Consumer Representatives
Karen Bureau
Karen (She/Her) is a OneCare member and wanted to be part of the Implementation Council to share her experiences as a wheelchair user who uses non-invasive ventilation. Karen has been involved in advocacy in Massachusetts for 30 years working at two Independent Living Centers and is well acquainted with the issues the disability community faces. She serves as the VP of the Board of Director’s at a DME Reuse program and joined as a Board member for an international group educating people with neuromuscular disabilities on the use of non-invasive ventilation issues. Karen is excited to work with MassHealth and other IC members to advance the rights of people with all types of disabilities.
Crystal Evans, Vice-Chair
Crystal (she/her) is a consumer member of the Implementation Council. Crystal is heavily involved in other community work including advocacy with the Disability Policy Consortium, being a co-chair of the Health and Disability Partnership at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and as an advisory board member at the Urban Institute.
Crystal is passionate about many issues including parents with disabilities, medically complex populations, emergency preparedness for people with disabilities, accessibility, health equity, and poverty. Crystal’s other interests include helping the community through grassroots organizing.
Dennis Heaphy, Chair
Dennis (he/him) is a One Care member and wanted to be part of the Implementation Council to ensure insurance companies are fulfilling their responsibility in meeting the independent living and recovery needs of one care members as well as their medical needs. He believes the IC is an important way for people with disabilities to work with MassHealth and other stakeholders to promote health equity and advance the human and civil rights of people with disabilities.
He is passionate about promoting the voices of consumers as a way of improving individual member experiences and systems change.
Dennis works at the Disability Policy Consortium and is a founder of Disability Advocates Advancing Our Healthcare Rights (DAAHR). He is involved in other activities including community-based research, quality measurement development, and broader healthcare reform.
Gary Peters
Gary Peters (he/him) is a new member of the Implementation Council, representing the disability community. He believes in personal responsibility and independent living. He has served on many State and Local Committees and is on the Weymouth Board of Health, BI LAHEY CAC, and Tufts One Care CAC. He wants to help sync the contract with the health care providers delivery system.This is especially important with the Care Coordination and Long Term Care Coordination piece. They are the gateway to all of the benefits.
Isabella Rose, Vice-Chair
Isabella "Bella" Rose (she/her) is a consumer member of the Implementation Council. She is involved in community work, including advocacy for individuals with disabilities, overdose awareness, and literacy promotion. A holistic wellness practitioner, Bella holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Holistic Health Sciences and is a best-selling author. She has published her own inspirational book and contributed to multiple anthologies that promote self-love and healing.
Professionally, Bella worked at New England Village, where she collaborated with individuals of all abilities to enhance their quality of life. Before becoming homebound, she served as Chair of Generations in Support of the Halifax Council on Aging, leading initiatives to support seniors in her community. Her work is rooted in empathy, equity, and empowerment, informed by her extensive background in trauma-informed care and holistic healing.
Bella is passionate about promoting access to (affordable) healthcare for all. Her advocacy was inspired by her firsthand experiences navigating the complexities of the healthcare system through MassHealth and the Commonwealth Care Alliance (One Care) program, as well as a near-fatal car accident that awakened her to the significant barriers many individuals face in receiving quality care.
Bella joined the Implementation Council to share her lived experiences, particularly now as a homebound individual and to advocate for meaningful changes in the healthcare system that enhance the quality of life for all One Care members.
Sara Willig
Sara Willig (Se/Hir) is a current Implementation Council member, and has been for several years. Se has been a Disability advocate and self-advocate for longer still. Favored pronouns are: Se and Hir. Se is Queer, non-binary and very very neuro-atypical. Se is also a religious and ethnic minority. Sara’s multiplex of Disabilities are of the Invisible flavors. Se is a mutant, without any of the usual superpowers that come with. Except for some of her Autism abilities, that is. Sara has been enrolled in One Care since 2012 or 2013. Se will continue to drag healthcare into models and remold it into patterns recognizable by Disable folk as helpcare, not just healthcare.
Maureen Glynn
Jason Rodney
Community-based organizations and trade organization representatives
Paloma Fernandes
Paloma (she/her) is a One Care consumer and the co-founder and Vice President of United Communities Corp., a mobile human services nonprofit with an innovative approach to meeting people where they are, creating bridges to services, and fostering a united, person-centered support system. Originally from Cabo Verde, Paloma has lived in Weymouth for over 20 years. A neurodivergent, polylingual individual with invisible and rare disabilities, she brings her multicultural perspective to everything she does.
Paloma is also the co-founder and Vice President of W.I.S.E. Weymouth for Inclusion, Solidarity, and Equity, the Director of Collaboration and Community Impact for Arts To Transcend, and a board member of MassFamilies, a statewide grassroots coalition of individuals with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and their families. A licensed social worker (LSWA) and certified LifeCourse Ambassador, Paloma has expertise in supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Whether through substance use prevention and education, suicide prevention, or bridging the gap between schools and families who speak languages other than English, Paloma is very involved in her community. She is a vocal advocate for neurodiversity and inclusion, education, and person-centered care for substance use and mental health. Paloma’s advocacy has led to providing testimony at the State House and speaking on several panels. Helping her family members with disabilities navigate services and care for their own unique needs adds a personal connection to her advocacy.
Paloma is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Critical Ethnic and Community Studies at UMass Boston and working toward a certification in conflict resolution, aligning with her passion for community empowerment and creating positive change.
Lisa Goldsmith, LMHC
Lisa Goldsmith, LMHC (she/her) is the Vice President of the Integrated Care Division at Vinfen Corporation; a nonprofit, health and human services organization and a leading provider of community-based services to individuals with mental health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities, brain injuries, and behavioral health challenges.
Lisa has 25+ years of experience working in programs designed to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals with complex behavioral and/or medical conditions.
As a care management leader, Lisa has seen firsthand how best practices in person-centered planning within One Care programs can lead to better health outcomes among people with disabilities. On the other hand, she has also seen how poorly designed policies or inconsistent practices can result in barriers to care for people with disabilities. Lisa joined the One Care Implementation council with the hopes of providing meaningful advice to MassHealth on a range of One Care topics from access to services, grievances, quality measurement and development of outreach materials to attract new members.
Dr. Chris White
Dr. Chris White (he/him) is a provider member of the One Care Implementation Council representing Road To Responsibility, Inc. (RTR) where he serves as the President/CEO. Chris is passionate about promoting the independent living philosophy, addressing social determinants of health and advocating for equitable access to necessary supports for persons with disabilities. Chris joined the IC to share his experiences as both a Health Services Provider and as a leader of a large, nonprofit organization providing long term services and supports to persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and acquired brain injuries (ABI).
Jeffrey Keilson, Advocates, Inc.
| Date published: | May 2, 2024 |
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| Last updated: | June 4, 2025 |