Dennis Heaphy

Areas of expertise: Disability rights, intersectional policy development to advance health equity, local/state/national advocacy, community-based and broader participatory action research

Bio: Dennis is a Health Justice Advocate at the Disability Policy Consortium (DPC), a cross-disability civil rights organization in Massachusetts. His activities include: co-chair to Disability Advocates Advancing Our Healthcare Rights (DAAHR), a statewide grassroots disability coalition; chair to Massachusetts dual eligible demonstration “One Care Implementation Council”; vice-chair of MA Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program advisory committee; and several national committees. He also heads DPC’s YesHealth Participatory Action Research team. One project being undertaken is research on the experiences of people with disabilities and a co-occurring opioid substance use disorder. Dennis is committed to advancing equity at the intersectional level to address intentional discrimination and/or de facto biases towards persons with disabilities who are members of racial and minority populations. This requires tackling disparities in health access and outcomes for persons with disabilities due to racism and other SDOH.

Experience:

• Co-chair Disability Advocates Advancing Healthcare Rights (DAAHR) – 2011-present
• Chair MA Dual Eligibles Demonstration Implementation Council – 2014-present
• Vice-chair MA Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program – 2017-present
• National Center for Complex Care and Social Needs Advisory Committee – 2018 – present
• United States of Care (Founders Council) -2018-present
• Disability Policy Consortium Healthcare Advocate