Webinar series | Feb 11 – APR 22, 2026
The future of primary care in BC
Primary care is the foundation of our health care system, but despite years of reform and new spending, primary care in British Columbia is still falling short.
Too many people still lack consistent access to a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team, putting enormous pressure on walk-in clinics, urgent care centres and hospital emergency rooms for issues that could be dealt with more effectively—and at much lower cost—in a primary care setting.
This webinar series explores a better direction for primary care in BC with not-for-profit team-based models where diverse teams of practitioners offer a broad range of health and social supports that are responsive to local community needs.
These models support accountability to local communities, proactive care for people with chronic and complex needs and a stronger focus on prevention and equitable access to care. They also address the social determinants of health, delivering better overall health outcomes.
WEBINAR series
- SESSION 1: The not-for-profit advantage: a better future for primary care in BC
- SESSION 2: Learning from Ontario’s success: creating a thriving not-for-profit primary care sector
- SESSION 3: How primary care can address the growing mental health crisis in BC
- SESSION 4: Optimizing nursing roles: building a stronger not-for-profit team-based primary care sector
- SESSION 5: Learning from Oregon’s success: improving health care while lowering costs
Join us to learn from practitioners and communities already building these models and how we can play a role in shaping what comes next for primary care in BC.
In five sessions, participants will be introduced to core principles of high-performing primary care including:
- timely access,
- continuity,
- coordination,
- comprehensiveness.
We will explore how these principles are put into practice through Community Health Centres, Indigenous-led clinics, nurse practitioner-led models and in the growing number of other community-governed, not-for-profit team-based primary care organizations in BC.
The series will combine policy analysis with practical lessons from jurisdictions and communities that are already demonstrating what is possible.
Designed for practitioners, policymakers, community leaders, students and engaged members of the public, the webinars invite participants to think critically about how primary care is organized, funded and governed and how it could be transformed to better meet the needs of communities across BC.
Session 1
The not-for-profit advantage: a better future for primary care in BC
Wednesday February 11, 2026 | 12PM PT
This session introduces the core argument of the series: why primary care works better when it is team-based, community-governed and not-for-profit.
We will examine what these models make possible, including continuity, proactive care, prevention, connections to social supports and why they are often better equipped to meet complex needs. We will also discuss key structural barriers in BC, including the limits of the traditional small-business physician clinic model, rising overhead costs and the need to implement a stronger not-for-profit primary care sector to scale.
* You will be given the option to register for the entire series on the registration page.
Meet the panelists
Melinda Markey, Executive Director, REACH Community Health Centre; Vice President, BC Association of Community Health Centres
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REACH Community Health Centre has been providing community-based health care in East Vancouver for fifty five years. Its interdisciplinary team offers a variety of health and social services under one roof.
Melinda Markey is a seasoned public health leader with over 15 years of experience advancing health equity, community well-being, and structural change. She holds a Master of Public Health from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from Western University.
Leslie Keenan, Executive Director, Shoreline Medical Society
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Shoreline Medical is a charitable, non-profit organization that provides the Saanich Peninsula community with a range of primary health care and health promotion services, delivered by a team of health care professionals providing wraparound care with continuity between clinic, hospital and home-based care.
Leslie Keenan has over 15 years of primary care executive experience that has provided insights into what drives innovation, quality and satisfaction in the delivery of collaborative, team-based, person-centred primary care. Leslie was a registered nurse for over 40 years (license retired in 2023) and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Leadership in Justice and Public Safety, SFU.
Leah Walker, Executive Director, Kílala Lelum Health and Wellness Cooperative
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Kílala Lelum’s mission is to partner Indigenous Elders with physicians and allied health professionals to provide physical, mental, emotional and spiritual care to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside community.Leah Walker has over 25 years of Indigenous health leadership, including her current role as the first Executive Director at Kilala Lelum. She is deeply interested in innovation, transforming health systems and supporting Indigenous medicine as a critical component of health care and healing. Her other interests include planning epic sailing adventures with her partner. She is of Danish, English and Nlaka’pamux ancestry and has strong kinship ties at Seabird Island.
Session 2
Learning from Ontario’s success: creating a thriving not-for-profit primary care sector
Wednesday March 4, 2026 | 12PM PT
This session shares Ontario as a case study for building a more robust not-for-profit primary care sector.
We will explore how Community Health Centres have functioned as local hubs that combine medical care with prevention-oriented and community-based social supports, designed to close service gaps by offering multiple services in one place. We will also examine the role of system-level infrastructure and funding approaches that are increasing the opportunities for not-for-profit primary care organizations to play a leadership role in coordinating and integrating primary and social care services in their local community.
* You will be given the option to register for the entire series on the registration page.
Meet the panelists
Jen Quinlan, Chief Executive Officer, Flemingdon Health Centre
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Flemingdon Health Centre (FHC) is a community-based, non-profit organization that provides free health care services and community programs to residents in this high density multicultural neighbourhood in Toronto with many experiencing health inequities and barriers to care. FHC—along with the local hospital and a community based social services organization—are the anchor partners for the Thorncliffe Community Hub. The Hub provides a very broad range of health and social support services including diagnostic and specialty services, health services for people who are uninsured and social services for many different populations.
Jen Quinlan is a dynamic health system leader with over 20 years of experience in both local and global contexts. She is passionate about enhancing community health and wellbeing through community driven integrated care. For the past decade, Jen has led Flemingdon Health Centre’s evolution into a leading provider of integrated primary health care in Ontario.
Under her leadership, innovative programs have flourished, including Health Access Thorncliffe Park, the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub, and the East Effort Community Health Ambassador Program. As FHC celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, Jen is committed to further strengthening team-based primary health care to effectively address the social determinants of health.
Jen holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of Toronto. In 2025, Jen was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025 for her exceptional community service.
Andy Kroeker, Executive Director, West Elgin Community Health Centre
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The West Elgin Community Health Centre (the “Centre”) has served its rural communities for over 30 years. The interdisciplinary team provides primary health care, a range of community programs, illness prevention and health promotion services primarily to residents of Dutton Dunwich and West Elgin municipalities.
Andy Kroeker has been the Executive Director of the West Elgin Community Health Centre since December 2009. Before that he worked for the Ontario Telemedicine Network and the London Health Sciences Centre Renal Program. Andy has a Master’s in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science both from Carleton University. Some of his recent advocacy and system change efforts include the development of a Neighbourhood Health Home Model as part of the Elgin Ontario Health Team and as the co-chair of the Alliance for Healthier Communities Rural, Remote and Northern Committee.
Jennifer Rayner, Director of Research and Policy, Alliance for Healthier Communities
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The Alliance for Healthier Communities is the voice of a vibrant network of community-governed primary health care organizations. Alliance members serve diverse communities across the province, rooted in the communities they serve. They share a commitment to advancing health equity through the delivery of comprehensive primary health care.
Jennifer Rayner is the Director of Research and Policy at the Alliance for Healthier Communities and supports 100+ community based primary care organizations in Ontario. She is a research professor at Western University within the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine and an associate professor at University of Toronto in the Department of Community and Family Medicine, and the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation. She received her PhD of epidemiology and biostatistics at Western and completed post-doctoral training at Ryerson University.
Session 3
How primary care can address the growing mental health crisis in BC
Wednesday March 25, 2026 | 12PM PT
This session will focus on what it means to respond to the mental health crisis through primary care, rather than treating mental health as an “add-on” or separate system. We connect mental health to the social determinants of health and consider what primary care teams need—skills development, staffing models and connections to community services—to address both immediate distress and underlying factors.
This approach is key to how mental health supports can strengthen chronic disease management as depression, anxiety, pain and isolation often shape a person’s ability to manage long-term conditions. Finally, we will discuss what it takes to embed that support into the daily practice of primary care and community-based services.
* You will be given the option to register for the entire series on the registration page.
Meet the panelists
Kim MacKenzie, Senior Director of Policy and Systems Transformation, Canadian Mental Health Association – BC Division
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The Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division (CMHA BC) is British Columbia’s leading mental health charity and champion, dedicated to creating a world where mental well-being is valued and supported by and for all. Through advocacy, education, engagement, and community-based services, we’re here to break down barriers, combat stigma, uplift the voices of lived expertise, and ensure vital and equitable access to mental health and substance use resources. Together with 14 local branches across the province, we’re building a brighter, more inclusive future where mental health is a priority for all in British Columbia.
Kim Mackenzie (she/her) is the Director of Policy with the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division. She has had the privilege of working in community, non-profit and government on a variety of intersecting policy issues including mental health and substance use, children and youth, gender equity, income security, access to justice and sex work. She holds a Masters of Public Policy.
Stephany Berinstein, Director of Recovery and Integration, Canadian Mental Health Association – BC Division
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Stephany Berinstein is the Director of Recovery & Integration with CMHA BC Division. For the last 17 years she has been working in clinical and leadership roles in mental health and substance use services focused on addressing the social determinants of health of employment and education and supporting mental wellbeing. This includes the development, implementation, and sustainment of evidenced-based psychosocial rehabilitation programs, treatment and recovery services, and workplace mental health initiatives at a local and provincial level. She holds a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy and is a certified Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) teacher through the Centre for Mindfulness Studies.
Julie Zimmerman, Provincial Director, Primary Care and Virtual Services, Foundry
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Foundry offers free and confidential mental health and wellness services for youth ages 12-24 in British Columbia and their families. Foundry is a province-wide network of integrated health and wellness services for young people ages 12–24 and their families. Foundry brings together multiple services in one place — in person at Foundry centres and virtually through the Foundry BC app—to make it easier for youth to access care, connection and support.
Julie Zimmerman is a senior health system leader at Foundry, where she serves as a provincial Services Director supporting program development and implementation. In this role, Julie provides strategic and operational leadership to advance accessible, integrated services for young people ages 12–24 across British Columbia. Her portfolio focuses on developing and implementating best practice in areas such as primary care, substance use, peer support, and work and education. Her work has contributed to the growth and evolution of the network and supporting centres and partners through periods of expansion, system change, and service integration.
Julie’s background in health care began as a frontline clinician offering occupational therapy programming across a variety of programs and services. She has held leadership roles within the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, including leading local primary care, substance use programs and specific youth initiatives. Across these roles, she developed a strong systems-level perspective and a deep understanding of how policy, operations, and partnerships intersect to shape service delivery.
Dawn Creach, Principal Consultant and Chief Executive Officer, Creach Consulting Group
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Dawn Creach is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Creach Consulting Group, where she partners with providers and health plans to improve patient outcomes through innovative care delivery and value-based payment strategies. With more than 20 years of experience across diverse settings, Dawn brings deep policy fluency and practical implementation expertise to complex system challenges.
As a founding member of Oregon’s Primary Care Payment Reform Collaborative, she spent more than a decade providing policy leadership and subject-matter expertise to advance innovative payment strategies that support advanced primary care. Trained as a sociologist, Dawn approaches her work with a systems-level lens grounded in compassion, integrity, and transparency.
Session 4
Optimizing nursing roles: building a stronger not-for-profit team-based primary care sector
Wednesday April 8, 2026 | 12PM PT
In recent years there has been an increase in the number, role and impact of nurses working in primary care, most significantly Nurse Practitioners. This webinar will highlight the leadership role that not-for-profit, nurse-led, team-based primary care organizations can play in creating a higher-quality, more cost-effective primary care system in BC.
The session will also provide a provincial policy and research perspective on what is working well and where additional changes are needed. Empowering Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses to work to their full potential and take on advanced practice roles is critical to delivering accessible, cost-effective primary care particularly in rural BC and in specialized areas of care.
* You will be given the option to register for the entire series on the registration page.
Meet the panelists
Nicole Pasquino, Clinical Director, Options for Sexual Health; Faculty Lead, Sexual Health, BCIT
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Based in British Columbia, Options for Sexual Health offers current sexual and reproductive health care, information and education from a feminist, pro-choice, sex-positive perspective. After opening its first clinic in 1968, it has continued to grow and provide accessible sexual health services throughout the province and are proud members of the International Planned Parenthood family.
Nicole Pasquino is a Certified Practice Registered Nurse, the Clinical Director at Options for Sexual Health, and the Faculty Lead for Sexual Health at BCIT. She has two decades of experience in sexual and reproductive health and sexual assault care, practice and policy and has helped shape RN scope of practice standards for Reproductive Health in BC. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Bachelor of Health Sciences, and a Master of Health Sciences.
Penelope Smith, Executive Director, Glengarry Nurse Practitioner-led Clinic
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The Glengarry Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (GNPLC) is one of 26 progressive non-profit primary care medical clinics in Ontario delivering team-based health care services that are both client centered and outcome oriented. This innovative model of care enables Nurse Practitioners to lead clinical care in collaboration with a full scope team of dedicated health professionals. The GNPLC provides comprehensive primary and preventive care services in addition to specialized programming (e.g psychiatric access, dermatology etc) in collaboration with regional partners in response to community needs.
Penelope Smith is the Executive Director of the GNPLC where she applies programming, policy and executive leadership skills gleaned from a career spanning the hospital, community mental health, community support and public health sectors. Penelope is a strong advocate for the NPLC model of care and regional non-profit sector, committed to advancing primary care initiatives that are efficient and responsive to community needs. Her work with the clinic has been featured in various articles and publications from L’Actualite (Francophone version of Mclean’s Magazine), Cancer Care Ontario and Health Quality Ontario.
With a passion for continuous learning, her undergraduate degree is complemented by certificates in Leadership, Executive Leadership, Health Care Administration and Management from University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, Queens University School of Business and the Ontario Hospital Association.
Angela Wignall, Chief Executive Officer, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC
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Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC (NNPBC) is the professional nursing association representing all nurses and nurse practitioners in British Columbia. Since uniting BC’s four nursing designations in 2018, NNPBC has made meaningful progress in raising the collective voice of the profession.
Angela Wignall is a Registered Nurse, the CEO of the Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of British Columbia (NNPBC), and serves as Director on the Canadian Nurses Association Board. Angela holds a BA, a BSN, a Masters in Policy & Practice and is a PhD candidate at the University of Victoria. Angela practices across all domains of nursing, as a public health nurse, as a nursing leader, as a nurse educator, as an Innovation Lab founder, and as a nurse researcher with expertise in policy and governance.
Session 5
Learning from Oregon’s success: improving health care while lowering costs
Wednesday April 22, 2026 | 12PM PT
This session will look at Oregon’s primary care transformation experience and explore how systems can improve quality while controlling costs.
We will examine how Oregon’s reform efforts engaged a broad range of health care practitioners and community leaders in developing and regularly reviewing care standards. This included a rating system to motivate and recognize primary care practices that improved the quality of care. Clinics and practitioners were also provided with hands-on coaching, training and additional funding for mental health and administrative support to meet the care standards.
In a review of the first eight years of Oregon’s primary care transformation, there was close to $12 in savings in other parts of the health care system for every dollar invested in primary care.
* You will be given the option to register for the entire series on the registration page.
Meet the panelists
Dr. Evan Saulino, Clinical Director, Comagine Health
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Comagine Health is a national, nonprofit, health care consulting firm. They work collaboratively with patients, providers, payers, and other stakeholders to reimagine, redesign and implement sustainable improvements in the health care system.
Evan Saulino is a Clinical Director for Comagine Health, where he supports systemwide health care quality improvement projects. His career has focused on leveraging collaboration to empower individuals, organizations and communities to implement innovative strategies to improve health for all. As a family physician, Dr. Saulino has cared for patients of all ages for more than 20 years and serves as a primary care clinician and family medicine residency preceptor for a rural non-profit Community Health Center in Hood River, Oregon.
His work in clinical transformation and health policy, with a focus on local and state primary care innovation and investment, has been a catalyst for policy and practice change nationally and internationally. As Clinical Advisor for the State of Oregon’s Patient Centered Primary Care Home Program, his work was critical to the growth and success of the program’s impact on more than 650 clinics serving over 3 million individuals, which demonstrated improved care quality and approximately $1.3 Billion of savings. He built a team of Clinical Transformation Consultants (community clinician peer-mentors) and helped lead development of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Institute – a collaborative technical support structure for clinical organizations. He has provided international health system consultation for clinical and governmental individuals and organizations from Australia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, and Romania.
David Ross, MPH, CPH, Director of Population Health, Comagine Health
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David Ross has over 18 years of experience, providing a deep background in facilitating complex, multi-stakeholder interventions. As a Director of Population Health at Comagine Health, he has led strategic initiatives focused on quality improvement and system transformation (large and small scale).
An expert in clinical implementation, he provides high-level technical assistance to diverse healthcare stakeholders, helping organizations adopt team-based care models and evidence-based practices to improve population health outcomes.
He previously led state and national pediatric and maternal health projects at the Oregon Pediatric Improvement Partnership (at OHSU). His work there focused on advancing medical home implementation, developmental screening, and care coordination for children with special health needs. Mr. Ross also serves as an adjunct professor at the OHSU/Portland State University School of Public Health.
Dr. Elizabeth Powers, Winding Waters Medical Center
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Established in 1972, Winding Waters Clinic is a Community Health Center that aims to improve the quality of life of their local communities by providing health education, resources and affordable services to rural Eastern Oregon.
Elizabeth Powers, MD, MHA, FAAFP, FACHE, is a practicing family physician, the Local Public Health Officer for Wallowa County, Oregon, and the Health Services Officer at Winding Waters Community Health Center based in Enterprise, Oregon. A visionary leader in rural healthcare, Dr. Powers spearheaded Winding Waters’ transformation from a private practice to a Rural Health Clinic (RHC), and ultimately to a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). During her tenure as CEO, Dr. Powers led the organization to become Oregon’s first-ever 5-Star Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH). Leveraging this deep expertise in ground-level implementation, she has also served as a Clinical Transformation Consultant for the Oregon Health Authority for over a decade. Dr. Powers’ deep commitment to health equity and clinical excellence has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the HRSA COVID-19 Public Health Champion award and the distinction of Oregon Family Doctor of the Year.
FAQs
1. Will the webinar sessions be recorded and made available?
Yes. Make sure you register to receive the link to the recording.
2. How much does it cost to attend these sessions?
All sessions will be available at no cost to you.
3. Can I use the recordings as part of my teaching materials?
Yes. Our work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.
4. What exactly is primary care?
Primary care is the foundation of our health care system. It brings together doctors, nurses and other professionals to support everything from check-ups to mental health and long-term conditions, making sure patients get the care they need.
Multiple studies have found that better access to primary care leads to fewer emergency room visits, fewer hospital admissions, lower health-care costs, better preventive care, safer medication and diagnostic prescribing, a better overall quality of life and lower death rates.
5. What does good primary care look like?
There are four pillars to good primary care:
- a single, reliable starting point for health needs that provides
- consistent, ongoing support and
- comprehensive
- well-coordinated care through a multidisciplinary team of professionals who know your history.
6. What is team-based care?
Team-based primary care is a health care model where a diversity of health and social support practitioners collaboratively deliver comprehensive, coordinated patient-centred care. These teams are better equipped to meet your health needs than a physician working alone.
7. Why does the not-for-profit model matter?
A non-profit care model means organizations are designed to collaborate—not compete. Non-profit providers can raise and manage funds, partner with housing and social service organizations and local governments and be hubs that connect care across the community in a way that the traditional small-business model of family practice simply can’t.
8. What are Community Health Centres (CHCs)?
CHCs are a well-known model of non-profit, team-based primary care, but they are not the only model. In BC, they are part of a broader family of community-governed, non-profit team-based models, including Indigenous-led clinics and Nurse Practitioner-led clinics.
The common thread across these models is they are responsive to the community, governed by the people they serve and designed to reinvest resources into patient care rather than profits.
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