Dr. Jane Philpott

Chair, Primary Care Action Team, Ontario Public Service

Dr. Jane Philpott is a family physician, educator, and global health champion. She is currently the Chair of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team with a mandate to ensure that by 2029, everyone in Ontario is connected to a family doctor or primary care nurse practitioner working in a publicly funded system. From 2015-2019, Dr. Philpott served as Canada’s Minister of Health, Minister of Indigenous Services, President of the Treasury Board, and Minister of Digital Government.

Dr. Philpott joined us as our keynote speaker at our event in 2024 after the launch of her book “Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada.”

Jacob Pirgorsch (he/him)

Patient Attachment, Engagement and Outreach Coordinator

Jacob supports the coordination of patient attachment outreach initiatives and fosters strong relationships with external partnering organizations. The Patient Attachment Team plays an important role in strengthening collaboration and improving access to care within the community.

Robyn Synnott (she/her)

Registered Physiotherapist

Robyn has been a Registered Physiotherapist since graduating from McMaster in 2009. She got her Pelvic Health training in 2015 and practices with a holistic focus on chronic pain, pelvic health, and perinatal care. She strives to work with people in a trauma-informed, resilience-focused, compassionate way. In her spare time, Robyn likes to spend time with her husband, her two young kids, and her dog.  She likes to hike, read, bake, and garden. 

Veronica Wong (she/her)

Registered Physiotherapist

Veronica has been working as a Registered Physiotherapist since graduating from McMaster University in 2015. She has a special interest in pelvic health and chronic pain. She is excited to be able to increase access to pelvic health physiotherapy through the Hamilton Family Health Team since starting at the FHT in 2025. She is passionate about working with people to help them trust their bodies again and to be able to do the things that are important to them. In her spare time, you can find her chasing her two young children around, reading, or doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Mary Cochrane (she/her)

Palliative Care Clinical Coach

Mary Cochrane has worked in healthcare for 21 years, in both front line and in leadership positions. Mostly working in Long Term Care, her passions were and continue to be in dementia and palliative care. She has taught Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA), Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care (PAC), and Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI).  Educating and mentoring is exhilarating and has been one of the most satisfying aspects of Mary’s career. The shift into teaching palliative care through the Hamilton Family Health Team is something that means so much to her because she knows its benefits can be so positive and life changing.  Whether it’s dementia or palliative care; Mary believes it’s all about relationships, approaches, holistic care, compassion and enhancing quality of life from diagnosis until death and bereavement. “We can always do better, together!”

Liza Zvereva (she/her)

Project and Research Coordinator, Green Initiative

Liza Zvereva is a second year PhD student at McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, Mary Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine. She is a project and research coordinator at the Hamilton Family Health Team in Ontario, Canada. Liza completed her Master’s of Science in the Department of Earth Science at the University of Toronto and her Bachelors in the Arts and Science program at McMaster University. Liza is very passionate about sustainability and knowledge translation, and is currently studying Food Prescription program implementation into Primary Care in Canada through her doctoral studies.