MEET

ELIZA BRADBURY PA-C

Physician Assistant

SPECIALTIES

  • Fracture Care, Joint Replacement/Surgery, Sports Medicine

  • Dr Christian Heywood

CREDENTIALS

Education

Master of Health Services, Physician Assistant Studies
University of California, Davis, CA

Bachelor’s Degree, Linguistics
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA

WHERE

Can I See Eliza?

ABOUT

Eliza Bradbury

Eliza Bradbury, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant with 10 years of clinical experience and deep roots in the Santa Cruz community. Born and raised in Watsonville, she has lived in Santa Cruz County her entire life. Her passion for orthopedics began early—her father was a local orthopedic surgeon, and she spent her childhood in his clinic, later working alongside him as a medical assistant before attending PA school. Those experiences sparked her enduring love of orthopedic medicine and her commitment to providing meaningful, hands-on patient care.

Before joining Golden State Orthopedics & Spine, Eliza practiced emergency medicine and urgent care, developing strong clinical judgment and a steady, compassionate presence for patients during stressful or unexpected medical situations. Now at the OrthoExpress clinic in Capitola, she is excited to focus her career on orthopedics, providing timely evaluations, assessments, and guidance for patients with acute injuries and musculoskeletal concerns.

Eliza’s patient-care philosophy centers on listening first. She believes that understanding a patient’s concerns—and involving them in shared decision-making—is essential to effective, personalized treatment. She strives to create an environment where patients feel supported, informed, and confident in their care, especially during moments of pain or uncertainty.

Drawn to medicine by a desire to help people through difficult times, Eliza values building trust and offering the kind of thoughtful, well-rounded care that makes a genuine difference in patients’ lives.

Outside of work, Eliza is an avid tennis player—enjoying both casual matches and league play—and loves traveling and SCUBA diving. She also finds relaxation and creativity through needlepoint embroidery.

Working with:

Christian Heywood, MD

SPORTS MEDICINE SURGEON

Dr Heywood is joined by Eliza Bradbury, PA-C to provide the highest standard of care.

Physician Assistants:

PAs are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans and prescribe medication. With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs are versatile and collaborative.

Physician Assistants undergo 2,000 hours of clinical rotations during their training.

2000 Hours