Our PACE medical team

To contact your Harbor Health Elder Service Plan/PACE provider, please call (617) 533-2400 or visit the PACE Patient Portal.

To learn more about our PACE providers, you can click on their names below.

Ilona Kopits, MD, MPH, Senior Medical Director, Elder Service Plan

Dr. Ilona Kopits is the Senior Medical Director for the PACE program at Harbor Health. She attended Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine for her MD and Boston University School of Public Health for her MPH. She has expertise in communication with patients and trying to achieve work-life balance. She has also participated in research with the Alzheimer’s Disease Center around genetic testing.

Julia is an ANCC Board Certified Nurse Practitioner who received her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts.  Julia has experience Atrius Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Medical Center.  Julia is fluent in English, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole and conversant in Spanish.

Kristen is an ANCC board certified Nurse Practitioner with experience in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Kristen has been an Adult Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner since graduating from Regis College in 2011. Since then, Kristen worked doing supportive psychotherapy, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders in outpatient and nursing home settings. She enjoys a strong connection with clients, by coupling therapeutic relationship with behavioral and medication interventions. Kristen is the mother of 3 children and an aging cat named Sofia. She enjoys photography, being outdoors, camping, gardening, and everything creative – from cooking to drawing to crochet.

Originally from West Africa, Liberia, Lady-Thelma immigrated to the U.S. as a child and lived in Boston ever since. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Northeastern University and a Masters in Medical Science at Boston University School of Medicine. She worked in several related positions before perusing a career in nursing and received a Masters of Science in Nursing at Simmons University, formerly known as Simmons College. Before joining Harbor Health Elder Service Plan, Lady-Thelma worked as a Community Nurse Practitioner for six and a half years at Commonwealth Care Alliance providing home based primary care to patients with complex medical, behavioral, and social needs who wished to remain in their homes. Lady-Thelma loves her work and thoroughly enjoys getting to know patients’ stories.

Samantha is a board-certified family nurse practitioner (FNP) who graduated from Frontier Nursing University in 2021. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Salve Regina University. Before joining Harbor Health Elder Service Plan, she worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner in a community health clinic in Fall River providing care for patients of all ages. Prior to becoming an FNP, she practiced as a registered nurse for seven years in various settings including sub-acute rehab, long-term care and internal medicine. She enjoys learning about her patients and developing a bond while providing patient-centered care. Samantha was born and raised in Dorchester, loves reading, and speaks English and Haitian Creole. When she is not in clinic, you can find her keeping up with her two children.

Dr. Fonseka is an internist and geriatrician with over 20 years of experience in multiple care settings. She is passionate about healing and providing age-friendly, holistic, and effective healthcare in collaboration with her patients. Dr. Fonseka graduated from medical school in Moscow, Russia and completed a first internship in Internal Medicine, Ob/Gyn in Sri Lanka. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital, where she also served as chief medical resident. She went on to complete a fellowship in Geriatrics at Yale School of Medicine. She then worked as a geriatrician at Hebrew Senior Life in Boston before moving to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she worked in acute care medicine for 10 years at Mess General Brigham, Wentworth Douglass Hospital.

Dr. Fonseka is fluent in English, Russian, and Sinhala. She loves to travel, experience different cultures, and enjoys being curious about a wide variety of topics.

susan-hardy

Dr. Susan Hardy received her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and her Doctor of Philosophy from Yale University. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She joined Harbor Health in 2017. Prior to joining Harbor, Dr. Hardy was the Associate Medical Director for Fallon Health/Summit Healthcare.

jan-hutton-photo

Jan comes to Elder Service Plan with 25 years of experience in adult and geriatric chronic disease management. She received her BS in nursing from Fitchburg State University and practiced as a RN for several years in both inpatient and outpatient settings. After completing her MS/FNP she has served as a primary care NP for patients with complex disease management with a focus on the geriatric population, as well as psychiatric patient care.  

Jan has worked with several organizations in Eastern Massachusetts, many who we partner with, including Good Samaritan Hospital, West Acres Skilled nursing facility, Hebrew Senior Life, and Jordan Hospital. She lives on the South Shore with her two teenage children and enjoys social gatherings, travel, and hiking. 

patricia-gillan

Patty has been an ANCC Board Certified Nurse Practitioner and Psych NP for over 28 years. She received her Master’s in Science in Adult Mental Health Nursing from Northeastern University and did a postgraduate fellowship at Harvard Community Health Plan. Prior to her 15 years with PACE, Patty worked in private practice, eating disorder units, and substance abuse programs. She practices using a combination of insight-oriented, supportive and interpersonal psychotherapy with medication and dementia-related behavioral management. She particularly enjoys supporting patients with substance abuse, chronic mental illness and those needing advocacy. Patty is a mother of two adult children. She enjoys walking, hiking, crocheting and being with her dog, Zeke. Maine is a favorite vacation spot.

Lisa-Maffie

Elizabeth is board certified in Adult Medicine, ANP, BC (ANCC) and graduated with a MSN from Northeastern University. She has been at the Harbor Health Elder Service Place since 2008. Elizabeth’s professional interests include geriatric syndromes, falls, polypharmacy, and end-of-life care. Her professional affiliations include Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners, National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners, Advanced Practice Clinical Preceptor, and American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is also a member of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing: Nursing Practice Advisory Panel (NPAP). Elizabeth is fluent in English.

Claudie-Marquez

Claudia is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and graduated from Barry University in 2012. Claudia moved to Massachusetts from Florida in 2016 and to work at The Dimock Center, a community health center located in Roxbury. Claudia’s professional interests include complex medication management and supporting older adults increase their physical activity. She loves traveling and speaks both English and Spanish.

Judy graduated from Simmons College in 2017. Prior to becoming an FNP Judy practiced as a nurse in a variety of settings but kept returning to her passion of home-based community care. Judy loves working with elderly patients and their families to meet their care goals. As a practicing FNP, she values meeting patients in their communities so she can support them medically to live at home independently and safely. She was born and raised in Boston, loves to bake, speaks both English and Vietnamese.

Francesca is a nurse practitioner at Elder Service Plan. She is excited to get to know her patients and their caregivers.