GEN-PHC's Work

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The Global Engagement Network for Primary Health Care (GEN-PHC) collaborates with partners around the world to advance education, data, policies and programs necessary to support fit-for-purpose primary care systems. 

Learn more about GEN-PHC's initiatives below. 

Members of GEN-PHC's secretariat talk with one another during a meeting

 

Creating a Stronger Health Care Workforce

GEN-PHC has created a three-part framework that focuses on physician workforce development, the primary care market and health policy. 

These components are critical to Primary Health Care, which emphasizes health care that is equitable, holistic and focused on social medicine. 

Read more about GEN-PHC's work to implement Primary Health Care through the dissemination of research and ideas that guide health care workforce development

Colleagues in Zambia pose for a photo

Investing in Quality Primary Care Education

In January 2026, GEN-PHC partnered with Seed Global Health to support a family medicine faculty development workshop at the University of Zambia (UNZA). The workshop utilized practical teaching tools grounded in real-world faculty challenges, interactive, case-based discussions, and hands-on exercises to ensure the long-term sustainability of Family Medicine education and training at UNZA.

GEN-PHC conducted a global survey of family medicine training programs in 2022, elucidating many of the challenges family medicine training programs face and identifying needed areas for investment, opportunities for government policy and action, and areas of collaboration.

A map of the world, including Africa, Europe and Asia, with different countries having different colors
Image credit: The Lancet

 

Developing a Global Understanding of Primary Care Evidence

GEN-PHC Senior Fellow Diego Garcia-Huidobro and Director Esther Johnston led a multi-national author group in mapping the global scientific productivity of primary care research over the last 50 years. 

The article was published in Lancet Primary Care in January 2026.  

Read "Advancing Primary Care Through Equitable Research"

Portrait of Youngin Park, showing them wearing glasses a white coat.

 

Understanding and Advancing Models that Produce First-Access, High-Quality, Patient-Centered, Coordinated and Continuous Primary Care

In 2025, the University of Minnesota was thrilled to welcome GEN-PHC Visiting Scholar Youngin Lee. Dr. Lee is developing a conceptual and evidence-based model for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health technologies into primary care to enhance accessibility, efficiency, and quality, while ensuring ethical governance, sustainability, and equity.

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Advocating for and Engaging in the Advancement of Primary Care Policy 

Dr. Klaus von Pressentin and Dr. Esther Johnston contributed technical knowledge and GEN-PHC served as a sponsor for Tanzania's Family Medicine Symposium "From Episodic to Longitudinal Care: Advancing Universal Health Coverage through the 5 Cs of Primary Care" in Morogoro, Tanzania, from Jan. 29 – 30, 2026. 
 

Supporting Faculty Development in Family Medicine 

GEN-PHC published a paper in June 2026 addressing the importance of family medicine training. Building on interviews with experts in family medicine faculty development from around the world, the authors developed a framework that can be applied internationally and adapted for all contexts.

The resulting framework is organized into three holistic domains:

  1. Technical Skills: What the educator is able to do.
  2. Core Approaches: How they approach teaching (incorporating systems knowledge, emotional intelligence, and health equity).
  3. Professional Role Modeling: How they embody the role of both a family doctor and a lifelong learner.

GEN-PHC is now collaborating with many of the original study participants to translate the framework and comprehensive tables. This ensures that the core competencies of a family medicine educator are clearly understood by every frontline clinical teacher, regardless of their primary language. The goal is to bring this global conversation directly into medical communities across the world, to help family medicine faculty identify gaps in their faculty teams, and build contextualized development programming.

A pie chart cut into three slices titled, "What Makes a Great Family Medicine Education?"

 

GEN-PHC Publications

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GEN-PHC Publications

GEN-PHC Publications