Discover This Year's Power of Primary Care Summit "Leading the Attachment Era Together" Oct 15-16, 2026
Where real-world challenges meet practical solutions, and the collective power of primary care teams takes centre stage.
Call for Abstracts Now Open!
The Call for Abstracts for the 2026 Power of Primary Care Summit is now open.
AFHTO invites primary care teams, partners, and system leaders to submit abstracts that share practical experiences, innovative approaches, and lessons learned that strengthen team based primary care across Ontario.
Submitting an abstract is an opportunity to contribute to the Summit program and help shape conversations that matter to primary care across Ontario.
Submission deadline: June 9 at 5:00 pm
Bright Lights Award Nominations Now Open!
The Bright Lights Awards celebrate the people and teams driving meaningful change across team‑based primary care in Ontario. From quiet champions who hold teams together, to emerging leaders shaping the future of the system, these awards shine a light on the exceptional work happening every day across AFHTO member organizations and beyond.
AFHTO invites nominations across the following award categories:
- Individual Impact Awards (2 categories)
- Conference Theme Awards (5 categories)
- Board Awards (2 categories)
Submission deadline: June 9 at 5:00 pm
Why participate in the
Power of Primary care Summit?
Primary care in Ontario is entering a new era, and the expectation is clear: Every Ontarian connected to primary care. Primary care teams have a critical role to ensure success.
The challenge is how we get there at pace, at scale, and together, and while attachment is not the only goal for a strong integrated primary care system, it is the opportunity for us in this moment. This is where that work happens; this is not a typical conference, it’s a working summit.
Let’s bring together the people who are shaping how attachment becomes a reality across teams, organizations, and regions.
Who Should Attend
If you are influencing how care is delivered, organized, or connected, you belong in this room.
- Executive Directors and CEOs of primary care organizations
- Family Physicians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Clinical directors and managers
- Team champions
- OHT’s
- PCN’s
- Researchers and
- System partners
What You’ll Do
- Co-create a shared Charter for Team-Based Care aligned with the 2029 attachment mandate.
- Work across boundaries to navigate complexity. Equip leaders to lead beyond their organization across OHTs, PCNs and primary care models.
- Design and pressure test integration strategies that accelerate attachment and improve access.
- Strengthen primary care’s collective voice to shape system design, transformation and partnership with government.
What You’ll Leave With
- Greater clarity on your role in advancing attachment.
- Practical strategies you can act on immediately.
- Stronger connections across teams and sectors.
- A shared direction—and momentum—to move forward together.
“I’ve attended a handful of AFHTO conferences, and many, many other conferences. This was one of the best – content, energy, organization, communication – top notch.”
Did you know? 96% of respondents in the post-conference survey were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their conference experience!
“It actually helped to know we are not alone in our struggles to improve access to primary care and inspiring to hear how teams are creatively forging ahead and overcoming barriers.”
Support Our Summit
Our summit wouldn’t be possible without the energy and leadership of our members and partners. Interested in shaping the 2026 summit experience or partnering with AFHTO? Volunteer sign‑ups are now open, and the sponsorship and exhibitor prospectus will launch in May. Sign up for updates to receive it when released.
Stay in the Know
Sign up to receive AFHTO’s quarterly stakeholder newsletter and key email updates! Stay informed on AFHTO events like the annual summit/conference, get involved, and benefit from advocacy, resources, and connections that strengthen team-based primary care across Ontario!
Bright Lights Awards 2025
AFHTO’s Bright Lights Awards, generously supported through our ongoing partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions that help advance team-based primary care in Ontario with a specific focus on innovation.
At the 2025 conference, we expanded our awards to recognize MORE of our members and the exceptional work they are doing. The awards were announced and presented at the Awards Ceremony on October 23, 2025, during The Power of Primary Care Conference! See our winners below.
Power of Primary Care Board Award
Team of the Year Board Award
Emerging Leader Award
Heart of the Team Award
Rideau St. Lawrence FHT, Glengarry NPLC, Seaway Valley CHC, Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie, Great River OHT
The Constellation of Primary Care Award
Governing with Integrity: Navigating Conflict, Power, and Accountability Award
Rebuilding the QI Muscle: Data, Action & Impact Award
Digital Tools, Human Care: Innovation with Purpose Award
Growing Great Teams: Building Culture, Retaining Talent, and Transforming Care Through Collaborative Learning Award
Meeting Needs, Advancing Equity: The Power of Comprehensive, Patient-Partnered Care Award
Highlighted Sessions
Panel: What Success Actually Looks Like When 100% of Ontarians Have Quality Primary Care
Dr. Jane Philpott (Primary Care Action Team), Jessie Rumble NP (AFHTO Board member), Leslie Thompson (CEO Health Standards Organization), Denis Tsang (Board Member College of Dietitians of Ontario) – Facilitated by Dr. Ivy Oandasan (Family Physician)
FHTs for the Future: Strengthening Primary Care Teams to Drive Patient Attachment
Duff Sprague (CEO, Peterborough Family Health Team) and Hon. George Smitherman (former MPP and Minister of Health)
Unleashing the Power of Collective Intelligence
Dr. Dan Riskin (Biologist, TV/Radio Host, Science Journalist)
Building Bridges for Better Attachment Side by Side – Dinner and Dialogue
Co-hosted by Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP), Ontario Medical Association (OMA), and Section on General and Family Practice (SGFP)