North East Joint Assessment Centre (NEJAC)

The North East Joint Assessment Centre (NEJAC) was established to help reduce wait times for consults and surgery for patients in the Northeast region who suffer from hip and knee arthritis.

NEJAC requires a referral from a physician. Once the referral is received, NEJAC staff will contact the patient to set up a consultation with the Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) within 2 weeks of receiving the referral. Acting as a liaison between patients and their health-care provider, the APP will conduct a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment. If it is determined that the patient would benefit from an orthopaedic surgeon consult, patients are given the choice between a preferred surgeon or the next available surgeon, thereby reducing the wait time. If the patient isn’t ready for surgery or if surgery is deemed to be unnecessary, the APP will recommend a more conservative plan of care.

There is no fee associated with NEJAC. Please have your physician or nurse practitioner complete the PDF referral form OR Fillable Word referral form and have it faxed to NEJAC at (705) 495-7577.

Additional resources:

• The Arthritis Society: www.arthritis.ca
• Arthritis Society – My Joint Replacement: www.myjointreplacement.ca
• The Canadian Orthopedic Foundation: www.orthoconnect.org
• Stop Smoking for Safer surgery: www.stopsmokingforsafersurgery.ca
• Eat Right Ontario: www.ontario.ca/eatright

Patient Education booklets:

• Knee Replacement Guide RHC 375
• Hip Replacement Guide RHC 1540