Dennis Heaphy
“Health care innovation offers great opportunities for a more just and equitable society. At the same time, the explosive pace of this growth also has the potential to outpace current moral and ethical constructs, putting at greater risk the civil and human rights of people with disabilities along with other groups subjected to negative bias in society. I’m grateful to be part of FORESIGHT as it seeks to catalyze and re-vision health care in a manner that optimizes all the potential good that can come with innovation, including realizing the potential health care has in promoting the human and civil rights of people with disabilities and other marginalized populations.”
Dennis Heaphy, MDiv, MEd, MPH is a policy analyst and health justice advocate at the Massachusetts Disability Policy Consortium. His activities currently focus on operationalizing health equity and wellness in Medicaid policies in Massachusetts. Dennis’ primary focus is on populations with complex medical, behavioral health, and other conditions. He believes health equity and wellness will only be achieved when health care delivery systems are built around populations with complex needs, particularly those populations that face increased barriers to health and wellness as result of intersectional causes. This includes racism, sexism, homophobia, and able-ism. Dennis is co-chair of a statewide coalition promoting health care policies that improve health care access and outcomes for people with disabilities in Massachusetts. He chairs the Massachusetts dual eligible demonstration advisory committee and is vice chair of the states’ 1115 waiver implementation advisory committee. Dennis also sits on several national committees including the advisory committee for the National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs. In addition to public health activities, Dennis has served as a chaplain at Georgetown University and Northeastern University.