Meet Dr. Hirshfield
Gary S. Hirshfield, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Dr. Gary S. Hirshfield, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist with more than three decades of clinical, academic, and leadership experience in cataract and anterior segment surgery and comprehensive ophthalmology, including glaucoma, diabetes and the eye, disorders of the cornea, retina and optic nerve. A graduate of Yale University School of Medicine and a Magna Cum Laude chemistry graduate of Queens College, Dr. Hirshfield completed his ophthalmology residency at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, where he later joined the faculty as a Clinical Instructor. He has since devoted his career to advancing ophthalmic care, education, and advocacy.
From 2017 to 2025, Dr. Hirshfield served as an Assistant and then Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, where he played a central role in resident education and surgical training. He has held long-standing attending positions at major New York institutions including Lenox Hill Hospital, the NY Flushing Hospital, the Mackool Eye Institute, and the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital.
A respected voice in organized ophthalmology and committed advocate for patients and the profession, Dr. Hirshfield has held numerous leadership roles within the American Academy of Ophthalmology, including Councilor, member of the Secretariat of State Affairs, OPHTHPAC Committee member, and faculty mentor for the Leadership Development Program. He also serves as a Councilor representing the American College of Surgeons and spent more than a decade on the Board of Directors of the New York State Ophthalmological Society, where he served as President from 2014 to 2015.
Consistently recognized for clinical excellence, Dr. Hirshfield has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor annually for more than a decade and is the recipient of multiple honors from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, including the Achievement Award, Secretariat Award, and Special Recognition Award.
Deeply committed to global health, Dr. Hirshfield has participated in annual medical mission work in Guatemala since 2017, where, along with his wife Dr. Stacey Kruger, a nationally renowned pediatric ophthalmic surgeon, perform pediatric ophthalmic surgeries and contribute to long-term capacity-building efforts.
His academic contributions include peer-reviewed research on adenosine receptor pharmacology, national presentations on advanced refractive cataract surgery, and co-authorship of a 22-year retrospective study on pediatric cataract and strabismus care through a long-term international partnership.
Dr. Hirshfield holds active medical licenses in New York and Florida.
