Brittney Bernardoni, MD, DRTM, whose dedication to clinical quality and education has helped UW Health Med Flight build on its longstanding reputation for excellence in critical care transport, has been named a 40 Under 40: Rising Leader in Medical Transport by the Association of Air Medical Services, or AAMS.
The awards recognize professionals for impact, innovation and distinction across all facets of medical transport, including clinical care, communications, operations, safety, advocacy, education and administration.
AAMS President and CEO Jana Williams said in a press release that the 2026 recipients are “leaders already making meaningful contributions to our industry and communities.”
Bernardoni is an associate professor of emergency medicine and anesthesiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and associate medical director for quality at UW Health Med Flight. She received the award at the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), held October 26–28 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Raising standards for critical care transport
Since joining UW Health in 2021, Bernardoni has developed a nationally respected quality improvement program for Med Flight, including a formal clinical peer-review process — a practice still uncommon among U.S. air medical transport programs. She has also introduced evidence-based clinical guidelines, standardized documentation and quality metrics to evaluate and improve patient care.
Her work has produced measurable results. In one published study, Bernardoni and UW colleagues demonstrated how a targeted quality improvement initiative increased the use of lung-protective ventilation during transport and improved documentation of a key ventilator measurement to more than 96% of patient records.
Bernardoni has also helped advance UW Health’s capabilities in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) transport.
ECMO temporarily supports the heart or lungs of critically ill patients, requiring specialized expertise to manage complex equipment and life-threatening complications during transport. Her scholarly contributions include international research examining ECMO transport practices and clinical guidance for patients receiving ECMO following cardiac arrest.
“I’m honored to be recognized among such accomplished leaders in critical care transport,” Bernardoni said. “With the support of UW Health and the Department of Emergency Medicine, our Med Flight team has strengthened its quality and education programs to bring advanced critical care to patients wherever they need it. I’m proud to have helped shape that work alongside an extraordinary team.”
Advancing education, research and national practice
Beyond her clinical work, Bernardoni has developed interdisciplinary simulation-based training, authored dozens of clinical practice guidelines and helped establish the UW’s two-year, accredited Emergency Medicine–Anesthesia Critical Care Fellowship, for which she serves as associate program director. She also leads clinical research initiatives and mentors medical students, residents, fellows and junior faculty.
Nationally, Bernardoni serves on the board of directors of the Air Medical Physicians Association and as associate medical director for ECMO training with FlightBridgeED, which provides advanced critical care education and certification for nurses and paramedics. Her contributions also include invited presentations, publications, podcasts and educational collaborations.
At AMTC 2026, in additional receiving the “40 Under 40” honor, she presented on lung-protective mechanical ventilation and participated in a panel examining advanced airway and ventilation management for critically ill patients.
A graduate of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, Bernardoni completed her emergency medicine residency and anesthesia critical care fellowship at the University of Cincinnati, where she also served as a flight physician. Today, she divides her clinical time between UW Health Med Flight, the emergency department and cardiothoracic intensive care unit, bringing expertise across the continuum of care.
Her previous honors include UW Health’s Rising Star Leadership Excellence Award and Up & Coming Simulationist Award, as well as BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Awards for Excellence in Clinical Care, Teaching and Scholarship. She is also among a small number of Americans to earn the Diploma in Retrieval and Transport Medicine from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Dr. Andrew Cathers, medical director of UW Health Med Flight and a recipient of the 40 Under 40 award in 2025, said Bernardoni stands out for the breadth of her expertise and ability to lead teams.
“Dr. Bernardoni brings an exceptional combination of clinical expertise and leadership to Med Flight,” Cathers said. “Her commitment to improving patient care, advancing education and supporting her colleagues makes her especially deserving of this recognition.”