Physician Bio
Dr. Daniel Fisher is a board certified adult psychiatrist with two decades
of experience in his field. Specializing in Treatment Resistant Mood Disorders,
Dr. Fisher offers comprehensive, expert consultation and second opinions
for patients referred by other psychiatrists and primary care doctors.
Recommendations are then made involving the use of a variety of treatment
modalities; these range from psychopharmacology, behavioral interventions,
alternative/complementary approaches, and, when necessary, Electroconvulsive Therapy.
Referral for some newer "neuromodulatory" treatments including
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or the still experimental, albeit highly
promising, Deep Brain Stimulation may also be considered.
The evaluations are exhaustive and thorough, with emphasis on accurate
diagnosis, obtaining additional input from family members and referring
psychiatrists, in depth review of medical history, and analysis of prior
psychiatric treatment efforts. The latter phase of the 2-3 hour consultation
involves providing the patient and family feedback and education about
diagnosis, prognosis, and the relative risks and benefits of various treatment
alternatives.
ECT is a treatment that has been in existence for over seventy years, and
it represents a safe, often life-saving, alternative for the patients
who suffer from the most severe forms of Depression and Bipolar illness,
and for those who have not achieved adequate relief with other treatments.
Dr. Fisher has started ECT programs in the Boulder area, and has safely
performed over 15,000 treatments.
Dr Fisher considers the practice of ECT a “team approach:”
The patient and family members have frequent contact with our nursing
staff and our ECT physicians above and beyond the treatments themselves,
wherein on going support and education are provided. Questions and concerns
are readily addressed or answered. Further, the ECT doctors are in frequent
contact with the patient’s referring psychiatrist, collaborating
about treatment ideas such as medication options. Lastly, we have a licensed
therapist with a deep understanding of the many facets of undergoing ECT
who can provide counseling and support to family members or the patients
themselves.
Dr. Fisher practices in Boulder, Colorado with his partner, Frank Guerra,
MD at the Guerra Fisher Institute at Boulder Community Hospital. The Institute
welcomed Christopher Reyburn, MD, in 2014 who comes with two decades of
his own experience providing excellent psychiatric care.
Dr. Fisher graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University, and with
Honors from the University of Michigan Medical School, where he attended
on a full, merit-based scholarship. He did his residency training in New
York City before continuing his career in Colorado. He is a volunteer
Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School
of Medicine.
Prior to coming to Boulder Community Hospital, Dr. Fisher was at Centennial
Peaks Hospital for fifteen years. He was Chief of Staff and the Medical
Director of the Adult Services and Co-Director of ECT at this 72 bed free
standing psychiatric hospital, where he helped develop its ECT program.
He lives in Boulder with his wife, Michelle, and two young children.
Michelle Fisher is Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who has
recently joined Dr. Fisher in a joint practice using psychopharmacology
and psychotherapy. She brings to the practice the added expertise that
comes in having been a Family Practice NP prior to specializing in behavioral medicine.