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Meet the Founders: Josh Hawkins & Lee Coates
With over 20 years of combined experience as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Josh Hawkins and Lee Coates know the field from the inside out, because they’re still in it. As active locum CRNAs, they continue to work the same kinds of assignments they help staff, bringing real-time insight, empathy, and integrity to every placement.
Josh and Lee built Sonder Staffing to flip the script on traditional anesthesia staffing. No fluff. No misalignment. Just real opportunities, curated by clinicians who’ve walked the walk. Their mission? To empower CRNAs with more freedom, clarity, and control over their careers, while giving facilities trusted, relationship-first coverage that lasts.
Driven by a deep commitment to transparency, mentorship, and clinical excellence, they’re not just matching resumes to contracts, they’re building a better way forward for anesthesia staffing.
Proudly serving CRNAs across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Oregon with Nationwide coverage available upon request.
THE PARTNERS BEHIND SONDER
With years of experience in both clinical anesthesia and leadership, Josh Hawkins, DNP, CRNA and Lee Coates, DNP, CRNA founded Sonder Staffing to redefine what it means to connect providers and facilities. Their shared vision is simple, create a transparent, trust-based system where CRNAs thrive, facilities succeed, and care always comes first.
Empowering CRNAs to Lead with Purpose
Lee Coates - DNP, CRNA
Partner and Founder | Practicing CRNA |
Building Transparent Provider Led-Staffing
Championing Freedom & Human-First Staffing
Josh Hawkins - DMP, CRNA
Partner and Co-Founder | Practicing CRNA | Human-First, Clinician-Led Staffing Leader
CRNA-Led. Experience-Driven. Human-Focused.
Sonder Staffing was founded by practicing CRNAs who experienced the flaws of traditional staffing firsthand, recruiters who didn’t get it, contracts that didn’t serve, and systems that treated providers like numbers.
We set out to change that.
What started as a better way to find meaningful work has grown into a new standard for anesthesia staffing, one built on autonomy, clinical insight, and human connection.
Why Does Sonder Exist?
Sonder means recognizing that every person has a life as vivid and complex as your own. That realization shapes everything we do.
We don’t see providers as warm bodies to fill shifts.
We see professionals, parents, leaders, and humans who deserve flexibility, clarity, and respect. We don’t see hospitals as clients.
We see care systems under pressure, looking for real partnership and real solutions.
Sonder is staffing that sees the full picture.
