Can you imagine driving down the highway and seeing street signs directing you to your local primary care clinic instead of a hospital? In this episode, Dr. Tara Kiran hops in a car with health economist Tino Marti for a healthcare road trip across Catalonia, Spain, to tour three different clinics. They serve different populations in different settings under different governance models. But all three deliver care to every resident in their surrounding community.

First, they visit CAP Vilafranca North, a clinic run by the public agency that runs 80% of Catalonia’s primary care centres, where rotating "health points" ensure even small rural villages of 1,000 people can get care in their community. Next, they tour CAP Castelldefels, a joint venture between the government and local municipalities that embraces the philosophy of "subsidiarity"—allowing nurses and administrative teams to independently treat minor issues so family doctors can focus on complex care. Finally, they head to CAP Sardenya, an entrepreneurial, clinician-owned cooperative that integrates university research and gives doctors more schedule flexibility.

Listen in to see how the Spanish model combines performance bonuses, quality dashboards, and community engagement to build a system where nobody falls through the cracks.

Learn more about Spanish primary health care:

Read this four-page summary on primary care teams in Catalonia

Review this comprehensive policy paper to dive deeper into primary care transformation in Spain

Mainpro+ Credits

Family doctors in Canada can now earn Mainpro+ credits by listening to Primary Focus Podcast episodes published after May 1, 2026.

This self-learning Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 30 Mainpro+ credits, with 1 credit available per eligible episode. To claim your credit, listen to the episode, review the show notes and complete the self-learning survey. Your certificate will be emailed to you. Find more information at OurCare.ca/podcast

Listen to More From Our Healthcare Infrastructure Series

In Spain: a primary care centre in every community (Part 1)

In Costa Rica: Integrating Public Health and Primary Care

In Vancouver: A Clinic Accountable to the Community It Serves

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