Lisa Warren Shares what Sets Andrews Sports Medicine Apart

President Jeff Stone and Rotarian Jeff Dugas with Lisa Warren

This week, the Rotary Club of Birmingham welcomed Lisa Warren, CEO of Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center. Warren provided a history of the practice, which traces its roots to 1986 when Dr. James Andrews — one of the first surgeons in the Southeast to perform arthroscopy — founded Alabama Sports Medicine and established the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI). Today, Andrews has grown to 24 physicians across seven locations, seeing 101,000 patients and performing 15,000 surgeries last year. Warren highlighted the practice's deep community commitment, including volunteer sideline coverage at dozens of local schools and nearly 10,000 hours of free pre-participation physicals for student athletes annually.

Warren described ASMI as the feature that most sets Andrews apart. The institute runs fellowship programs that have trained nearly 486 sports medicine surgeons since 1986 — physicians who now cover 10 of the 16 SEC schools — and publishes dozens of peer-reviewed papers each year. Its biomechanics lab uses motion-capture technology to study and prevent injury, producing practical innovations like a custom orthotic insert developed specifically for cheerleaders after research revealed how much stress their joints absorb landing in cheer shoes.

Warren offered a preview of Andrews’ new facility at the former Brookwood Mall location, with a target opening of June 2027. The expanded clinic will include more exam pods, additional X-ray machines, on-site physical therapy, an MRI, and procedure rooms built for the future of in-office care. A second-floor ambulatory surgery center — starting with eight operating rooms — is planned for 2028. Warren noted that surgery centers cost insurers and patients 45 to 60 percent less than hospitals for identical procedures, and that Birmingham currently lacks the capacity to meet growing demand.

Bio for Lisa Warren

Lisa Warren has been the Chief Executive Officer of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, AL since 2011. She is the president of the Alabama Chapter of Orthopedic Executives. Lisa served as a physician practice management consultant with Warren Averett for 10 years. Other work experiences include management of Brookwood Hospital’s primary care physician network and MedPartners, a physician practice management company. She has been a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Healthcare Worker’s Compensation Fund since 2014.

Lisa graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration (Economics) from James Madison University in 1992, a Master of Science in Heath Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1994.

She is currently serving on the advisory board for the Sports Marketing Program at Samford University, the Healthcare Workers Compensation Fund and the AL Chapter of Women in Healthcare. She is as a speaker and on the Advisory Committee for the Youth Leadership Development Program. Lisa served on the Board for M-Power Ministries for 7 years, leaving after her final term as Chairman. Lisa recently served 7 years on the Board of United Ability and was the chair of the Medical Services Advisory Committee. Lisa was on the Advisory Board of the University of AL at Birmingham Graduate Program in Health Administration. She was on the Board of Directors for the Birmingham World Games 2022.

Lisa was awarded “Executives of Influence” by the Birmingham Business Journal in 2016 and was a member of the 2017 Leadership Birmingham Class.

Lisa has 2 girls ages 19 and 22 and resides in Vestavia Hills, AL. She played soccer in college and enjoyed coaching her daughters through age U10. In Lisa’s limited spare time, she enjoys exercising, cooking and gardening.