By Margaret Schell 

I n a world where stronger health systems are needed, Carole Wapa Weba Kamangu (’10) MPH, RN, CIC, works with healthcare leaders to redesign operations by empowering people, preventing harm and sustaining positive results for patients and communities. She’s a registered nurse, an epidemiologist and founder and CEO of Dumontel Healthcare Consulting LLC. 

“When I was 7 years old, I nearly lost my life to an amoeba infection - a preventable infection - living under a fragile health system in Congo,” she said. “It was a difficult time. I saw patients on TV suffering from cholera in war zones in the eastern part of the country.” 

Kamangu was exposed to infectious diseases at school and healthcare facilities. These close calls stuck with Kamangu, which fueled her passion for public health. 

Her journey began in Georgia College & State University’s nursing program, where she learned how to overcome hurdles and gained lifelong mentors. 

A resilient Bobcat then and now 

Kamangu stays connected with some of her former nursing professors including former dean of the College of Health Sciences Dr. Sandra Gangstead and former professor of nursing Debbie Grier, who played a crucial role in convincing her to stay on course when things got tough. 

“My first year of nursing, I failed Dr. Grier’s fundamentals class,” Kamangu said. “I felt discouraged because I was an A student. Dr. Grier said, ‘Failure doesn't define you. You can do this.’ I'm so thankful for her, because I was ready to drop out.” 

On graduation day, Gangstead gave Kamangu a big hug and said, “Thank you for proving to the whole world that you could do this.” 

After graduation, Kamangu was ready to get out in the world to help people. 

“Although I cared for patients as a nurse, I’ve always dreamt of doing something bigger — making a greater impact on the population,” she said. 

Kamangu earned her master’s in public health at Armstrong Atlantic State University. 

In 2014, Kamangu began working as a public health nurse in surveillance and epidemiology at a health department, investigating disease outbreaks and teaching individuals about ways to keep communicable diseases from being transmitted in their communities. She also taught healthcare professionals and school leaders about preventing outbreaks from spreading within their facilities and gave them guidelines to report outbreaks to the health department. 

In 2016, she cofounded and chaired Congo4Tomorrow, a non-governmental organization created to improve children’s educational experience through improved learning infrastructures. This experience strengthened her strategic, leadership and governance skills. Her business mindset grew stronger, which led her to pursue an MBA while working in a hospital as an infection preventionist. 

“With a business mindset of infection prevention, I could see more at the system level than just the technical side,” she said. 

The COVID pandemic made an impact on Kamangu. 

“It became concrete that my pursuits related to my life,” she said. “I almost died [at a young age] but survived. I wanted to help organizations help others survive.” 

Making a worldwide impact 

Kamangu strived to change the delivery of care and health system design to keep people safe across the globe by founding Dumontel Healthcare Consulting LLC; she’s the CEO and health systems strategist. 

Her business serves three to five select companies per year with 400 professionals working in healthcare and public health. She works closely with them to provide frequent support so they can achieve measurable results. Kamangu and her team provide remote support to clients globally, with the majority in the U.S., Africa, Canada, and parts of Asia. 

After nearly four years, Kamangu’s company saved companies over $1.1 million, had a 60% increase in patient satisfaction and documented an over 30% reduction in preventable infections. 

In March, Kamangu’s company received the 2026 Healthcare Award from Global Health & Pharma - Infection Prevention Experts of the Year - for its impactful work in strengthening infection prevention and cultural practices across healthcare and related organizations. 

In May, Kamangu was recognized as an Influential Woman of the Year 2026 by Influential Women Magazine because of her impact in healthcare and public health. 

She is also a contributing editor for Infection Control Today Magazine. 

“When I started my consulting business, I wanted to help healthcare organizations strengthen their infection prevention programs, but it goes beyond that,” she said. “It’s at the system level now.” 

Kamangu and her team empower healthcare and public health senior leaders to inspire operational leaders so they can reach measurable results at the system level. She ensures their clients’ needs are met by reducing preventable harm, increasing cost savings and optimizing resources. 

“We make sure we have the same vision of what needs to be fixed and implement change together to make an impact,” she said. “The focus is to create cohesion within the entire healthcare system to better serve patients and their communities.” 

“Steve Jobs said, ‘The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.’ I see myself as one of those people,” Kamangu said. “I enjoy working with others who challenge the status quo responsibly to make the world a better place.”

Header Images: Carole W. Kamangu teaches elementary school students and their teachers the importance of washing their hands; during National Night Out, Kamangu teaches children the importance of infection prevention using hand sanitizer, gloves and masks. (Photos: Carole W. Kamangu)