Who We Are

The GPSC's vision is to enable access to quality primary health care that effectively meets the needs of patients and populations in BC, using the patient medical home to form the foundation for care delivery within  a broader, integrated system of primary and community care.

The four goals that the GPSC is aiming to achieve are to:

• Increase access to appropriate, comprehensive, quality primary health care for each community.
• Improve support for patients, particularly vulnerable patients, through enhanced and simplified linkages between providers.
• Contribute to building a more effective, efficient, and sustainable health care system in order to increase capacity and meet future patient needs.
• Retain and attract family doctors and teams to work together in healthy and vibrant work environments.

The FPSC is a partnership of the Government of BC and Doctors of BC that works on behalf of doctors to strengthen full-service family practice and patient care in BC.

The committee is comprised of six representatives from the Doctors of BC and six representatives of the Government of BC, and has guest members from each health authority and BC Family Doctors.

Doctors of BC and Ministry of Health Representatives*

Please click on name for member biography.

Ted Patterson (Co-Chair)

Ministry of Health

Ted Patterson is the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Primary Care Division at the Ministry of Health. Prior to this appointment, Ted seconded a number of ADM portfolios in the Ministry, including Primary and Community Care policy, as well as the Health Sector Workforce. Previously, Ted was Executive Director at the Public Sector Employers' Council (PSEC) Secretariat in the Ministry of Finance, where he was responsible for collective bargaining and compensation strategies for the Health, K-12 and University sectors. In this role, Ted also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the BC Public School Employers' Association and represented government at a number of major negotiation tables.

Ted has also worked in a number of other senior level positions within the Ministry of Health, including Director of Labour Relations and Special Initiatives in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.

Ted holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Political Studies, both from the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr Sari Cooper (Co-Chair)

Doctors of BC

Dr Sari Cooper is the physician Co-Chair of the Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC). She has been a member of the Committee since 2019, and was appointed to the Co-Chair role in 2022. She looks after a panel of complex patients in Victoria, and has been practicing longitudinal family medicine since finishing her residency in 2001.

Sari has worked in several different models of primary care across different provincial systems, and she understands from experience the value of team-based care, system evolution, and collaboration. In 2010 she was part of the development team that created a thriving family medicine residency program in Barrie, Ontario, which has been a driving force of recruitment and retention in the area. During her time as a family medicine residency preceptor in Barrie, Sari received a teaching award for Role Modeling Clinical Excellence from the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto. 

She moved to British Columbia with her family in 2014, and holds a clinical appointment at UBC. She previously served as a Division Head for Geo 4 with Island Health's Department of Family Practice.

Outside of her medical career, Sari has a busy and active family, and she has recently become a published author of a middle-grade novel.

Dr Greg Costello

Doctors of BC, Liaison to the Fraser Health region

Dr Greg Costello grew up in Abbotsford and graduated from the UBC Southern Medical Program (SMP) in 2016. His medical school training included an Integrated Community Clerkship in Fort St John through the Northern Medical Program, where he developed a passion for accessible, high quality longitudinal primary care across settings, and for rural/remote communities in particular.

After completing his family medicine residency training in Chilliwack, Greg locumed around the province before signing on to a part time practice in Bella Bella. In addition to longitudinal outpatient care at the Bella Bella Medical Clinic, he provided emergency department, acute inpatient and long-term care services at the Heiltsuk Hospital. When not in Bella Bella, Greg provided a combination of casual hospitalist coverage at the Kelowna General Hospital as well as episodic virtual and in person care to keep his perspective and skill set as broad as possible.

Supported by the Specialist Services Committee, Greg completed a "Mini-MBA for Physicians" through York University in 2023 with the goal of considering how emerging technology may improve the efficiency and accessibility of existing and new primary care services. Teaching at the SMP since 2020, he is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the UBC Department of Family Practice, with an interest in combining basic clinical skills training with Point of Care Ultrasound.

As of early 2025, Greg is on parental leave from clinical work and transitioning from his practice in Bella Bella to one closer to his family in Kelowna. When not wrangling his two young sons, he can usually be found playing video games, reading or out for a run.

Greg is very excited to be a member of FPSC at this critical moment to provide a rural and remote lens to the committee's work, and help shape the programs and supports that will guide how family medicine evolves in the post-pandemic world.

Dr Jaron Easterbrook

Doctors of BC, Liaison to the Northern Health region

Dr Jaron Easterbrook is a family physician at Three Cedars MD in Sidney, BC. He attended medical school at the University of Calgary and completed his Family Medicine Residency at UBC’s Faculty of Medicine in 2018. Dr Easterbrook also has a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Victoria and an MBA in International Marketing from the University of Toronto.

Before he started practicing medicine, Jaron spent 15 years in marketing, most recently as a National Marketing Manager for Apple and a Product Manager for EMR & Integration with Canada Health Infoway. He made the switch to medicine after shadowing an ICU physician.

Jaron currently co-chairs the FPSC Information Sharing Task Group and the Greater Victoria COVID Community Task Group. Among other medical leadership activities, he was Vice Chair of his Division as a resident, previously on the board of the Health Data Coalition, and is the Treasurer for BC Family Doctors (formerly the Society of General Practitioners; which he led through a successful rebrand).

He is passionate about knowledge transfer, sharing tools, and resources to reduce workloads and improve practices for family doctors across the province. He is committed to longitudinal family medicine; he recently opened a new clinic in Sidney and is working as a hospitalist at the local community hospital on the peninsula. 

Dr Janet Evans

 Doctors of BC, Liaison to the Island Health region

Dr Janet Evans is a family doctor and medical director at CGB Medical in Kelowna, BC. She graduated from family medicine at the University of Alberta.

Among Janet's passions are billing education, team-based care, and quality improvement. Chair of the Patterns of Practice Committee with Doctors of BC since 2020 (and committee member since 2016), Janet has also been very active in the Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice, where she helped pilot the nurse-in-practice initiative and mentored doctors on team-based care as part of the division’s primary care network working group.

She continues to mentor family doctors across B.C. on team-based care and is always on the lookout for practice innovations that make family doctors' work more efficient and enjoyable.

At home, Janet is mom to four boys: Denzel (26), Theo (23), Julian and Gabriel (17).

“I am looking forward to working on FPSC to help find solutions to the current challenges facing family doctors,” says Janet. “I believe changes can be made to improve and make family practice sustainable.”

Kelly Gunn

Ministry of Health

Kelly Gunn is Vice President, Primary and Community Care and Chief Nursing Executive for Northern Health. She has 26 years of experience in the health care field, having worked as a nurse in both acute and speciality acute care, as well as in community health.

Kelly spent eight years in Medical Affairs with Northern Health before assuming her current role in 2014, and later assuming responsibility for professional practice in her role as Chief Nursing Executive.

Dr Eliza Henshaw

Ministry of Health

Eliza Henshaw graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2003. She began her career as a registered nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital, specializing in acute medicine and cardiac med/surgical care. Her passion for exploring new opportunities led her to work in rural and remote nursing, providing care to Indigenous communities in northern British Columbia.

Eliza completed her Master’s in Nursing (MN) as a Nurse Practitioner (Family Stream)in 2010. Her clinical background as an NP includes refugee medicine, primary care for complex populations at Ravensong CHC in Vancouver, and primary care with the wonderful team at Tsleil-Waututh Nation Helping House. More recently, Eliza supported the creation of an NP primary care team at Canopy Health, a collaborative NP and Registered Midwifery (RM) clinic on the North Shore.

In 2023, Eliza earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, with her doctoral project focusing on the benefits of prescribing time in nature to reduce patient self-perceived stress. In 2025, she plans to complete a mini-MBA offered through the UBC Sauder School of Business. 

Eliza’s leadership contributions include serving as the Clinical Lead for the Youth Intensive Case Management Team at Vancouver Coastal Health, as a Quality Assurance Committee member with the BCCNM, and in various roles with Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC (NNPBC). She is currently the Executive Director of NP Provincial Initiatives and Programs (NP-PIP) at NNPBC, where she drives system-level improvements to support the NP workforce and optimize patient care. She offers mentorship to her NP colleagues as a PIP Mobile Skills Team member. 

Proud to be a third-generation nurse, Eliza draws inspiration from her family’s legacy in healthcare. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends—preferably surrounded by the peace and beauty of the forest.

Yasmin Jetha

Ministry of Health

Yasmin Jetha is the Vice President, Community Services at Vancouver Coastal Health.  She plays a pivotal role in the planning and transformative changes necessary to achieve VCH's vision for a new, integrated model of primary and community care. She oversees eight Regional Program Leadership Teams - Primary Care; Home Health; Home Support; Palliative End of Life; Mental Health & Substance Use; Long Term Care; Rehab; and Medicine.

Along with a Masters in both Social Work and Health Administration from the University of British Columbia, Yasmin brings more than two decades of experience in senior health care roles with VCH and Fraser Health.   Most recently, she was the Vice President of Operations for Richmond Community of Care. 

She was nominated in 2015 for a BC Premier's Award for her work on a multi-system response to addressing the needs of individuals dealing with mental health and substance use issues, and is actively involved in bringing external stakeholders together to collaborate on transforming the way health care services are provided in a community setting. Yasmin was also recognized by the VCH Board and Senior Executive Team with a People First Award for "Leadership by example with vision, dynamic, innovation and client-centered care". She joined the VCH Senior Executive Team in September 2017.

Kelly McQuillen

Ministry of Health

Kelly is the Executive Director, Planning, Implementation & Oversight (PIO) branch for Primary Care Division at the Ministry of Health. The Primary Care Division is responsible for implementing the provincial primary care strategy. The PIO branch actively and collaboratively works with health system partners to support quality improvement in the planning, implementation and oversight of primary care strategies, policies, and programs to provide comprehensive primary care. Through Kelly’s leadership the branch is committed to the delivery of high-quality models of primary care throughout the province.

Kelly has over 30 years experience as a strategic health care professional, leading work for the federal, territorial (Yukon) and provincial (Manitoba and British Columbia) governments. Kelly began her career as a registered dietician and in her leadership and professional roles has developed an in-depth knowledge of public health, primary health care, health promotion, patient and family-centered care and nutrition.

Kelly is committed to patient-and family-centered, team-based care as an innovative approach to care, redesign and quality improvement of the health care system.  This approach is grounded in mutually beneficial partnerships/relationships among individuals, families/caregivers, communities and providers.

Dr Kevin Martin

Doctors of BC, Liaison to the Vancouver Coastal Health region

Dr Kevin Martin is a family physician on Vancouver Island and has been practicing in BC since 2008. He has served in a range of leadership roles, including with the Divisions of Family Practice, Doctors of BC, UBC, BC Family Doctors, and Island Health. 

Dr Martin is passionate about the power of collaboration between primary care and specialist colleagues across community and hospital settings. His approach to leadership is rooted in compassion, respect, and a belief in the importance of supporting one another and challenging the status quo. 

He has been a strong advocate for addressing inequality, systemic racism, and the gender pay gap in medicine. He played a key role in advancing diversity and inclusion at Doctors of BC through his work on the Representative Assembly, and the Nominating Committee. 

As a husband and father, Dr Martin is a proud user and supporter of BC’s public healthcare system. He believes that physician leadership is vital to sustaining and strengthening this system, and is committed to ensuring it reflects and serves the needs of all communities.

Dr Baldev Sanghera

Doctors of BC, Liaison to the Interior Health region

Dr Baldev Sanghera provides longitudinal patient care at a multicultural, full-scope community-based family practice in Burnaby. He brings with him 25 years of experience in a wide range of settings including community practice, long-term care, obstetrics, and in-hospital patient care. He is a founding board member of the Burnaby Division of Family Practice and continues to be actively involved in the work of the division.

Baldev was enrolled in the pharmacy program at UBC when he decided to shift to medicine.

He has maintained his community-based practice since 1998 and has a special interest in employing technology to improve delivery of care. Baldev also has experience working with all levels of government, health authorities and community agencies, with a focus on building community wide team-based care and advocating for vulnerable citizens through improving social determinants of health.

Health Authority Representatives

Division of Family Practice Representatives

Organizational Representatives

Support Staff

Partners

Since its inception in 2002, the Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) has changed the way family doctors work and how they care for their patients.

It began as a trial endeavour to improve patient care and doctor job satisfaction, launched at a time when few BC medical school graduates were choosing family medicine as a career and a growing number of doctors were nearing retirement.

The committee of representatives from Doctors of BC, the Government of BC, and health authorities looked to the province’s family doctors to help find solutions to the mounting problems of low morale and professional dissatisfaction.

First, the FPSC addressed the pay issues by developing a range of new incentive payments to help community-based family doctors who provide longitudinal care to deal with the increasing demands of family medicine. Then, the FPSC asked family doctors in a series of province-wide Professional Quality Improvement Days to speak up about their concerns, issues, where they needed the most support, and what solutions they could recommend. The resulting input was grouped into four priorities: pay us, train us, value us, and support us.

With the goal of supporting those on the frontlines of health care as well as medical students considering the specialty of family practice, FPSC added several programs and initiatives which have improved the way family doctors deliver care to their patients. Through participation in these programs, a growing number of BC family doctors are finding their way back to rewarding and efficient clinical practice.

Over the past decade, FPSC and its partners have made a lot of progress to support family practice and strengthen primary care, but there is more to do. There are still too many British Columbians –especially those with complex and chronic care issues– who are unable to access continuous, coordinated primary care services. There is also a changing work force via retirements and physician practice styles, administrative burden, and recognition of the importance of work-life balance.

The FPSC continues to be committed in supporting family doctors to increase capacity and access to high quality care in their practices.

FPSC started out with the name General Practice Services Committee (GPSC). It was renamed the Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) following ratification of the 2022 Physician Master Agreement (PMA). The name FPSC reflects a shift away from "general practice", which carries connotations of rotating internships, in favour of "family practice", which reflects the recognized expertise of family physicians. It also highlights the support FPSC offers for the coordinated, continuous, relationship-based care provided by community longitudinal family physicians and practice teams throughout a patient's lifetime.

Family Practice Services Committee

1665 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6J 5A4
T: 604 736 5551
E: fpsc@doctorsofbc.ca

Meeting summaries can now be found on the JCC website.

The Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) works on behalf of doctors to strengthen full-service family practice and patient care in BC.

It is one of four joint collaborative committees that represent a partnership of the government of BC and Doctors of BC.

Strategic Vision

Enable access to quality primary health care that effectively meets the needs of patients and populations in BC, using the patient medical home (PMH) as the foundation for care delivery within a broader, integrated system of primary and community care.

The PMH represents the ideal team-based family practice, and is the foundation of Primary Care Networks (PCN). PCNs include PMHs, health authorities, First Nations, and community delivered primary care services, all working together to deliver improved patient-centred care.

Mission

Strengthen longitudinal family practice as the foundation of an integrated system of care.

FPSC supports doctors to take leadership and influence the delivery of primary care in BC by:

• Enriching doctor and patient experiences.
• Empowering doctors to enhance patient care.
• Contributing to a sustainable health care system.

FPSC has representation from doctors, Ministry of Health, Doctors of BC, BC Family Doctors (formerly the Society of General Practitioners of BC), and health authorities.