Dr. Rasheedah Andrews always knew she wanted to be a doctor. She grew up watching her aunt take care of people as one of the island’s pediatricians. Seeing her aunt interact with patients and care for her community fired a passion in Dr. Andrews at an early age. “The fact that she knew more about them than just simply the medicine. She knew their dog’s names, their grandmothers, what was going on in their lives,” Dr. Andrews shares. “Such a human touch that I wanted to continue.”
Dr. Andrews graduated high school early and attended St. George’s University School of Medicine. However, there were no pediatric residency programs in the Caribbean, so Dr. Andrews decided to move to the United States. She landed at Elmhurst Hospital in New York, one of the most diverse residency programs in the country. The diversity shaped her as a doctor, reinforcing the importance of treating each patient based on their unique needs and their cultural preferences.
“I got to see a very wide cross-section of patients, a wide cross section of cultures and diagnoses. And I think that really is important because it helps you to be able to treat people the way that they need to be treated,” Dr. Andrews says.
Then, in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the world and Dr. Andrews was beginning to shape her career, life threw her a challenge she never expected. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
A New Way Forward as a Locum Tenens Physician
Being diagnosed with MS demanded she rethink her life and her work. “I recognized that I needed more flexibility in my life, not just to take care of myself, but also have the ability to spend more time with my parents, with my siblings, and other family members.”
That’s when she found locum tenens, which allowed her to continue working while taking care of herself and spending time with loved ones. “I’ve been doing medicine for about nine years, and locums for about a year and a half, and my locums journey has been the best part of it. Just making the connections that I’ve made with people at different hospitals that I’ve worked at, experiencing different patients, different cultures, different foods, different areas. It has opened my eyes to a lot of different things. It’s given me a lot of different experiences.”
She was able to create a schedule that balanced her health and her professional ambitions. “I couldn’t do that if I was in a permanent job. There’s no way,” she says. “I’ve had the flexibility to determine my own schedule and listen to my body.”
Dr. Andrews took assignments with several locum tenens agencies in Florida and New York before she found Floyd Lee Locums through job posting for a locums pediatrician in Arizona. She answered the posting, and within hours, knew she had found what she’d been looking for.
Floyd Lee Locums’ Concierge Service
What set Floyd Lee Locums apart was the human connection. Dr. Andrews felt it right away. From the very first conversation, she felt at ease with her recruiter, Leslie Munn. “It felt like I had known you forever,” she says. ” Just recognizing that I’m more than just a provider. Even being aware of my dog and making sure that everything was okay for him. Making sure that we could stay at a pet-friendly hotel, that the housing we had was safe for him.”
This personalized service is what Floyd Lee Locums has been recognized for since its founding in 2017. Floyd Lee Locums was awarded Grand Prize Winner three times in five years for Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) “Best Staffing Firms to Temp For” list, which can only be earned through direct surveys to physicians and clinicians sent from SIA.
“We want to be a firm where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to put their best selves out there every day. We do that by taking everything we can off their plate for them so they can be the best clinicians and supporters for patients they can be.”
Natasha Lee, CEO
For Dr. Andrews, the team ensured her assignments were a fit for her personal needs and health, including sending her IV hydration packets, finding pet-friendly accommodations, and making recommendations for restaurants and parks near her assignment location. “Those little things matter,” she says. “When I showed up to my assignment, all I had to do was focus on the work, be present, and enjoy the experience.”
Wholistic Support in Locum Tenens
At Floyd Lee Locums, what we do is personal. From booking dinner reservations in a new locale to finding the right church to attend while on assignment, we prioritize clinicians’ whole lives, not just their professional role. It is all built around the idea that physicians and advanced practice providers don’t just bring their skills to the table—they bring every part of themselves. Our concierge approach is designed to provide wholistic support. That includes the clinicians’ own healthcare needs.
Living with MS means learning to listen to my body, knowing when to push forward, and when to rest. Locums has allowed me to build a career around that balance. And honestly, I couldn’t have done it without Leslie. She’s more than my recruiter—she’s my friend, my advocate, and someone who truly understands what I need, not just in work, but in life.
By taking care of our clinicians, we are building an environment where they can reciprocate that care to their colleagues, patients, and loved ones. It can be as simple as clear and timely communication or negotiating time off during your assignment.
“I knew someone was always available to help me or just answer a question, and I really appreciate that, says Dr. Andrews. “Even when Leslie went on vacation, you made sure that you told me who I could talk to. And then that person actually reached out to me saying, ‘Hey, I’m covering for Leslie while she’s gone.’ And it was just that closed loop communication that was super important because at least I knew I wasn’t alone. That’s really important when you’re in a new place – just knowing that you have the support of an entire team behind you.”
Ready to Connect?
Our specialty-specific Healthcare Consultants help you navigate every step of the locum tenens process to meet your unique needs and desires. Whether it’s finding the right location for your personal hobbies during your down time, negotiating a schedule that fits your life, or helping you identify an opportunity to add to your CV, we put your goals first.