Brett Smith, MD Joins NFBJS

Beginning Nov. 1, Dr. Brett Smith and his talented team of Physician Assistants, a Certified Surgical First Assist, a Practice Lead and a Patient Coordinator, become part of the North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists family. Dr. Smith, a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon with years of experience, specializes in Total Joint and Adult Reconstruction.

“Dr. Smith gives every patient the time and expertise needed to guide them in the direction that is the most beneficial to their independent needs. He is kind, compassionate, and above all else concerned for the welfare of every patient who enters his practice,” said NFBJS Executive Director Carroll Papajohn.

Dr. Smith grew up in California, playing sports all his life, which seeded his interest in orthopaedics and the mechanics of the human body. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a materials engineering student, where he was the stroke for the school’s crew team. Dr. Smith then obtained a Master of Science in biomedical engineering from the University of California at San Diego. He attended medical school and became a resident at Allegheny General Hospital, after which he completed his formal orthopedic education with a Fellowship in Adult Reconstructive Surgery at the Institute for Bone and Joint Disorders in Phoenix, AZ. His Fellowship focused on the most challenging cases of total hip and knee arthroplasty under the tutelage of his mentor, Dr. Anthony Hedley, a student of the father of hip replacement surgery, Sir John Charnley.  

After his Fellowship, Dr. Smith had a short stint with a private practice in his California hometown but soon returned to Arizona to join Dr. Hedley and train Fellows for three years. Dr. Smith then completed his tour de force by returning to his residency program in Pennsylvania to train the next generation of Residents and Fellows. When the chance arose to develop a Total Joint Program with the world-famous Dr. James Andrews, Dr. Smith jumped at the opportunity. He joined the team at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, where he has served as the Program’s Medical Director since 2010 and Chairman of the Institute’s Executive Committee since 2016.

Dr. Smith’s passion is quality and highly personal care of every patient as if they are family. He can often be heard in the clinic telling a patient, “This is what I would do if you were my sister, father, grandmother, or son.” He and his team want the best outcome possible for their patients, whether from conservative, non-surgical treatment or surgical intervention.

To learn more about his background and experience, visit Dr. Smith’s Physician page to complete an online appointment request. He is accepting new patients beginning Nov. 1 as part of the North Florida Bone and Joint Specialists team.