LOS ANGELES, June 3, 2021 – The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) today announced the retirement of Chief Operating Officer Cindy Belcher, effective August 6, 2021. Ms. Belcher steps down from her role after two decades of building the business development and membership services functions of the organization, along with her oversight of various operations departments of the company. Hammon Acuna ascends to the CAP COO role to replace her. Alyson Lewis, JD, CPCU is promoted to replace Ms. Belcher as President and COO of the Cooperative of American Physicians Insurance Company, Inc. (CAPIC), a Hawaii-domiciled subsidiary of CAP that is rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best.
Ms. Belcher has been instrumental in overseeing and evolving CAP’s membership development, membership services, and practice management services functions, along with the company’s marketing and communications, underwriting, and human resources departments. She also has held executive management responsibility for CAP Physicians Insurance Agency, Inc., supplying the full line of insurance products beyond the company’s professional liability protection to CAP’s 12,000 members, and for CAPAssurance, a Risk Purchasing Group, that brings CAP’s unique brand of medical malpractice protection to large medical groups, hospitals, and health care facilities.
CAP Chief Executive Officer Sarah E. Scher, JD notes, “Cindy has been an incredible force in the development of CAP, CAPAssurance, CAPIC, and CAP Physicians Insurance Agency. She has led the growth and achievement of excellence in these business units. She will be dearly missed, and we wish her much happiness and success in retirement.”
Mr. Acuna, currently Senior Vice President and Chief Membership Officer, will assume Ms. Belcher’s portfolio as CAP’s new Chief Operating Officer, along with responsibility for the company’s Risk Management & Patient Safety department. He has been managing all CAP business development and membership services functions since 2015. Having joined CAP in 2007, Mr. Acuna brings to his new role a proven track record of 30 plus years in the medical professional liability industry, with a wide range of expertise in marketing, sales, retention, and customer/member service. Prior to joining CAP, Mr. Acuna worked for 18 years at SCPIE Holdings, Inc., which was later acquired by the Doctors Company, where he served as Vice President of Marketing. He holds a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and studied in the MBA program at California State University, Northridge.
Ms. Lewis joined CAP in 2016 as Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer. She will continue to be responsible for overseeing the underwriting functions of the entire CAP enterprise and will now assume full executive responsibility for all CAPAssurance business development; along with ascending to her new role as CAPIC President and COO. Prior to CAP, Ms. Lewis was Vice President & Hospital Professional Liability Product Manager at Ironshore Insurance, and also held senior underwriting positions at Zurich North America and Chubb Executive Risk. Ms. Lewis earned her BA at the University of Southern California and her JD from Concord Law School.
Mr. Acuna and Ms. Lewis will both report to CAP CEO Scher.
Said Ms. Scher, “Hammon and Alyson are established leaders in our organization and in general. As CAP veterans with proven track records of success, we are confident they will apply their demonstrable executive skill sets and deep medical professional liability industry knowledge to lead CAP to continued growth and excellence in achieving our mission to support health care providers with the best products and services.”
About the Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc.
The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP), established in 1975, offers medical professional liability protection to some 12,000 of California's finest physicians through the Mutual Protection Trust. In 2013, CAP organized CAPAssurance, a Risk Purchasing Group, to bring liability insurance coverage to hospitals, healthcare facilities, and large medical groups. Based in Los Angeles, CAP also has offices in San Diego, Orange County, and Walnut Creek. For more information, visit www.CAPphysicians.com. CAP is licensed as a California surplus lines broker (License No. 0B72723). The insurance products provided under the CAPAssurance, a Risk Purchasing Group, program are issued by a “non-admitted” or “surplus line” insurer that is not licensed by the State of California.
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