Spotlight Friday: Meet Jennie van Dongen, MBA, RN, VP of Fixed Wing Operations at Atlas Air Ambulance

Two decades of experience. A passion for patient care. A global perspective on aviation medicine. Meet one of the leaders helping shape the future of Atlas Air Ambulance.

Behind every successful air medical transport operation is a team of people whose experience, dedication, and leadership make it possible. At Atlas Air Ambulance, we're proud to have individuals who bring not only exceptional professional expertise to their roles but also the kind of character, compassion, and commitment that define our organization.

For this week's Spotlight Friday, we're introducing a remarkable member of our executive leadership team: Jennie van Dongen, MBA, RN, Vice President of Fixed Wing Operations.

With 20 years of experience spanning clinical aviation medicine, international business development, and healthcare operations, Jennie brings an extraordinary depth of knowledge to Atlas. Her career reflects a unique ability to understand air medical transportation from both sides of the operation: the hands-on clinical care patients depend on and the complex operational decisions that make those missions possible.

From Flight Nurse to Executive Leadership

Jennie's foundation in healthcare began with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, complemented by minors in Psychology and Biology. She went on to earn both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), combining clinical knowledge with advanced education in organizational leadership and healthcare management.

Her career began in a comprehensive medical transport program, where she cared for patients across the full spectrum of transportation services, including rotor-wing helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and ground ambulances. Rotating between these modes of transport gave Jennie firsthand experience navigating different clinical environments, responding to diverse patient needs, and understanding the coordination required to move patients safely through the healthcare system.

Her clinical expertise and leadership abilities eventually led her to become a Fixed Wing Team Leader at MedCenter Air, where her responsibilities expanded beyond direct patient care to include fixed-wing operations, outreach, and revenue cycle management. Building on that experience, Jennie progressed into international fixed-wing business development, leading initiatives focused on global growth, operational strategy, and organizational performance.

Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in healthcare operations, financial performance, regulatory compliance, and quality oversight, including requirements involving the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG).

Today, as Vice President of Fixed Wing Operations at Atlas Air Ambulance, Jennie brings those experiences together, combining the perspective of a clinician who has personally cared for patients in transit with the strategic insight of an experienced healthcare executive. Her background allows her to understand not only the complexities of air medical transportation but also the importance of the people, partnerships, and processes that support every mission.

A Leader Who Understands the Bigger Picture

What makes Jennie's perspective particularly valuable is her ability to connect the many moving parts of air medical transportation. From clinical care and aviation logistics to healthcare systems, insurance payers, and international partners, successful patient transport depends on far more than the flight itself.

For Jennie, the most rewarding part of her role is helping those pieces come together.

She especially enjoys working in dynamic environments where operational performance and clinical excellence meet the needs of patients around the world. Just as meaningful to her are the relationships she develops with healthcare systems, payer sources, and international partners, all working toward the shared goal of improving the patient transport experience.

That collaborative mindset is an important part of the leadership she brings to Atlas. Her ability to approach complex situations with both clinical understanding and business insight helps strengthen the connections between the people, processes, and partnerships behind each mission.

Getting to Know Jennie Beyond Atlas

While her professional background is impressive, there's much more to Jennie than her executive title.

A Charlotte, North Carolina, native, Jennie has strong ties to her hometown, where she currently lives. She also spent approximately eight years in Southern California, traveling frequently between the two regions for work and family.

Outside the office, Jennie is an avid dog lover who treasures spending time with her four-legged companions. Her husband is originally from the Netherlands, and the couple shares a love of travel. Family is especially important to Jennie, including the time she spends with her mother and the nieces and nephews who hold a special place in her heart.

Her interests are as varied as her professional experiences. She enjoys international travel, exploring wineries, and baking specialty cakes for memorable occasions. She's also passionate about giving back, actively supporting community initiatives centered on human rights, equality, and meaningful social impact.

And here's something you might never guess from her executive biography: Jennie received her first motorcycle, a Kawasaki KV75, for her fifth birthday!

She went on to race dirt bikes through college and, more recently, owned a Ducati Monster 696. It's safe to say her adventurous spirit began long before her career took her around the world.

Celebrating the People Behind Every Mission

At Atlas Air Ambulance, we know that our strength comes from the people who bring their skills, experience, and dedication to our mission every day. Jennie's combination of clinical expertise, strategic leadership, international experience, and genuine passion for helping others represents so much of what we value as an organization.

Jackson Skigen — President of Atlas Air Ambulance

Jennie, we're so fortunate to have you as part of our Atlas family! The experience and knowledge you bring to the table are incredible, but it's the heart, dedication, and genuine care you put into everything you do that make you such a special part of our team. Thank you for all the ways you support our people, strengthen our partnerships, and help us provide the very best care to our patients. We're grateful to have you alongside us and even more grateful to have you helping lead the way!

Maureen Nordike, MBA, RN — Chief Operating Officer of Atlas Air Ambulance

We're excited to celebrate Jennie as part of our Spotlight Friday series and look forward to introducing more of the exceptional individuals behind Atlas Air Ambulance.