Although dry eye is one of the main symptoms of Sjögren’s Syndrome — an autoimmune disease impacting about 4 million Americans — many eye care professionals may not be aware of the condition or fully understand how it can impact their patients. As the first-ever optometrist to be elected as chairman of the board of the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation (SSF), Dr. Stephen Cohen is looking to change that.
Raising Awareness
Cohen, who owns his own practice in Scottsdale, Ariz., first became aware of SSF when looking for dry eye patient candidates for a number of U.S. FDA clinical trials he was participating in. When speaking with the coordinator for his local chapter, he mentioned he would be happy to volunteer his time to speak to the group about dry eye. His talk was so well received, his name was forwarded to the national foundation as a possible speaker.
"From there, they asked me to speak at some regional meetings, and then I was invited to speak at the national patient conference," Cohen detailed. "And then they approached me about being on the board."
After a few years on the board, Cohen ascended to chairman-elect. Then in July 2016, he was elected chairman and will serve in that role until July 2018.
Through his position with SSF, Cohen hopes to raise more awareness about Sjögren’s in the eye care community.
“As optometrists, we can play a vital role in early diagnosis and treatment of Sjögren’s patients,” he explained. “We tend to spend more time with our patients, and that gives us more opportunity to flush out information that may go beyond what's just going on with their eyes.”
“We’re taught to look at the visual system holistically, and there can be a tie-in with what’s going on systemically that we could uncover while we are testing patients’ eyes,” he continued. “For example, a patient with dry eyes who also experiences dry mouth and frequent dental complications, as well as joint pain and fatigue could fit the profile of a Sjögren’s patient. Optometrists can then make an appropriate referral — typically to a rheumatologist — which could help hasten that diagnosis.”
Additionally, Cohen plans to develop a set of quick and simple questions that medical professionals dealing with the four main symptoms Sjögren’s — dry eyes, dry mouth, joint pain and fatigue — can ask patients that would help tip them off that there may be a bigger issue.
As there is currently no cure or treatment for the overall disease, Cohen said by being able to identify the bigger picture, practitioners can make referrals to other doctors that could lead to a formal diagnosis.
Acting Out
While a willingness and prowess for public speaking is what helped Cohen get involved with SSF in the first place, it was his volunteer work in local community theater that helped give him those skills.
Having a great uncle as a Broadway producer, acting was something that always interested Cohen. He got his first break when helped his mother co-produce The King and I with the Desert Foothills Theater in Scottsdale, landing the play's only non-singing role. From there, he went on to act in over a dozen theater productions, including The Odd Couple, Dial “M” for Murder, and Last of the Red Hot Lovers.
"It was just an incredible experience to do that," Cohen said about his acting work.
Additionally, Cohen has taken on other volunteer roles both in his community and for the profession. He was president of the Scottsdale North Rotary Club and involved with the Phoenix Children's Hospital's Parent Advisory Council and Community Outreach Program. And he is also past-president of the Arizona Optometric Association, and is a founding member of the Arizona Optometric Charitable Foundation.
Cohen is also a champion of a local program called Boys Hope Girls Hope, which identifies at-risk children and provides them with mentoring, fostering and support. After being asked by a patient to check the eyes of a young boy who was part of the program, Cohen now provides regular free eye exams for the organization. Additionally, he and his staff make regular donations of office supplies and have even provided activities for children in the program, including dinner at a group home and a bowling night.
"When we finished up (the bowling night) and I was changing my shoes, I turned around and 25 (children) were waiting in line to give me a hug," Cohen recalled. "It was incredible. This just came about from a patient of mine saying would you mind. You never know what doors open up and what opportunities are there by just keeping your ears, mind and heart open to what might be out there."
Begin … the Rest is Easy
Between his work with SSF and his other community involvement, Cohen said it as all provided him with an incredible sense of fulfillment.
"I’ve always felt like I had a responsibility to be an active member of the community," he said. "With all the clichés we hear about the more you give the more you get, I’m living proof of it. I’ve been so blessed with what I’ve been given — anything I put out there and do has come back many fold.”
For other optometrists who may want to get involved with a particular foundation or organization that means something to them, Cohen said take the interest and find the information on how to contact them, whether that's through a website or contacting a local support group.
"There's an old adage — begin … the rest is easy," he explained. "Start — do something and see where it takes you. The information becomes action, and the action becomes passion. And before you know it, you’re making a difference in other people’s lives."
April is Sjögren's Awareness Month. For more information on Sjögren's, SSF and how you can become involved, visit Sjogrens.org.