On January 31, experts from places as far away as Boston and Hawaii convened on the Stanford campus to discuss the future of primary care from a diverse array of perspectives. The inaugural Bay Area Primary Care Leadership and Innovation Summit was co-sponsored by Stanford Medical School, UCSF’s Primary Care Leadership Academy, and Primary Care Progress.

“We wanted to create a summit for the teams of people who provide primary care services, education, research and other innovations” said Erika Schillinger, MD (clinical associate professor, family medicine in general medical disciplines), who organized the event in collaboration with Beth Wilson, a professor of family and community medicine at UCSF, and Andrew Morris-Singer, president and principal founder of Primary Care Progress. The one-day event was designed to foster connection and encourage collaboration across multiple disciplines. As Schillinger explained: “There are a lot of people with different perspectives who are interested in contributing to the future success of primary care. This conference brought them together with exuberance.”

Participants included nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, family doctors, pediatricians, internists, and students from all those disciplines, as well as clinical administrators, program directors, medical assistants, and leaders from business, engineering and community organizations. Patients played a central role, sharing their experiences and connecting attendees to their shared goal of improved patient care. “The patients and patient advocates were empowered to articulate their ideas, and it really helped to have them present,” said Schillinger.

The day began with a series of keynote talks and skills building sessions. One session focused on the power and importance of personal narrative, teaching participants the fundamentals of effective storytelling. “We learned to generate our personal story about why we are passionate about primary care and why primary care is important,” recalled Victoria Boggiano, a second year medical student. “Stories resonate. If you’re a primary care advocate, stories are a great way to engage people and keep them involved.”

Action and brainstorming defined the latter half of the summit. An afternoon panel entitled “We are not alone” put a spotlight on several primary care teams that are changing the field. Each team presented on one of six topics: team-based partnerships, public health partnerships, primary care transformation, value-added medical education, collaborative research networks, and community engagement.

Following the panel, attendees broke into small discussion groups to share ideas. For one hour, patients, physicians, students, and other professionals worked alongside each other to brainstorm new ways to transform and revitalize primary care. “There was a buzz of enthusiasm when everyone broke into groups,” Schillinger noted. “People were really energized by the process.”

This sense of enthusiasm and energy could be felt throughout the day, and lingered long after the closing reception. “I can still feel the energy,” said Schillinger. “It was so exciting to watch nearly 200 people share challenges and potential solutions, working collaboratively toward a brighter future for healthcare—one that achieves the quadruple aim of improved patient care and better outcomes that don’t break the bank, while also focusing on provider wellness and satisfaction.” Boggiano agreed, adding: “The summit did a wonderful job getting people excited about primary care innovations.”