May 20, 2025

DFCM hosts first Starfield Summit outside the U.S., bringing global primary care leaders to Toronto

photo of group of adults smiling at a camera infront of the Hart House

On May 12-15, the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) in collaboration with the Office of Health System Partnerships (OHSP), hosted the 2025 Starfield Summit, a collective gathering dedicated to advancing the future of primary care. To our knowledge, this was the first time the Summit was held outside of the United States.

“The significance of this Summit lies in the critical need for family medicine and primary care leadership as a foundational element to strengthen a Primary Health Care (PHC) oriented system,” says Dr. Praseedha Janakiram, program director of Global Health Education, DFCM and co-chair of the Starfield Summit.

Named in honour of the esteemed Dr. Barbara Starfield, an internationally renowned physician and health services researcher known for her trailblazing work in primary care, the Summit brought together primary care leaders in research, education and policy from 23 countries. Together, they explored strategic approaches to enhance the role of family medicine and primary care in strengthening primary health care (PHC) systems, aiming to improve capacity and performance in pursuit of universal health coverage.

“The Starfield Summit serves as a vital forum for global collaboration, convening diverse perspectives to strengthen primary care and accelerate progress toward universal health coverage. Hosting it in Canada for the first time marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to build more equitable and resilient health systems,” says Dr. Danielle Martin, chair of DFCM.

To kick off the event, Dr. Martin joined DFCM global health leaders Drs. Praseedha Janakiram and Katherine Rouleau for a discussion with Dr. Jane Philpott, chair of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team, and Dr. Dawit Wondimagegn, vice president of Addis Ababa University (AAU). They discussed DFCM’s collaboration with AAU to launch family medicine residency training in Ethiopia, highlighting the importance of international collaboration to improve health care—one of the core purposes of the Summit itself.

four panelists at the front of the stage looking at the speaker on the podium

man with microphone talking in a classroom

group of people looking at the camera and smiling

From there, the Summit explored bold ideas, shared groundbreaking research, innovative educational expertise, and insightful lived experiences. From thought-provoking panels to inspiring conversations, the Summit sparked new energy and direction for the future of high-quality primary care.

“We are extremely privileged to host global family medicine and primary care experts and champions of such high caliber, from all WHO regions of the world and with a wide range of experience including clinicians, researchers, educators, patient partners and policy experts,” says Dr. Katherine Rouleau, global primary health care lead at DFCM. “Their presence speaks to our shared commitment and sense of urgency to leverage the full potential of family medicine and high-quality primary care to strengthen health systems, and ultimately improve the health and well-being of the populations we serve around the world.”

With this year’s Starfield Summit now concluded, DFCM leaders and Summit attendees are synthesizing key insights and action items to ensure the momentum continues—transforming rich dialogue into meaningful progress for primary care worldwide.

We would like to thank the co-chairs of the Starfield Summit, Dr. Rouleau and Dr. Janakiram for their incredible leadership. We would also like to thank the planning committee: