Catherine Cohen

Affiliation

American Academy of Ophthalmology

Biography

Catherine Grealy Cohen is the vice president for governmental affairs for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, with more than eighteen years in the position and more than 30 years in governmental relations. Ms. Cohen rejoined the Academy in 1997 as director of the Washington office, the lobby arm of the Academy. In this capacity she directs Academy federal, state and health policy efforts on behalf of 18,000 U.S. based ophthalmologists. Through her leadership, the Academy, as the voice of ophthalmology in Washington, has played significant roles in affecting physician payments under Medicare, ensuring appropriate eye care for veterans, as well as the successful passage of the first blindness prevention benefit under Medicare for detection of glaucoma. Prior to her position with the Academy, Ms. Cohen served as director of federal affairs at Eastman Kodak Company, where she coordinated the grassroots program and helped establish an employee political action committee (PAC) for the 100-year-old company. She initially served as director of health affairs, coordinating development of Kodak’s health care reform position for use at both the state and federal level. She also reported to the president of Kodak’s medical device company and acted as their lobbyist. Before her tenure at Kodak, Ms. Cohen was director of the American Society of Clinical Pathologist’s Washington office where she supervised the organization’s federal and state lobbying efforts. She started her lobbying career with the Academy in 1979 after four years on Capitol Hill. Ms. Cohen earned a master’s degree in health services administration from George Washington University and is widely published on Medicare reimbursement, legislative and regulatory issues.