06/10/2025
Last month, I was able to attend my first event as a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities. The event brought together leaders from government, healthcare, and advocacy for a powerful informational hearing on the systemic barriers, and solutions, that shape access to care.
Thank you to the incredible speakers Craig Andrade RN, MPH, DrPH from the Health Equity Compact, Heather Watkins from the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy, Nassira Nicola from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Keith Jones, John Madondo from UnitedHealthcare, Erica Guimarães, MPH, CCHW from MassHealth, Dr. Joseph Giacino from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Nicole Godaire from the Brain Injury Association of America, Linda Long-Bellil from UMass Chan Medical School, and Maura Sullivan from The Arc of Massachusetts for sharing lived experiences, data-driven strategies, and a vision for more inclusive health systems.
I was delighted to be there with fellow Commissioners Chair Denise Garlick, Senator Patrick O'Connor, Representative Jay Livingstone, Representative John Marsi, Chris White, Ed.D., Oz Mondejar, Carl Richardson, Gyasi Burks-Abbott, Ann Lynch, Angela Ortiz, MBA-MPA, and Rachel Stanton.
