Consumer Representatives
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.
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.
Kestrell Verlager
Kestrell Verlager (she/her) has been a member of the Implementation Council since 2019, and also recently ended a six-year period of participating on the Tufts Health One Care Consumer Advisory Council. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006, and has worked over twenty years as a disability and technology advocate, promoting a greater understanding of and access to technologies for people with disabilities. Kestrell is totally blind and hearing impaired, and identifies as queer. She spends her free time reading, watching horror movies, and listening to music, which sometimes results in arguing with her Alexa to turn it down.
You can find out more about me at my website https://kestrell7.github.io/
Sara Willig
Sara Willig (Se/her) 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.
Suzann Bedrosian
Community-based organizations and trade organization representatives
David Matteodo
David Matteodo (he/him) has served as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems (MABHS) since 1990. The MABHS is a state-wide organization of inpatient behavioral health facilities, including Private Psychiatric Hospitals, Substance Abuse Hospitals and Treatment Facilities; and Psychiatric Units in general hospitals. The MABHS consists of 48 facilities with over 2,500 beds, which is the vast majority of behavioral health hospitals and units in Massachusetts. Mr. Matteodo represents the interests of these facilities with Government, Insurers, and other interested parties on all issues related to Behavioral Health.
The MABHS is a non-profit 501 c (6) Trade Association whose primary mission is to promote the interests of inpatient behavioral health facilities in Massachusetts.
Prior to becoming Executive Director of MABHS Mr. Matteodo served on the staff of the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee for 5 years, the last two of which he was Budget Director. Prior to his service on the Ways and Means staff, Mr. Matteodo was a Senior Research Analyst for the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Healthcare.
Mr. Matteodo is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Ct. and he also has a Masters Degree in Public Health from Boston University.
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.
Daniel McHale, Massachusetts Hospital Association
Darrell Wright, Massachusetts Organization for Addiction and Recovery (MOAR)
| Date published: | May 2, 2024 |
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| Last updated: | May 3, 2024 |