Founded in 2010, Primary Care Progress (PCP) is a national organization committed to strengthening the people at the heart of care through leadership development and community building. At the core of this effort is Relational Leadership™ — the art and exercise of cultivating relationships as the first step to creating meaningful, sustainable change. Each year, PCP supports thousands of healthcare professionals and students across the country through experiences that build leadership skills, team effectiveness, psychological safety, and provider wellbeing. PCP is committed to helping current clinicians and the next generation connect to their teams, their patients, and ultimately, rebuild community in healthcare.
Growing out of a grassroots primary care revitalization effort launched at Harvard Medical School, PCP has transformed over the years from an alliance of medical school-based teams promoting primary care, into a national movement — a powerful learning collaborative of current and future healthcare professionals from across disciplines and career stages.
So whether you’re an executive leadership team navigating change, a clinician implementing new team-based models, or a health system catalyzing action on community health, we’re here to help you and your teams thrive.
The History of Primary Care Progress
Take a look at some of the moments, people, and initiatives that bring our mission to life: to strengthen the community at the heart of primary care.
PCP Founded at Harvard Medical School
March 2010
In response to Harvard Medical School’s effort to close the Primary Care department, students and faculty come together to reject the proposal and form a primary care advocacy group. Within just a few years, Primary Care Progress expands to campuses across the country.
Read moreAffordable Care Act Becomes Law
March 2010With significant implications for primary care, the Affordable Care Act passes, setting in motion comprehensive health insurance reforms and reducing the total number of uninsured Americans by an estimated 20 million. The need for primary care couldn’t be more clear.
Read morePCP Goes Digital
January 2011
Our first Progress Notes blog post – an interview with public narrative guru Marshall Ganz – is published.
Read morePCP Hosts First Leadership Summit
August 2011
With a goal to bring together the growing network of primary care champions nationwide, PCP holds the first Gregg Stracks Leadership Summit in Boston.
PCP Expands to Include First Pharmacist
January 2012
The Interprofessional PCP National Training Team grows to 5 members with our first pharmacist. This Training Team goes on to model the importance of interprofessionalism through Relational Leadership™ with members from a variety of fields, including Public Health, Nurse Practitioner, Health Administration, and more.
Read morePCP Establishes 25 Teams Nationwide
January 2013
PCP launches our 25th student-led Team at the University of Connecticut.
Student Hotspotting Supports High-Utilizing Patients
December 2014
Partnering with the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, Student Hotspotting gives interprofessional student teams from across the country the opportunity to spend six months working with high-utilizing patients in their communities – and gaining the leadership and advocacy training to be successful.
Read morePCP Colorado Opens DAWN Free Clinic
March 2015
PCP’s team at the University of Colorado becomes the first institution to open a student-run free clinic, DAWN (Dedicated to Aurora’s Wellness and Needs), in the PCP network.
Read moreNational Survey Exposes Gravity of Primary Care Shortage
April 2016
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) releases a report projecting a shortage of primary care physicians of between 15,000-35,000 by 2025.
Read morePCP Offers New Relational Leadership™ Offerings to Practitioners
April 2016
PCP begins offering a number of leadership development and teaming workshops to healthcare organizations, bringing Relational Leadership™ to Wellmed, Kaiser, Maine Medical, and many more. If you’d like to bring Relational Leadership™ to your team, contact us.
Read moreCatalyst Project Drives Community Health Conversations
August 2016
A partnership between PCP and the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, the Catalyst Project supports interprofessional teams as they spearhead powerful conversations about how to align innovations in care with the health needs of their communities.
Read moreAndrew Morris-Singer Calls for Patient-Provider Unity at the Aspen Ideas Festival
June 2017
Calling on patients and providers to forge a new relationship, Dr. Morris-Singer joins activist Ai-Jen Poo, TED winner Raj Panjabi, and healthcare visionary Prabhjot Singh on a panel about the changing healthcare workforce.
Read moreRelational Leadership Institute Launches at OHSU
October 2017
The Relational Leadership Institute launches at Oregon Health and Science University, bringing the four Relational Leadership™ competencies to an interprofessional, intergenerational cohort over three months.
Read moreRelational Rounds Podcast Hits the Airwaves
February 2018
Featuring conversations with leading minds and powerful disruptors on some of the most pressing issues facing primary care and healthcare transformation, Relational Rounds provides inspiration, insight, and a little provocation that advances our mission to strengthen the community at the heart of care. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
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