More than 40 years ago, the founding members of the Cooperative of American Physicians put their trust in each other to find a viable and alternative option to access affordable malpractice protection. These accomplishments became the foundation for CAP’s future success.
Today, CAP’s more than 12,000 physician members benefit greatly from the financial strength and security the Mutual Protection Trust provides in the form of medical professional liability coverage. Capitalizing on decades of disciplined oversight, CAP members rely on the expertise of their leaders to continue this legacy of trust.
As our biennial election approaches, 12 physician members have been nominated by the CAP and MPT Boards to serve the membership. We invite you to learn more about this diverse pool of physician candidates who hope to have the privilege of supporting you and your practice and guiding the organization into the next era of strength and service.
Please keep an eye out for your election voting materials, which are being sent under separate cover. Your prompt vote will help minimize the expense associated with the annual meeting.
CAP Board of Directors
Name: Sheilah M. Clayton, MD
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Practice Location: Pasadena, CA
Specialty: General Surgery
Years in Practice: 29 years
CAP Member Since: 1990
As a female surgeon in solo practice with experience serving on various CAP committees and the Board of Directors, I am committed to delivering on the organization’s promise to provide outstanding practice protection and support. I understand the unique challenges independent physicians experience in our turbulent market and know we can rely on CAP to help us with added benefits like insurance, risk management, and practice management services. As a member of the board, my goal is to build upon CAP’s success and represent the voices of our members in shaping the future of the enterprise.
Name: Roger S. Eng Jr., MD, MPH, FACR
Medical School: George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Practice Location: San Francisco, CA
Specialty: Radiology
Years in Practice: 22 years
CAP Member Since: 2016
My 25 years in organized medicine includes three terms as a member of the California Medical Association’s Board of Trustees and a one-year term as president of the San Francisco Medical Society. Understanding how to effectively represent the interests of thousands of physicians of varying practice settings and specialties will prove valuable in serving on CAP’s Board of Directors. I am interested in working with CAP members to develop resources around artificial intelligence, hospital-based practices, integrated health systems, and health IT. On behalf of my Northern California colleagues and CAP members throughout the state, my priority, if elected, will focus on enhancing physicians’ practices and developing resources that go beyond malpractice coverage.
Name: Dennis T. Jordanides, MD
Medical School: Texas Tech University Medical School
Practice Location: Newport Beach, CA
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Years in Practice: 19 years
CAP Member Since: 2007
Optimism, compassion, a pragmatic problem-solving approach, and the passion I have for clinical medicine are qualities I will bring to bear as a member of the Board. I firmly share in CAP’s vision to help doctors do what they do best: care for patients. As a current member of CAP’s State Political Action Committee, I am committed to working alongside our strong and devoted leadership team to continue to develop and advocate for the resources that solo and small group physicians need to be successful.
Name: Wayne M. Kleinman, MD
Medical School: Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University
Practice Location: Tarzana, CA
Specialty: Anesthesiology
Years in Practice: 30 years
CAP Member Since: 1992
As a physician with an active practice and in my current role as your president and chair of the CAP Board of Directors, I understand the struggles and frustrations physicians experience. My goal in serving the organization is to ensure that members are treated fairly, vigorously defended against frivolous lawsuits, and offered financial protection when needed. This can only happen if CAP’s strength and long-term stability continue to strengthen through new membership, disciplined underwriting, and proactive risk management. As part of CAP’s leadership, it is both my honor and responsibility to safeguard the long-term viability of the organization and in doing so, keep our shared risk an absolute priority.
Name: Greg S. Lizer, MD, FAAP
Medical School: Hahnemann University
Practice Location: La Cañada, CA
Specialty: Pediatrics
Years in Practice: 22 years
CAP Member Since: 1997
During my 25 years as a physician, I’ve seen incredible changes and challenges affecting medicine and have been fortunate to experience our healthcare system from the perspective of medical practices, medical groups, hospitals, and payors. CAP is unique in the level of support and protection it provides members, which is grounded in the organization’s strong financial footing and genuine interest in listening to its membership. As a Board member, I derive great satisfaction in helping our members meet their needs and goals, ultimately for the benefit of their patients.
Name: Graham A. Purcell, MD
Medical School: University of Alberta Medical School
Practice Location: Los Angeles, CA
Specialty: Orthopedic Surgery
Years in Practice: 48 years
CAP Member Since: 1989
Having served on various CAP committees since 1991, I have acquired valuable institutional knowledge and experience, which have given me the opportunity to help the organization achieve our mission to offer our members the highest quality, most cost-effective malpractice protection possible. I believe that CAP’s success is rooted in a long history of steady growth propelled by the shared vision of physicians who seek solutions to issues threatening the practice of medicine. With your support, I will continue to serve in the best interests of our members.
Name: Paul Rocky Weber, MD, PhD
Medical School: Jefferson Medical College
Practice Location: Long Beach, CA
Specialty: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Infertility
Years in Practice: 38years
CAP Member Since: 1981
As a member of the peer review and risk management committees at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, and as the former chief of staff and chief of obstetrics at Women’s Hospital, I am empathetic to the complexities physicians face in navigating safe patient care in our complicated healthcare system. I also understand the expectations physicians have for their medical professional liability. My interest in continuing to serve on CAP’s Board of Directors is driven by my commitment to the quality control, recruitment, and peer review of our members, and the ongoing tradition of CAP’s personalized approach to the resolution of claims.
MPT Board of Trustees
Name: Othella T. Owens, MD, FACS
Medical School: Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University
Practice Location: Los Angeles, CA
Specialty: Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Years in Practice: 36 years
CAP Member Since: 2007
Having held leadership positions with a variety of organizations including CAP, I remain committed and well-prepared to work with my colleagues to achieve CAP and MPT’s strategic goals and objectives with integrity, and to secure the future health and strength of the organization. As physicians face and respond to mounting industry challenges, it is crucial that we remain flexible in deploying staff, service, and products to support our members’ commitment to excellence in the practice of medicine. I am ready to accept these challenges we all share and ensure our strong future through the faithful stewardship of MPT’s assets and protection of its members.
Name: Stewart L. Shanfield, MD
Medical School: University of Texas Health Science Center
Practice Location: Fullerton, CA
Specialty: Orthopedic Surgery
Years in Practice: 33 years
CAP Member Since: 1998
My goal in continuing my service on the MPT Board of Trustees is to maintain the powerful voice of our organization in the medical community, protect our resources, and provide representation and support for our esteemed members. I share the perspective of my fellow leaders that close collaboration with our membership enables us to support our vision to overcome the healthcare challenges we all face in our practices. I am the former board chair and chief of staff at St. Jude Medical Center. I have also served on CAP’s Audit and Finance Committees since 2007 and was a board member of Fullerton Community Bank since 2001. Given my experience, and as your Finance Committee chair, I am committed to protecting MPT’s fiscal resources and CAP’s position as one of the top providers of coverage in California.
Name: Charles P. Steinmann, MD, FACA
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Practice Location: Newport Beach, CA
Specialty: Anesthesiology and Pain Management
Years in Practice: 45 years
CAP Member Since: 1981
I am proud of my 30 years of experience with CAP. As past chair of the Finance and Audit Committees, a former member of the CAP Board of Directors, and current chair of the MPT Board of Trustees, I have witnessed and contributed to the milestones CAP and MPT have achieved to become the strong and stable organizations they are today. Confident in our disciplined practice of financial conservatism, efforts to protect MICRA, and achievements in helping physicians run more successful practices, I am unwavering in my commitment to serve our membership and sustain our growth and stability.
Name: Lisa L. Thomsen, MD, FAAFP
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Practice Location: Glendora, CA
Specialty: Family Medicine
Years in Practice: 29 years
CAP Member Since: 2003
I believe in CAP and MPT and the strong work the enterprise performs in supporting and providing resources to our members. That is why it has been my pleasure to serve on the CAP Board of Directors and Member Engagement and Education Committee, among other roles. As physicians continue to navigate the ever-challenging medical landscape, I look forward to bringing my full-time, active clinical perspective to the MPT Board of Trustees, so that our enterprise may continue to grow and our members are properly protected and supported.
Name: Phillip Unger, MD
Medical School: University of Manitoba
Practice Location: Fullerton, CA
Specialty: Radiology
Years in Practice: 44 years
CAP Member Since: 1978
During my time in practice, I have served in numerous leadership positions — including CAP and MPT — and have been passionately interested in delivering high-quality, cost-effective medical malpractice protection for my fellow California physicians. CAP continues to respond to the rapidly changing needs of physicians as healthcare continues to evolve. We have created solutions that cover large medical groups and have developed a host of services and benefits to help solo and small group physicians prosper. I have been actively involved in guiding many of the recent CAP and MPT enhancements and would like to continue to address future challenges.