While many of our Veteran healthcare providers prefer to stay away from the spotlight, we’re privileged to share photos of a few of them.
Our Veteran healthcare providers bring unparalleled dedication and resilience to their roles, honed through their time in the military. Their unique blend of clinical expertise and life experiences makes them invaluable assets to the rural and remote communities they serve. These communities often face unique healthcare challenges, and our Veterans’ ability to adapt, lead, and provide compassionate care makes a profound difference.
In addition to their medical skills, these Veterans carry the core values of service, integrity, and honor—principles that guide them in every patient interaction and community engagement. They are not just healthcare providers but mentors, leaders, and pillars in their communities.
On this Veteran’s Day, we celebrate their past achievements in the armed forces and their ongoing commitment to improving healthcare access and quality in rural and remote areas of Alaska and the Northwestern United States. Their journey from serving the country in uniform to serving communities needing healthcare is commendable and deserves our highest respect and recognition.
Thank you to all Veterans who have served!
Pete Davinson, PA-C, is the recipient of our 2023 WMS Provider of the Year Award. Pete was kind enough to share his experience as a Veteran and a healthcare provider with Wilderness Medical Staffing.
“I joined the USMC in June 1989 and served as an aviation ordnanceman until 1993. I then transitioned to the Arizona Army National Guard and used the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance to obtain a bachelor’s Degree from Grand Canyon University in 1998, I was accepted into Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program in Phoenix, AZ, and graduated in 2000. After graduation, I practiced Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care and Cardiology before returning to the active duty Army in 2007.
The Army had taken my family all over the world and given us awesome opportunities, We traveled throughout Asia and Europe before returning to San Antonio, Texas in 2013 for the Army-Baylor Physician Assistant Doctor of Science in General Surgery and Trauma residency. After graduating in 2015, I worked in the level 1 trauma center at Brooke Army Medical Center for 7 years and was also primary faculty for the world’s largest Physician Assistant training program, the Interservice Physician Assistant Program.
My family and I decided to retire from the Army in January 2023 where I made the transition back to civilian practice. I have been taking assignments with Wilderness Medical Staffing since November 2022 while on terminal leave and have not looked back. Locum Tenens has been my saving grace. As a practitioner and Army Officer for over 20 years, I was experiencing compassion fatigue and burnout. WMS has reignited my passion for patient care, and I have become a vital part of a small community in the Aleutian Islands. I absolutely love working with everyone at WMS. Diann and Deanna hear me tell them all the time that this is the best work experience I’ve ever had.
Thank you to all of my fellow Veterans and especially to their families who allow them to wear the uniform. It was my honor to serve this great nation, but it was not possible without a strong woman by my side and 3 amazing/resilient kids who remind me daily of how blessed I am.
Happy Birthday, USMC (NOV 10) and Happy Veterans Day.
Godspeed and Semper Fidelis.
Pete”
Discover how a locum tenens job can provide a renewed sense of adventure while you share your passion for healthcare with rural communities. Not only do you earn the pay you deserve, but you’ll experience a career that will change your life and give you a sense of purpose.
A locum tenens job gives you the opportunity to practice and live in a gorgeous landscape that provides unforgettable experiences while helping deserving people in close-knit communities.
Wilderness Medical Staffing (WMS) is a team of experienced staffing experts. We provide locum tenens staffing of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and CRNAs. We specialize in placing excellent, compassionate providers in rural clinics, hospitals, and communities across the continental Northwest and Alaska.
