Executive Director of Translational Research • Optum Health
Dr. Kenneth Cohen is an experienced physician leader, practicing physician, and researcher who has attained national recognition for advancing evidence-based medicine and delivering value based care. The care model he created is based on rapid translation of clinical research to clinical practice and is now the foundational care model of the Optum Care medical groups. He has successfully developed, directed, evaluated and reported numerous clinical quality studies in primary care, including tobacco cessation, osteoporosis, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and ischemic vascular disease.
Dr. Cohen has served as principal investigator of numerous clinical research trials, in areas including COPD, Type II diabetes, obesity and metabolic disease, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. He has presented at national conferences and symposia, and has authored numerous publications and reports. Dr. Cohen was one of the founding physicians of New West Physicians, which is the largest primary care group practice in Colorado. He served as Chief Medical Officer for New West Physicians for 25 years before transitioning to his new role with OptumCare. Currently he serves as the Executive Director of Translational Research for Optum Care.
Dr. Cohen has received awards of recognition and distinction for teaching, and he serves as a preceptor for medical students. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He was recognized as the Exempla Lutheran Medical Center Physician of the Year in 2010. Dr. Cohen holds degrees from Dickinson College (Phi Beta Kappa) and Hahnemann University (Alpha Omega Alpha). He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine.