A national gathering for primary care transformation

Friday, November 20, 2026 | Toronto, Ontario

Across the country, there is now broad agreement on a patient- and public-defined vision for primary care, as articulated by the OurCare initiative. More importantly, change is underway. Provinces and territories are making significant new investments, testing new models and tackling longstanding challenges around access, continuity, teams and universal coverage.

Primary Exchange will bring the people leading this work together to learn from what is happening now — and from one another.

Meeting at a Glance:

Date: Friday, November 20, 2026

Time: 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Location: The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Ontario

Format: Invitation-only, in-person meeting

Participants: Approximately 150 Canadian and international leaders in primary care policy, research, practice, and patient partnership

What you can expect

This will be a fast-paced, highly interactive day of learning and exchange. Rather than a traditional conference of presentations and panels, participants will hear short, candid accounts of reforms underway across Canada and internationally, dig into some of the hardest questions facing primary care, and exchange practical ideas and experience with colleagues from across jurisdictions.

Together, we will:

  • Get a rapid view of consequential primary care reforms underway across Canada — what is changing, what made it possible and what is being learned;

  • Explore international approaches that can challenge and inform Canadian thinking;

  • Work through difficult questions about timely access and continuity, the role and design of teams, and what universal primary care coverage should mean in practice;

  • Choose from and examine more than a dozen practical innovations and models presented by people directly involved in making them work;

  • Identify the policy and practice changes that could most accelerate progress over the next two years; and

  • Build stronger relationships among people working to transform primary care across Canada.

CMA Welcome Reception

Join us the evening before Primary Exchange for the CMA Welcome Reception, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Canadian Medical Association.

Thursday, November 19 | 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Connect with fellow participants and kick off the Primary Exchange conversation ahead of the main event on November 20.

Location and additional details will be shared with registered participants.

Acknowledgements

Primary Exchange is being hosted by the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine in connection with the OurCare initiative based at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions and made possible with support from the Canadian Medical Association, Healthcare Excellence Canada, and the Institute of Health Services & Policy Research.

Please reach out to dfcm.quality@utoronto.ca with any comments or questions about the event.