Clinical Insight at 30,000 Feet: A Perspective from Our VP of Fixed Wing Operations
- Jennie Van Dongen
- Dec 12, 2025
- 2 min read
When medical care moves from a hospital floor to a fixed-wing aircraft, the environment changes—but the expectations for safety, precision, and clinical excellence do not. Delivering high-level care in the air requires planning, experience, and leadership that understands both medicine and aviation.
As a registered nurse with over 30 years of clinical experience, including extensive work in critical care and flight nursing, I’ve built my career around ensuring that patients receive hospital-level care—no matter how far they need to travel.
Experience That Shapes Every Mission
In addition to my clinical background, I bring 17 years of leadership experience managing air medical flight operations, overseeing complex domestic and international transports that demand seamless coordination between medical teams, flight crews, hospitals, and insurers.
I hold degrees in Nursing and an MBA with a specialization in Healthcare Administration, allowing me to approach air medical transport through both a clinical and operational lens. That combination is essential when decisions must balance patient acuity, aircraft capabilities, regulatory compliance, and real-world logistics.
My expertise includes:
Fixed-wing air ambulance clinical oversight
Critical care transport protocols and crew readiness
Global air ambulance mission coordination
Operational efficiency and quality improvement
Strategic partnerships with hospitals and healthcare systems
Navigating Compliance, Coverage & Patient Protections
Air medical transport exists within a highly regulated and often misunderstood healthcare space. A critical part of my role is ensuring that Atlas Air Ambulance operates with full transparency and compliance—protecting both patients and families.
I bring deep working knowledge of:
CMS guidelines
Insurance authorization and reimbursement protocols
The No Surprises Act, ensuring patient protections and accurate billing practices
“Families deserve clarity—not confusion—when it comes to coverage, care decisions, and costs. Our job is to advocate for them while maintaining the highest clinical standards.”
Leadership Through Clinical Integrity
Every operational decision we make is rooted in one question: Is this the safest and most appropriate option for the patient? From crew training to mission acceptance criteria, clinical judgment remains at the center of our operations.
At Atlas Air Ambulance, fixed-wing medical transport is guided by experience, integrity, and accountability. When care takes flight, patients deserve leadership that understands what’s at stake—clinically, operationally, and personally!
Jennie Van Dongen, MBA, RN
VP of Fixed Wing Operations
