- Blog
Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence
Posted on 07-31-2026 in Community Outreach by Dr. Roger Ostrander, Dr. Joshua Hackel
In 2004, Dr. Roger Ostrander and Dr. Josh Hackel stood beside their mentor and friend, Dr. James Andrews, to announce the creation of the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Florida. During the announcement, the practice's namesake, Dr. Andrews, noted, "We would like to figure out how to prevent the injuries that we see in all of our youth sports, and you know you've got lots of those going on in this community."
And figure it out, they did.
Making their way to the community from Birmingham, Alabama, the three officially opened the Andrews Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Center—the physician practice that would staff the Institute—in September 2004. Their singular collective goal was to provide exceptional patient care while remaining at the forefront of innovation and research. The practice found immense success under the auspices of this guiding light, and by 2024, Drs. Ostrander and Hackel would continue to serve as preferred providers of the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and help grow North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists into the cornerstone of the medical community it is today.
As they approach twenty years of serving the community, the entire medical staff of North Florida Bone and Joint Specialists reflect on myriad accomplishments and remain steadfast as they continue to advance their specialties in incalculable ways.
Dr. Roger Ostrander
As a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Ostrander completed his sports medicine and arthroscopy fellowship training under Dr. Andrews and treats musculoskeletal conditions resulting from injury, overuse and arthritis. He specializes in arthroscopic and minimally invasive surgical techniques, which reduce post-operative recovery time and allow for an earlier return to work and play.
In addition to his practice, he trains other orthopaedic surgeons and serves as the Director of the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Fellowship at the Andrews Institute. He has also conducted and published numerous research studies through the Andrews Research and Education Foundation, including those focused on shoulder labral tears in professional and collegiate football athletes and ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in baseball players. Dr. Ostrander is the Team Orthopaedic Surgeon for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos AA baseball team, University of West Florida Athletics and Gulf Breeze High School. He has extensive sideline experience, including coverage of the United States National Indoor Lacrosse Team, as well as covering football with Dr. Andrews at Auburn University.
"When we first arrived in Gulf Breeze 20 years ago, it was hard to envision how the Andrews Institute would grow and evolve over the years. We are proud of what it's become as a center of excellence for patient care, research and education," said Dr. Ostrander.
Dr. Josh Hackel
Dr. Hackel is a board-certified sports medicine physician who also completed his fellowship training under Dr. Andrews. With a similar focus on returning to sport, work, and daily activities as quickly and safely as possible, Dr. Hackel specializes in treating musculoskeletal and orthopaedic injuries to maximize healing and minimize recovery time. As a pioneer in his own right, Dr. Hackel was part of establishing the Regenerative Medicine Center at the Andrews Institute in 2016 and was the first physician in the region to utilize stem cell therapy successfully in the treatment of soft tissue injuries and joint disorders. Additionally, he was chairman and established one of the first ultrasound courses to teach other doctors locally, nationally and internationally how to use ultrasound more efficiently and precisely to diagnose musculoskeletal injuries.
Aside from his practice, Dr. Hackel is the Director of the Andrews Institute Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship and has served as Principal Investigator for numerous studies, including his most recent ARISE II Knee Osteoarthritis Study. He also serves as a Team Physician for the UWF Football program and the Medical Director for the American Magic Sailing Team.
Check out some of our related posts:
Why It Feels Like You Are Walking on a Pebble: What Pain in the Ball of Your Foot Could Mean
Have you ever taken a step and felt like there was a pebble stuck in your shoe, only to stop, check, and find nothing there? It's a surprisingly common complaint. Many patients describe the sensation as though they're walking on a small rock, a wrinkle in their sock, or something that simply won't go away. While it may seem like a minor annoyance at first, persistent pain in the ball of the foot is often your body's way of signaling that something isn't functioning as it should. Because several conditions can cause similar symptoms, understanding what may be behind the discomfort is the first step toward finding lasting relief.
Knee Arthritis or Chronic Low Back Pain? How Peripheral Nerve Stimulation May Fit Into Your Treatment Plan
For many patients living with chronic low back pain (LBP) and advanced knee arthritis, there comes a point when the treatments that once provided relief no longer seem to work as well. Medications may offer only temporary comfort, injections may become less effective over time, and everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, or even getting out of a chair can become increasingly difficult. At that point, many patients ask the same question: "Am I ready for surgery, or are there other options I should consider first?" The answer is rarely as simple as "yes" or "no."
Arthritis Awareness Month: Resources for Relief & Education
May is Arthritis Awareness Month, an opportunity to increase public understanding of arthritis and its impact on millions of lives. Established by the Arthritis Foundation, this national observance highlights the importance of early diagnosis, effective treatment, and ongoing research to improve the quality of life for those with arthritis.