Musculoskeletal (MSK) Central Intake - Rapid Assessment Centre for Hip/Knee

Fully Covered by OHIP 

Musculoskeletal Rapid Assessment Centres help people with hip and knee pain get timely access to treatment and specialized care. The centres use a coordinated intake and triage process to reduce wait times and get patients access to the right education and treatment options. These could include referrals to an orthopaedic surgeon or physiotherapy.

Hip and knee assessments are available at MSK Rapid Assessment Centre locations in Windsor, Chatham, and Sarnia. You will be booked for an assessment at the location closest to your home, or you may choose the first available assessment at any of the locations.

Primary Care Providers will send a standardized referral form (below) to the Central Intake office, located at the Erie St. Clair LHIN. From there, the referral is directed to the appropriate surgeon or hospital.

This model benefits:

  • Primary Care Practitioners – who will be able to support their patients through an accessible, consistent patient care pathway and receive assessment outcomes with recommendations
  • Specialists – who will receive triaged referrals which allows for more predictable practice and improved wait list management
  • Patients – who will be assessed sooner (within four weeks of referral) with outcome measures and a plan of care, regardless if they are in need of surgery or not

Request for Orthopaedic Consultation Form (Electronic fillable)
Request for Orthopaedic Consultation Form (Handwritten)
Patient Guide (brochure) to MSK Central Intake/Rapid Assessment Centre for Hip/Knee

MSK Central Rapid Assessment Centres:

  • Bluewater Health
    89 Norman St.
    Sarnia, ON N7T 6S3
    Ph: 519-464-4400 ext. 8100
    Fax: 519-464-4517
    Website: coming soon

  • Chatham-Kent Health Alliance
    80 Grand Ave. W.
    Chatham, ON N7L 1A8
    Ph: 519-437-6026
    Fax: 519-436-2500
    Website: http://www.ckha.on.ca/msk-rac

  • Windsor Regional Hospital - Met Campus
    1995 Lens Ave.
    Windsor, ON N8W 1L9
    Ph: 519-985-2679
    Fax: 519-985-2689
    Website: https://www.wrh.on.ca/HipAndKneeRAC 

Rapid Assessment Centre for Low Back Pain

Fully Covered by OHIP 

The Rapid Assessment Centre for low back pain is to help improve the quality, access, and appropriateness of care for people with moderate to severe low back pain. This model of care will provide each patient with a timely low back pain assessment, education, and self-management plans.

It is designed to decrease prevalence of unmanageable chronic low back pain, reduce opioid initiation, reduce unnecessary diagnostic imaging, as well as reduce unnecessary specialist referrals and emergency department visits.

Note: all patients must be referred by a doctor or nurse practitioner.

Patient Guide (brochure) to Rapid Assessment Centre for Low Back Pain

Contact Info:

  • Windsor Regional Hospital - Ouellette Campus
    1030 Ouellette Ave.
    Windsor, ON N9A 1E1
    Ph: 519-255-2269
    Fax: 519-973-4427