The Family Medicine Imperative for Better Health System Performance – Strengthening the Three Components of the Primary Health Care (PHC) Approach.
May 12 – 15, 2025 | Toronto, Canada
Welcome to the Starfield Summit: The Family Medicine Imperative for Better Health System Performance – Strengthening the Three Components of the PHC Approach, hosted by the Office of Health System and Partnerships at the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM).
We are thrilled to have you join us for what promises to be a dynamic and meaningful gathering of thought leaders, practitioners, researchers, and advocates united by a shared vision.
This summit is more than an event—it's a collective movement toward accelerating progress on primary health care for universal health coverage.
We look forward to rich discussions, fresh perspectives, and lasting collaborations as we work to shape a healthier future for all. Thank you for being part of this important conversation.
With gratitude,
The Starfield Summit Organizing Team
Spotlight on Barbara Starfield
"In its most highly developed form, primary care is the point of entry into the health services system and the locus of responsibility for organizing care for patients and populations over time. There is a universally held belief that the substance of primary care is essentially simple. Nothing could be further from the truth." Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH
Professor Barbara Starfield (1932–2011) was a globally renowned physician, health services researcher, and advocate for equitable, high-quality primary care. Her research consistently demonstrated that health systems rooted in strong primary care deliver better outcomes, reduce costs, and promote equity. As co-founder and first president of the International Society for Equity in Health, she championed the role of primary care in achieving social justice through health.
To honor and advance Dr. Starfield’s legacy, family medicine organizations launched the Starfield Summit—a series of international gatherings to create space for critical dialogue, shared learning, and agenda-setting to integrate research into policy and practice. Grounded in implementation science, they carry forward Dr. Starfield’s mission of positioning primary care—and family medicine in particular—as a cornerstone of health system transformation.