Building Bridges Podcast

More than Medicine: Leadership and Advocacy in Women's Health with Dr. Melissa Rodriguez

What does it truly mean to build bridges in healthcare—and who is willing to step forward and do the work when those bridges don’t yet exist? In this episode of Building Bridges, Bre Garbas sits down with Dr. Melissa Rodriguez, an OB/GYN physician associate, educator, and national leader in women’s health, for a conversation that moves far beyond the clinical space. Together, they explore what it looks like to practice at the top of one’s license, advocate for meaningful change, and redefine what is possible for physician associates in one of the most dynamic and underserved areas of medicine. From the very beginning, Melissa’s passion is evident—not just for women’s health, but for the profession itself. As a clinician working in one of the busiest OB/GYN emergency departments in the country, delivering care in high-acuity, fast-paced environments, she embodies the intersection of expertise, adaptability, and resilience. But her story doesn’t stop at the bedside. She is also shaping the next generation of clinicians as an educator and influencing the national conversation through her leadership and advocacy work.  This episode is not simply about what Melissa does—it’s about why it matters, and what it reveals about the future of healthcare.

PA Education and Leadership: Dr. Pam Vayda

In this episode of Building Bridges from Butler University’s Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program, hosts Adrian Banning and Cody Sasek speak with PA educator Pam Vayda, interim program director at Mississippi State University. Pam shares her path from prior work in education (including teaching secondary school and college labs) to joining MSU’s inaugural PA cohort (graduating 2023), practicing in urgent care, earning her doctorate through Butler, and quickly transitioning into PA faculty roles. She discusses seeing PA programs from both student and faculty perspectives, the complexity of running a program, and the major work involved in achieving 10-year accreditation. Pam highlights how doctoral training and mentorship support curriculum alignment, evidence-based medicine, and faculty development, and she describes outreach efforts to introduce Mississippi students to the PA profession.

PAs in Leadership: Dr. Brooke Schweitzer

From the OR to the C-Suite: Dr. Brooke Schweitzer on Advanced Practice Leadership in Healthcare On this episode of the Building Bridges podcast, host Cody Sasek interviews Dr. Brooke Schweitzer, a plastic and reconstructive surgery physician assistant and Executive Director of Advanced Practice Providers at University of Chicago Medicine. She was appointed to this inaugural role amid rapid APP growth from about 200 pre-COVID to over 600 current. Schweitzer describes overseeing PAs, NPs, CNSs, CRNAs, and nurse midwives across multiple sites, and shares how she discovered the PA profession after shadowing in surgery.  She recounts unexpectedly stepping into interim hospital leadership at a critical access hospital, prompting her to pursue a doctorate and business residency to bridge clinical and administrative “languages.” She emphasizes saying yes to opportunities, listening, transparency, servant leadership, stakeholder alignment in matrixed organizations, and measuring value through key metrics like length of stay and readmissions as healthcare shifts toward value-based care, while advocating for stronger APP representation and leadership pathways.

A Servant's Heart: Dr. Olatunde Oshikoya on Leading with Passion

What happens when you stop waiting for the “right path” and start building your own? In this episode of Building Bridges, Dr. Olatunde Oshikoya, PA-C, shares how an uncertain start as a new graduate evolved into a purpose-driven career spanning urgent care, mobile medicine, and telehealth in addiction and behavioral health. From launching a mobile clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic to embracing remote care as the future of medicine, his journey highlights the power of adaptability, innovation, and saying yes to opportunity—even when the outcome isn’t clear.  This conversation explores how telehealth is reshaping access to care, allowing providers to meet patients where they are—literally and figuratively—while maintaining the core principles of medicine. Dr. Oshikoya also shares his passion for mentorship and community impact, emphasizing the importance of looking inward, leveraging your network, and stepping up to meet needs in your own community.  Whether you’re a clinician, student, or educator, this episode is a reminder that meaningful careers aren’t linear—they’re built through openness, discomfort, and a willingness to act.

Butter, Epidemiology, and Great Teaching: Rod Jackson Part 2

Rod Jackson on Heart-Healthy Living, Teaching Epidemiology, and the GATE Frame Adrian interviews Dr. Rod Jackson on the Building Bridges Podcast (Butler University Dr. Medical Science Bridge Program), focusing on cardiovascular prevention and his teaching approach. Jackson argues coronary heart disease is driven primarily by dietary saturated fat, largely from meat and dairy, and urges reducing saturated fat first, then avoiding smoking, eating largely unprocessed foods low in salt and refined sugar, and exercising (which he ranks lower than diet). He recommends regular cardiovascular risk assessment, especially for older adults, and notes safe, cheap blood-pressure and lipid-lowering drugs can substantially reduce risk and that lifestyle changes help even after disease develops. Jackson explains his engaging teaching style centers on connecting with students through relatable stories (like his evidence-based lunch) and using pictures to teach epidemiology via the “GATE frame,” which he calls the epidemiological paradigm, plus a “cross” to incorporate evidence, values, politics/cost, and individual circumstances in decisions. 00:00 Welcome Back and Recap 00:58 Heart Health Basics 01:30 Butter Cop and Saturated Fat 03:59 Prevention and Risk Meds 05:10 Never Too Late to Change 06:38 Teaching Style Secrets 11:00 Gate Frame Storytelling 13:46 Krebs Cycle Inspiration 15:03 Gate Frame Challenge 17:12 Decision Cross Explained 18:51 Final Thanks and Signoff Links: The GATE Framework for Epidemiologic studies: gateframe.pdf [https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/assets/fmhs/soph/epi/epiq/docs/gateframe.pdf]