Orthopedic Central Intake is funded to accept referrals for all types of routine orthopedic consults. As of Sept 2018, as per provincial mandate, all hip and knee referrals are to be sent through Orthopedic Central Intake.  Referrals are accepted by eReferral or Fax, and are sent to all surgeons and assessment centres across the region and beyond.

Benefits of Using Central Intake

· Single point of contact for all providers to refer any/all Orthopedic services

· One standard referral form for all Orthopedic Surgeons throughout the region

· Required process for hospitals to receive Booking Reference Numbers (BRNs) for hip/knee surgery

· Status notifications sent to primary care

· Patient centered approach to system navigation

· Current inventory of physician specialties, subspecialties, and approximate wait times

· Consistent data collection and monitoring to support system improvement

Referral Options

To send an eReferral, click here.  For a demo of the Ocean eReferral system, click here.

For a paper copy of the referral form, click here.

If you would like an electronic form for your EMR, please call us at 519-947-1000 or 1-844-204-9088, option 3, or email us at [email protected].

For fractures, physicians and nurse practitioners, please call the Hospital "On-Call" Orthopedic Surgeon for further direction.

     Cambridge Memorial Hospital:  519-621-2330

     Guelph General Hospital: 519-822-5350

     Grand River Hospital:  519-749-4300

Hips and Knees

Improving access to care for people struggling with hip and/or knee pain is a priority for the province.  To address this concern, five Hip and Knee Orthopedic Assessment Clinics (OACs) have been established in Waterloo-Wellington Region.  In these clinics, a specially trained physiotherapist assesses each person to determine the urgency of referral and if it is a surgical or non-surgical case.  This appointment may then be followed by an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. 

Choosing Wisely Canada™ Guidelines for Hip and Knee

Click here to review the guidelines to support you in determing the appropriate imaging and/or treatment for hip and knee. 

Click here for a concise summary of approved imaging views for referrals for hip and knee.

If the referral meets the criteria for the Hip and Knee OAC clinic, Central Intake will direct the referral to the appropriate clinic.

The OAC clinics for Waterloo Wellington are:

Kitchener Waterloo: MSK Centre  

Guelph: Wellington Ortho and Rehab

Cambridge: Cambridge Memorial Hospital

Mount Forest:  Claire Stewart Medical Clinic

Palmerston:  Minto Rural Health Centre

Spine and Low Back

RAC-LB (Rapid Access Clinics-Low Back) are now available in Waterloo Wellington.  These clinics were previously called ISAEC (Inter-professional Spine Assessment and Education Clinics) but recently changed their name to align with other rapid access clinics in the province.  

Please note:  For Primary Care Providers to refer to this program, you must complete an on-line learning module. 

To register, click here. After completing the training, RAC-LB will send you a copy of the referral form. The referral form is also available here. You can also submit referrals using Ocean eReferral for Orthopedic Central Intake by selecting Spine (RAC- LB) as the Primary Problem/Area once the learning module has been completed. 

RAC-LB is an innovative, upstream, shared-care model of care in which patients receive rapid low back pain assessment (less than four weeks on average), education and evidence-based self-management plans. It is designed to decrease the prevalence of unmanageable chronic low back pain, reduce unnecessary diagnostic imaging as well as unnecessary specialist referral.

For more information about the RAC-LB (previously ISAEC Program) and the province-wide rollout, click here.

Conservative Management

Injection Options

Some patients may benefit from an intra-articular joint injection, or be recommended to receive this therapy following an appointment at one of the OAC Clinics. In Waterloo-Wellington there are several options available for referring for joint injections. For more information, please contact the referral recipients directly. 

Kitchener – Waterloo

Sports Medicine

Dr. Kevin Asem – Fax 519-603-0640

Dr. Randy Bahadur – Fax 519-513-0500

Dr. Doug Dittmer – Fax 519-746-2295

Dr. Marin Duke – Fax 519-746-2295

Dr. Dimitri Haddad – Fax 519-513-0500

Dr. Peter Keizer – 519-603-0640

Dr. Robert Lee – Fax 519-746-2295

Dr. John McCuaig – Fax 519-603-0640

Dr. Kathy Walus – Fax 519-746-2295

Grand River Sports Medicine – Osteoarthritis Centre of Excellence -

Fax 519-571-8145

Physiatry

Dr. Scott Cook – Fax 519-894-8310

Dr. Doug Dittmer – Fax 519-894-8310

Rheumatology

Dr. Faraawi - Fax 519-742-4231

Dr. Sabrina Lue – Fax 519-895-1623

Dr. Tariq Suhail – Fax 519-743-5851

Dr. Yan Yeung – Fax 519-749-9054

Interventional Radiologist

Grand River Hospital

website

Referral Form

Anesthesiology/Pain Specialist

South West Ontario Pain Interventions (SWOPI) - Dr. ElAlfy - Fax 519-744-2611

Cambridge

Sports Medicine

Dr. Trevor Hall - Fax 519-622-3563

Dr. Ali Hazari - Fax 519-622-3563
Grand River Sports Medicine – Osteoarthritis Centre of Excellence - 

Fax 519-571-8145

Physiatry

Dr. Tonya Ballard - Fax 519-624-1117

Interventional Radiologist

Cambridge Memorial Hospital

website

Referral Form

Guelph

Sports Medicine

Dr. Patti Galvin - Fax 519-763-9871

Physiatry

Dr. Patti Galvin - Fax 519-763-9871

Dr. Jean Pierre Sarco - Fax 519-821-5151

Interventional Radiologist

Guelph General Hospital

website

Referral Form

Pain Management Centre at GRH Freeport Campus

The Freeport Pain Management Centre has recruited two specialists to facilitate a referral-based service, providing a multi-specialist and multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of chronic pain. Dr. Scott Cook and Dr. Gihan Perera are the two specialty physiatrists that have been welcomed to the centre. For more information about the program, call 519-749-4300 ext 7860.

For a referral form, click here.

GLA:D® Program

The GLA:D® Program is an exercise program for hip and knee osteoarthritis. This program was originally developed in Denmark and is now available at various sites in this region. For more information on this program, click here.

Take Charge Chronic Pain

This FREE six week program is for people struggling with chronic or persistent pain.  It is led by certified Peer Leaders in a community setting at various locations throughout the region. For more information or to register, please click here.

Craving Change

This FREE four week program helps individuals understand why they eat the way they do. It is led by health care professionals certified in the program, and is offered at various locations throughout the region. For more information or to register, please click here.

Falls Prevention

Group exercises and falls prevention classes help individuals living in the community stay healthy and active. Often classes are publicly-funded or low-cost and held at various locations across the region. For more information and a list of available programs, click here.

Call the Ministry of Seniors Affairs INFOline at 1-888-910-1999 for more information about available falls prevention classes.