April 2010

Welcome to the April issue of District Council Direct, a monthly e-mail newsletter created for CAP’s District Council members. April was a busy month for the organization in general, and for our Membership Development Department in particular.

CAP News

Second Quarter Marketing Campaign Features Real Life Scenarios of Three CAP Members

This month, CAP distributed its quarterly direct mail campaign to nearly 30,000 prospective members in California. These lead-generating campaigns are designed to help us reach our goal of attaining 1,000 new members this year.

The central element of this quarter's campaign is a tri-fold postcard featuring real life stories of three CAP members.  Written in first person, each physician talks about the benefits of CAP, including how they are able to maintain work-life balance because of the money saved as a member. Prospects in Central California will receive the version with District Council Member Calvin Lee, MD; Northern California prospects will  receive a card featuring CAP Board Member Béla Kenessey, MD; while Southern California prospects can learn more about CAP from Fellow Gail Jackson, MD. To read their respective stories, click on the following: Dr. Béla Kenessey, Dr. Gail Jackson, Dr. Calvin Lee.

CAP’s 2009 Annual Report Salutes Our Committees

As we all know, CAP was founded more than 30 years ago by a group of dedicated physicians looking for a way to survive the medical liability crisis. That same dedication lives on today in the form of our committee structure.

This year's annual report spotlights the hardworking men and women who serve on our various committees. We invite readers to meet some of the many physicians who take time away from their practices to ensure that decisions made affecting our members are informed by those who know best -- namely, other physicians.

The five featured committees are Los Angeles Claims Review, Membership, Finance, Political Action, and Education/CME.

New Disability and Term Life Benefits Effective April 1

As we announced in our last issue, CAP Physicians Insurance Agency, Inc. now offers enhanced benefits to our membership. Effective April 1, 2010, CAP members will automatically receive $2,000 of monthly Disability insurance coverage versus the previous coverage of $1,500 per month. Also included as part of their membership is a new benefit of $20,000 in Term Life insurance. Additional protection of guaranteed coverage is available for a limited time at discounted group rates.

“With only a few communication efforts to date, the initial response has been terrific,” says Howard Auger, president, CAP Physicians Insurance Agency, Inc. “This tells us that CAP has put together yet another valuable initiative for its members.” If you know a CAP member who expressed interest in either program, please direct him or her to our website location featuring detailed information about the agency and its products - www.capphysiciansinsurance.com.

CAP Events

CAP Influence Reaches Yosemite

On March 26, Senior Account Executive Dan Cavanaugh attended the Fresno-Madera Medical Society's 59th Annual Yosemite Postgraduate Institute. Over 90 physicians from all over the state attended the meeting, including a few CAP members who had driven up from Southern California just for the event.

"Both the leadership of the Fresno Madera Medical Society and all the physicians who attended were very grateful for CAP’s support of this long standing meeting," Dan said. "In fact, following the meeting we have received two new applicants and several inquiries from Fresno physicians, which is an historic stronghold of NORCAL." We enjoyed the opportunity to represent CAP in the area.

CAP Supports the Arts in Modesto

Tammy Wu, MD and Calvin Lee, MD in front of CAP's mini-display ad

CAP was pleaseed to sponsor Broadway Today, a special performance that took place on April 3 at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. Senior Account Executives Dan Cavanaugh and Dorine Leong joined Central District Council Member Calvin Lee, MD and CAP Board Member Tammy Wu, MD. Before the event, Dr. Lee took the stage to introduce CAP and briefly explain the benefits of CAP membership.

CAP Makes a Strong Showing in San Diego

On the weekend of April 8-11, Senior Account Executive Dorine Leong and Account Executive Tram Nguyen represented CAP at the California Health Care Leadership Academy in San Diego. There, we unveiled our brand-new display booth, which showcased the same messaging and physician members of our most recent direct mail campaign. "Our new booth is quite eye-catching and served to attract people to come speak to us in the exhibit hall," said Cindy Belcher, senior vice president, Membership.

Lef to right: Tram Nguyen, Simon Russell, Dorine Leong, Lena Ocampo

That Friday evening, CAP hosted a dinner for both CAP and non-CAP group administrators. Also in attendance were CAP District Council Members James Halderman, MD from Tracy and Ted Mazer, MD from San Diego, as well as CAP Board Member Daniel Borenstein, MD.  "The dinner was well received by all who attended, and we were pleased to have had the opportunity to get together with some old friends as well as some newer ones," said Cindy Belcher, senior vice president, Membership.

Senior Account Executives Dan Cavanaugh and Lena Ocampo also attended the dinner with Tram, Dorine, and Cindy. Simon Russell, new member coordinator, worked with Dan and Lena to coordinate the dinner. We were proud to support  both CMA and MGMA at this annual event and look forward to participating next year.

CAP Participates in California Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting in Lake Tahoe

Senior Account Executives Dan Cavanaugh and Gary Homer travelled to Lake Tahoe to attend the California Orthopaedic Association (COA) meeting from April 16-18. There was a large contingent of CAP members in attendance, including several of the COA board members. Andrew Sew Hoy, MD, member of the Board of Trustees, and Richard Santore, MD, a member of the State and Federal Political Action Committees, were instrumental in encouraging non-CAP members to visit the booth to learn more about the benefits of CAP membership.

"Many of the CAP members who were there stopped by the booth to thank us for supporting the COA," said Gary. "They let us know how pleased they are with the services they have received from CAP over the years."

Event Calendar

District Council Meeting

• Sacramento District Council: May 13, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (The Firehouse Restaurant)
• Bay Area District Council: June 3 (tentative)