Dr. Cohen has been in private practice in Scottsdale since 1985, after graduating with clinical honors from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He has two wonderful children, Arielle and Zachary. Arielle is a police detective in the City of Maricopa, and Zachary is back in Arizona after completed six years serving in the United States Air Force. He married Marcy in December of 2018, and added two incredible step-children, Jon and Sydney. He and Marcy love to travel, go to live theater, and have also become obsessed with playing “pickleball!” Dr. Cohen is a past-president of the Arizona Optometric Association, and is a founding member of the “Arizona Optometric Charitable Foundation.” In 2003, he was one of five doctors nationally to receive the Vision Service Plan (V.S.P.) “People First Award,” recognizing his contribution to his profession, his patients, and his community. In 2005, he was awarded the “Arizona Optometrist of the Year Award,” and in 2006, he received a similar honor from the “Great Western Council of Optometrists,” which represents the 11 western US states. In 2006, Dr. Cohen was also selected as the “Father of the Year” by the ‘American Diabetes Association’ and the ‘Father’s Day Council’ for his balance of home and professional life, and his contribution to his community. His practice has been chosen by the Arizona Business Journal as one of the “top 10 eye care” practices in Arizona in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2019, and has been awarded as the “top eye care practice in Scottsdale (‘Spectrum Award’)” by the City Beat News for five years in a row. In 2014, a national ranking of over 3000 eye care practices ranked him as the “#1 Optometrist in Arizona” and in the “Top 10 Optometrists in the USA.” In 2018, he was again honored as one of the “Top 10 eye doctors in the US” as part of “Cooper Vision’s” “Best Practices”” program.
Dr. Cohen is also a past-president of the Scottsdale-North Rotary Club, and the Desert Foothills Theater (where he had lead roles in over a dozen theater productions, including “The Odd Couple,” “Same Time Next Year,” “Dial ‘M’ for Murder,” and “The King and I”). His hobbies include: sports, reading, theater, movies, traveling, and gardening.
Dr. Cohen has been published often in professional journals for optometry and ophthalmology, and has lectured to doctors and medical assistants nationally and internationally. He has served as the national spokesperson for “Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (‘Vistakon’)” on the affects of Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation on the eyes, and is a member of their “UV National Advisory Panel.” He is on the national advisory panel to several pharmaceutical and contact lens companies, has been a principal investigator on more than a dozen FDA clinical studies for dry eyes and for contact lenses, and has participated in the launch of various new contact lens designs. He has also served on the National Board of Directors for the “Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation for eight years, starting in 2011, and spent two years as Chairman of the National Board. (Sjogren’s Disease is the 2nd most common auto-immune diseases affecting about 4 million Americans).
In 2015, he celebrated his 30th year in practice with a month-long celebration called “30 Days of Gratitude for 30 Years of Service.” During various fundraising events to thank the community for this milestone, his practice raised over $8,000 for organizations such as: Phoenix Children’s Hospital; Make a Wish; Luv of Dogz; Boys Hope, Girls Hope; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center; Arizona Helping Hands, and several more.