Local team
Dr. Ryan Banach
Family Medicine Early Career Supports Lead
Dr. Banach is a Lecturer at DFCM who has been practicing comprehensive office-based family medicine in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood of Toronto for 11 years—an experience that has given him insight into the inequality of care patients receive across different neighbourhoods in Toronto. He is an adjunct clinical lecturer at DFCM who has taught both medical students and residents. Dr. Banach is passionate about practice management and frequently delivers presentations to physicians to help them understand better the business side of medicine. He also presents seminars on billing, office efficiency, and career management to Ontario family physicians.
Dr. Rajesh Girdhari
Digital Health Lead
Dr. Girdhari is the Digital Health Lead, a role that will work with Ontario Health-Toronto Region to support the rollout of primary care IT initiatives to serve our patients, communities, and the primary care providers of the region as well as DFCM faculty and learners. Dr. Girdhari is an Assistant Professor at DFCM who provides primary care and addiction medicine services to people in the Regent Park community as a family physician on the St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team at Sumac Creek Health Centre. He has been a lead for both IT and quality improvement at St. Michael’s Hospital DFCM since 2015. Prior to these roles, he worked as a partner and clinical lead at a health IT start-up company in Toronto. He also has experience working in community emergency rooms and addiction medicine services across the GTA.
Dr. Catherine Yu
Engagement Lead
Dr. Yu is the Engagement Lead, a role that will support a coordinated approach to Ontario Health Teams primary care leadership. Dr. Yu is an Assistant Professor at DFCM and a community and family physician. She is Medical Director of Health Access Thorncliffe Park. An emergency physician for more than 10 years, she is now a passionate advocate for her community patients. In 2019, she received the Ontario College of Family Physicians Award of Excellence for her leadership in supporting vulnerable populations. Dr. Yu is also Chair of the Board of Directors for the East Toronto Family Practice Network, a community of family physicians with a mission to create equitable access to inter-professional care for all family practices.
Dr. Karen Weyman
Education Lead
Dr. Weyman is the Education Lead, a role that provides leadership, strategic advice, and advocacy in supporting Ontario Health-Toronto Region and DFCM education programming. Dr. Weyman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, and the Family Physician-in-Chief of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital. Since joining the St. Michael’s Hospital in 1993, she has been a passionate advocate for underserved populations. From 1993 to 2015, Dr. Weyman was the Medical Director at Covenant House Toronto, the largest youth shelter in Canada. Dr. Weyman has also had a sustained interest in medical education, with a focus on mentorship, creating a positive learning environment and longitudinal learning. She holds a Master of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, and is a past program director of undergraduate education at St Michael’s Hospital. In addition to her leadership roles, she continues to provide comprehensive primary care, and teach and mentor medical students and residents.
Shantel Walcott, MSc
Program Manager
Shantel supports the OHSP leadership in the planning and implementation of strategic initiatives to strengthen primary care through collaboration with regional, provincial, national, and global partners. With over 13 years of experience in the university sector, she brings a strong foundation in project management, strategic planning, and applied research to advance quality improvement initiatives aligned with departmental goals. Outcomes-focused and highly collaborative, she has a proven ability to build strong relationships across diverse communities and partner groups. Shantel is passionate about advancing primary care and health equity and thrives in dynamic, mission-driven environments.