The Orthopaedic and Arthritic Hospital is a specialty instifution dedicated to the provision of elective reconstructive orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation to individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. This facility is the largest volume joint replacement centre in Canada, performing over 1,000 hip and knee replacement/revision procedures annually. In 1995, the hospital established a Functional Independence Training (FIT) program — a seven-day reactivation program for patients following primary joint replcement. The program aims to promote early independence, improve functional level and return patients to normal activit as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. The program has received positive patient feedback and has demonstrate the potential to save the health care system approximately $479,655 annually through the reduction of 1,453 acute and rehabilitation hospital inpatient days, based on the hospital's annual primry joint replacement caseload. This program represents an established and successful sub-acute care model consistent with the Health Services Restructuring Commission's philosophy of “providing the right service in the right setting, which will lead to better, more appropriate care and better health outcomes at a more appropriate cost.” 1