After years of working as an ICU nurse and witnessing patients arrive in crisis from suicide attempts, overdoses, and addiction, Dawn Knight realized she wanted to help patients in a different way. “I got really burnt-out watching people at the end of the line,” she says. “I knew there was more I could do.”
Now, as a PRN nurse at the Precourt Healing Center, she is living out that purpose while pursuing her psychiatric nurse practitioner degree at Western Governors University. Dawn also supports the mission through monthly donations to Vail Health Behavioral Health.
Vail Health makes it convenient for employees to give, and for Dawn, the decision was an easy one. Knowing that the Precourt Healing Center was built through benefactor generosity has deepened that connection. To her, it is not about the amount, but about showing up for the patients and community she cares for every day.
A Career Built on Care
Originally from Salt Lake City, Dawn Knight earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. After living in several other states, she returned 13 years ago when her husband, Tyler, brought them to Colorado for work. Since then, they have enjoyed all the state has to offer while raising their two sons, Hunter and Kempton.
She went on to spend nearly seven years at Community Hospital in Grand Junction, where she advanced into management and led the ICU through the COVID-19 pandemic. Though over time, she found herself ready for a new direction in health care.
Finding a Path in Behavioral Health Care
As she considered her next steps, a colleague sent her information about a film premiere and mental health forum exploring the lack of mental health resources on the Western Slope. Chris Lindley, Vail Health’s Chief Population Officer, was on the panel and spoke about the Precourt Healing Center, Vail Health’s new inpatient behavioral health facility in Edwards.
Dawn could see that Vail Health’s leadership is invested in their employees and deeply cares about the people in the mountain communities served. Moved by the discussion, she felt drawn to apply for a position. In August 2025, Dawn began making the two-hour commute from Grand Junction every other week to work as an on-call nurse at Precourt Healing Center.
Showing Up for the Community
After years of working in some of the most demanding areas of health care and watching rural hospitals across Colorado struggle to keep their doors open, Dawn understands firsthand why community support matters. “Every organization needs a little bit more support,” she says. “Wherever I work, I always want to help. Even if it’s just a little bit that I can give.”
We are all in this together, and what I do actually does affect other people. It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of that change.” – Dawn Knight