Jeanne M. Lewandowski

Jeanne M. Lewandowski (Ret.), CAPT, Nurse Corps, United States Navy, is a highly accomplished nurse and executive leader with an illustrious 36-year career in both military and civilian healthcare systems. Her extensive expertise encompasses critical care nursing, trauma, emergency medicine, outpatient clinic operations, and healthcare leadership, complemented by academic roles and significant military service.

Jeanne Lewandowski (Ret.) Captain, Nurse Corps SWMDO, FMF

Jeanne M. Lewandowski (Ret.), CAPT, Nurse Corps, United States Navy, is a highly accomplished nurse and executive leader with an illustrious 36-year career in both military and civilian healthcare systems. Her extensive expertise encompasses critical care nursing, trauma, emergency medicine, outpatient clinic operations, and healthcare leadership, complemented by academic roles and significant military service. Nurse Manager | Executive Nursing Leader | Advocate for Veteran-Centered Care

I am a dedicated Nurse Manager with over thirty five years of progressive leadership experience in professional nursing, including specialized experience equivalent to Nurse IV. I hold a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and am committed to advancing health care delivery through strategic leadership, innovation, and evidence-based practice.

My scope of practice is executive in nature, encompassing complex leadership and administrative responsibilities that address critical health care issues and drive organizational mission and policy. I lead with vision, fostering change and measurable outcomes across enterprise-level systems.

Key areas of impact include:
🔹 Strategic Leadership – Driving innovation in care models and evidence-based practices
🔹 Business Acumen – Leveraging informatics, analytics, and systems thinking to transform care
🔹 Workforce Empowerment – Building dynamic, inclusive teams through shared decision-making
🔹 Relationship Management – Enhancing patient and staff experiences through effective communication
🔹 Professional Responsibility – Advocating for health equity and ethical leadership in nursing science

I am passionate about serving Veterans, families, and caregivers, and I strive to uphold the highest standards of holistic care and professional excellence.

Education and Professional Military Training

Jeanne holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Dakota (1991), a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Critical Care Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Education from the University of Phoenix (2001), and a Master of Arts in National Strategy and Policy from the Naval War College (2015). Her professional military education includes diverse courses such as the Navy Senior Leader Seminar (2020), Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC, 2024), Evidence-Based Practice (2019), Clinic Managers Course (2017), Advanced Medical Department Officer Course (2011), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (2011), and multiple certifications related to critical care, sexual assault response, and deployment readiness.

Career Overview

Jeanne commenced her nursing career as a surgical intensive care unit nurse and advanced to roles such as Director of Critical Care at St. Michael Hospital, Milwaukee, WI, and Advanced Practice Nurse for critical care cardiovascular services. She was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps in 2003, serving in various clinical and leadership roles including staff nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and ICU Division Officer during deployments to Kuwait and Afghanistan. Her military assignments included serving as Ship’s Nurse aboard the USS George Washington and temporarily aboard USS John C Stennis and USS Abraham Lincoln, earning the Surface Warfare Medical Department Officer (SWMDO) warfare device. She held leadership positions at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and Camp Lejeune, including acting Executive Officer and Company Commander roles, and was hand-selected for deployment as Patient Evacuation Cell Coordinator with II Marine Expeditionary Force Forward.

In senior leadership, Jeanne served as Director of Staff Education and Training, Deputy Director of Quality Management, and Officer in Charge of multiple naval medical clinics, leading large teams and overseeing millions in healthcare delivery budgets. She played a pivotal role in the COVID-19 response, including deployment as an ICU nurse during the pandemic and leading the only West Coast Department of Defense site for Operation Warp Speed’s Phase 3 clinical trial for COVID-19 vaccines. From August 2021 to October 2023, Jeanne was Director of Fleet Medicine at the CAPT James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center, managing 400 personnel and providing medical support across a 12-state region to over 40,000 Navy recruits and 1,800 ROTC students annually. She also served as Director of Primary Care, overseeing eight clinics and multiple specialty departments serving approximately 10,000 beneficiaries yearly. Since September 2023, Jeanne has been a Clinical Faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire School of Nursing, teaching clinical courses for junior and senior nursing students and online classes in leadership, management,

and medical terminology.

Professional Skills and Leadership

Jeanne is recognized for her exemplary leadership, operational management, and clinical expertise. She excels in staff development, quality and safety program management, curriculum design for clinical education, and fostering collaborative relationships across healthcare teams and external agencies. Her ability to lead under pressure and drive process improvements has been consistently demonstrated throughout her deployments and healthcare administration roles.

• Her military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (second award), seven Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Presidential Unit Commendation, National Defense Medal, and multiple campaign and service medals related to the Global War on Terrorism and NATO ISAF. She is also certified in critical care nursing (CCRN), sexual assault nurse examination (SANE), and maintains multiple state nursing licenses.
• Jeanne holds active nursing licenses in Wisconsin and Minnesota. She is a member of professional organizations including the American Nurses Association, Emergency Nurses Association, Navy Nurse Corps Association, and American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

• 2020: Navy Senior Leader Seminar course, Virtual
• 2020: TCCC, San Diego, CA
• 2019: Evidence Based Practice, Ohio State University, OH
• 2019: HLD/Sterilization Fundamentals, Bethesda, MD
• 2019: Fundamentals of Critical Care Support Course, San Diego, CA
• 2018: MedXellence, Langley AFB, VA
• 2017: Clinic Managers Course, Corpus Christi, TX
• 2017: CO/XO/OIC Legal Course, Newport, RI
• 2016: TRICARE Financial Management Executive Program, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA
• 2014: Air Command and Staff, Montgomery, AL
• Distant Learning JPME Phase I
• 2012: Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Certification, Greensboro, NC
• 2012: Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) & Uniform Victim Advocate, Cherry Point, NC
• 2012: Join EnRoute Care Course (JECC), Ft. Rucker, AL
• 2012: Health Promotions Coordinator, Norfolk, VA
• 2011: Field Medical Service Officer (FMSO), Camp Lejeune, NC
• 2011: Advanced Medical Department Officer Course (AMDOC), NAVMED MPT&E, Bethesda, MD
• 2011: Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, NMC Portsmouth, VA
• 2009: Army Training for Deployment, Ft. Jackson, SC
• 2009: Hospex Deployment Training, York, UK
• 2008: Enroute Critical Care Course, Norfolk, VA
• 2006: Critical Care Air Transport Course, Lackland AFB, TX
• 2005: LA Trauma Course, Los Angeles, CA
• 2004: Combat Casualty Care Course, San Antonio, TX
• 2001, 2005, 2019: EMF Training Exercise, Camp Pendleton, CA
• 2003: U.S. Navy Officer Indoctrination School (OIS), Newport, RI