Meet Our Team
John O’Connell
Employee Benefits Advisor
John O’Connell, CEBS, CLU, CPBS is an employee benefits advisor who specializes in the hospital and health care sector. With over 40 years of experience, John brings a strategic perspective and unique expertise to the Healthcare Liability Team. John is also a founding partner of Alera Group.
Dean Schink, CIC, LIC
Senior Vice President
Specialization: Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Physician Groups, Other Professionals
Dean has dedicated his career in the area of professional liability and business insurance for physicians, dentists and attorneys since 1989. Dean manages the team in our MI office and regularly consults on medical professional liability insurance for several local healthcare systems and physician organizations.
Sapan Shah, MD, JD
Partner
Specialization: Physician Groups, Private Equity Firms, Collaborative Organizations
Sapan is a physician, attorney and insurance expert. Sapan’s medical and legal backgrounds give him unique insight into the legal issues facing healthcare practices. Based in Chicago, he provides expert, trustworthy representation and advocacy for hundreds of clients around the country. For private equity clients focused on healthcare firms, Sapan implements innovative programs that dramatically increase accretive value and coverage without sacrificing the service that the portfolio companies need.
Jason Shah, MD
Managing Partner
Specialization: Hospitals/Health Systems, Physician Groups
As head of Alera Group's Healthcare Liability team, Jason has helped develop the company's healthcare practice into a national leader. With a background in medicine, information technology and business development, Jason utilizes his physician experience and insurance expertise to develop risk management and insurance programs for hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other healthcare practices around the country.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
HIPAA Privacy and Security Overview
Join our compliance experts for an overview of HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rules. During this webinar, we'll review the different types of entities subject to HIPAA, take an in-depth look at protected health information (PHI), individual rights under HIPAA and what to do when there is a breach of PHI.
April 11, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Balancing Cost and Care: Could a Captive solution be the right fit for you?
In this session, our experts will discuss how Captive solutions work and what you need to consider for your own group’s needs.
April 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Wealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
April 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Property and Casualty
5 Steps to a Lower Workers’ Compensation Mod
Understanding how your Workers' Compensation Insurance premium is calculated can help you manage costs more effectively. One of the primary factors in determining your premium is your experience modification factor — the number that reflects your company’s claims history and directly determines what you pay.
March 13, 2025
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Property and Casualty
It’s Here! — Alera Group’s Fifth Annual 'Property and Casualty Market Outlook'
Alera Group's "2025 Property and Casualty Market Outlook" is your guide to making informed decisions regarding your business and personal insurance coverage.
December 12, 2024
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Webinar Preview: ‘When Captive Insurance Makes Sense’
As healthcare costs — including those for pharmacy — have continued to skyrocket, the urgency to control healthcare and pharmacy spend has elevated as well, and Captives have surged in popularity. Alera Group's webinar on Captive Insurance will help you determine whether forming or joining a Captive is right for you.
November 7, 2024
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Property and Casualty
5 P&C Insurance Tips for Public Sector Entities
Public sector entities — including counties, cities, town villages, local law enforcement and special service districts — offer vital services to our communities. They also face growing challenges, some from the constituencies they serve, as they navigate heightened public scrutiny, shrinking budgets and inflation. In this challenging environment, having a comprehensive property and casualty (P&C) insurance program, supported by a strong risk management strategy, is more crucial than ever.
October 8, 2024
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