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Alain Raymond, a locum tenens physician assistant, was working a shift in the cardiac surgery unit when his phone buzzed with a message from his staffing agent. He had been nominated, without his knowledge, for a national industry honor.

“I thought, well, that’s great,” Raymond said. “And then I went back to work.”

Raymond, a cardiothoracic surgical physician assistant-certified (PA-C) and U.S. Navy veteran based in San Diego’s East County, was recently named the “Locum Tenens Provider of the Year” by Locumpedia, a global platform connecting physicians, staffing firms and healthcare facilities.

Raymond graduated from the Stanford School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program, one of the most competitive in the country, and went on to specialize in cardiothoracic surgery, working at major San Diego institutions, including Sharp and Scripps, before eventually adding locum tenens assignments through , a division of �鶹ֱ��.

Now on his third locum assignment – currently working alongside cardiothoracic surgeons in Orange County – Raymond describes the appeal of the locum model as one of exposure and growth. 

“Every day is different,” Raymond said. “It’s a different person, a different procedure. Patients undergo the same surgery but experience different complications. The challenge keeps me on my toes.”

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