Building Bridges Podcast

Building Bridges Podcast

Building Bridges is a podcast created by the Butler University Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program to support and inspire physician associates and the healthcare community as they elevate themselves and the profession. Through thoughtful conversations and diverse perspectives, we connect clinicians, educators, and leaders across disciplines to explore what's next in healthcare, leadership, education, and innovation. We aim to build bridges between education and action, clinical practice and policy, and individual purpose and collective impact. With inclusion, equity, and lifelong learning. At our core, we aim to spark dialogue that encourages bold thinking, collaboration, and progress. In an ever-changing healthcare landscape, our mission is to ignite curiosity, foster connection, and empower new generation of leaders to imagine what's possible.

Episodes

June 4, 2026 30 mins

Breaking Barriers in PA Education: The Inspiring Road of Natalia Rangel

Hosts Cody Sasek and Adrian Banning (Butler University’s Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program) interview Natalia Rangel, a first-generation PA originally from Cúcuta, Colombia, who moved to Florida, attended PA school at Case Western Reserve University, received her DMS degree from the Butler University Bridge Program and now lives and works as a n...

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Sometimes you meet someone, and you just know you're going to be friends. Mix in PA school and that friendship becomes something even more lasting. Host Adrian Banning interviews Butler University DMS Bridge Program alumnae Kennedy Lewis and Natalia Rangel about their close friendship formed during their Case Western PA school interview (anniversary = Nov. 11), daily support through a 15-month didactic year and clinical rotati...

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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...

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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 docto...

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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...

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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 medicin...

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From Hypertension to Cardiovascular Risk: Rod Jackson’s Big-Data Impact in New Zealand

Adrian, a Butler University Medical Science Bridge Program faculty member, interviews Dr. Rod Jackson, an epidemiologist at the University of Auckland, on the Building Bridges podcast. Jackson describes growing up in rural New Zealand, choosing medicine, and shifting from clinical practice to public health after working with cardiovascular epidemi...

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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 smo...

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This episode will introduce you to Dr. Chileatha Wynn, who demonstrates the power of saying "yes" whenever possible and the benefits it has had on her life as a PA, a leader, and the value of advocacy. 

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In this episode of Building Bridges, a podcast by the Butler University Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program, co-hosts Dr. Adrian Banning and Dr. Cody Sasek welcome their guest, Dr. Andre Dos Santos. Dr. Dos Santos shares his remarkable story of immigrating from Brazil, his diverse career as an MMA fighter and Hollywood stunt performer, and his journey to becoming a PA educator at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and ...

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January 6, 2026 15 mins

In our first full episode, you'll have the opportunity to meet the Building Bridges podcast team.

  • Adrian Banning, DHSc, PA-C
  • Breann Garbas, DHSc, PA-C
  • Cody Sasek, PhD, PA-C

We'll take a casual and lighthearted look at the journeys that led each of the cohosts to Butler and to the seat in front of the microphone.

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Welcome to the Building Bridges Podcast. In this episode, Cody Sasek, program director of Butler University's Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program introduces listeners to the podcast and what to expect -- from interesting conversations to learning from thought leaders, the podcast is intended to inform, entertain, and engage the audience in thinking about what's next...and what's possible.

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