Mason Health is proud to recognize Elyse Dumont, RN, Lung Cancer Navigator, as its October Employee of the Month, honoring her exceptional work developing and growing Mason Health’s lung cancer screening program and her unwavering commitment to patients and the community. Her exceptional critical thinking skills, care for patients and teamwork are major reasons why she has been nominated and selected by her peers for this award.

Dumont currently serves as Lung Cancer Patient Navigator for nearly 1,000 patients enrolled in the program, guiding them through the screening process, coordinating care, and ensuring they receive the support and education they need every step of the way. Since the District launched the program last spring, Dumont has helped transform lung cancer screening rates at Mason Health. In spring 2025, only about 2 percent of eligible patients were receiving recommended lung cancer screenings. Today, that number has climbed to nearly 50 percent, with screening rates consistently reaching 47-49 percent, helping hundreds of patients gain access to potentially lifesaving early detection.

“Elyse has been a total inspiration to me as we developed our lung navigation program,” said Director of Population Health Jennifer Kummerfeldt, Dumont’s nominator. “She takes great pride in her work and has unmatched compassion for our patients. She is a great problem solver and follows through with implementing positive changes. She consistently goes above and beyond to provide assistance with financial support, insurance coverage, ensuring continuity of care (calling insurance companies and calling/faxing consulting providers), and offering support and education on diagnosis and medications, etc. She is very much appreciated by staff and patients, and I am so grateful for her.”

The program’s success recently earned national recognition when Mason Health was designated a Center of Excellence for lung cancer screening. The achievement came just one year after Kummerfeldt and Dumont attended the GO2 for Lung Cancer Summit in Denver to learn from leading programs across the country. In September 2026, they were invited to share Mason Health’s experience at the organization’s conference in San Diego, highlighting the remarkable progress made in a short period of time. Mason Health’s program has also become a model for regional cancer screening programs set to launch locally, expanding awareness and improving access to rural and indigenous communities throughout the Puget Sound. 

For Dumont, nursing has always been about walking alongside people during some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Originally from the South Sound area, she attended nursing school in Hawaii, where an unexpected volunteer opportunity in hospice care helped define her career path.

“When I first arrived in Hawaii, I saw a sign that said, ‘Volunteers Needed’ at a hospice organization,” she said. “It completely changed the course of my career.”

Dumont spent five years in Hawaii, helping to bring the nationally renowned Camp Erin grief camp to the big island. After years of hospice work, she and her husband returned to Washington and she built a nursing career in a variety of settings: pediatrics, primary care, mental health, and numerous children’s specialties, with the common thread being relationship-building. She was drawn to Mason Health because she missed the close-knit community she experienced in Hawaii. 

At Mason Health, Dumont started in August 2024 as a registered nurse in the Medicare Wellness program and transitioned into her current role last spring.

“Being able to be there for patients and their families is an honor,” she said. “I love being able to walk into an emotional and difficult situation and letting patients and their families know I will be there for them. I wanted to be part of a community-based organization where you know the people you serve. I love community outreach and getting involved outside the walls of the hospital.”

That commitment is evident through her participation in local health fairs, community events, and partnerships designed to improve access to preventive care. Outside of work, Dumont carries on her love of working with children by serving in her church’s special needs ministry and leading the medical team at Evergreen Christian School’s annual Night to Shine event for individuals with special needs. She also loves to travel with her husband of 17 years and their two teenage children.