are:

• Mekila Clark, PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview, WA
• Gayathri Sambasivan, Dentistry for Children and Adolescents in Eden Prairie, MN
• Meghan Dean, Bristol Hospital in Bristol, CT
• Laura Reese, Mid Coast Medical Center – Bellville in Bellville, TX
• Kimberly Kinsella and DeAnna Phan, Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology in Edina, MN
• Lisa Wille, Meta Surgical Center in Montvale, NJ
• Celeste Jenkins, TOC Spine & Joint Surgery Center in Tallahassee, FL
• Susan Perrotta, Dermatology Professionals, Inc. in East Greenwich, RI

Local celebrations will be held for each winner. Now in its sixth year, HeroesFIRST continues to celebrate the healthcare professionals whose compassion and quiet acts of service have a profound and lasting impact on patients and their families.

“This year’s winners remind us that healthcare is ultimately about people caring for people,” said ImageFIRST Senior Vice President of Customer Experience Mike Martin. “Through their dedicated service, they have made a lasting difference in the lives of others. We congratulate this year’s winners, finalists and nominees, and thank them for the example they set for the healthcare profession.”

For more information on the contest, click here.