Thomas F. Fisher, PhD, OTR, CCM FAOTA
tffisher@iupui.edu
Phone: 317.274.8006
Dr. Thomas Fisher is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Indiana University School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences in Indianapolis. Prior to this position, he served eight years as faculty in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY.
He was adjunct faculty with the University of Kentucky in the Department of Preventive and Environmental Medicine in the College of Medicine for five years. He has remained in clinical practice as an independent contractor, since assuming an academic career. This gives him 27 years in clinical practice.
He has consulted and contracted with healthcare employers, case management companies and agencies providing utilization review, consultation and case management. Currently, he works one day a week at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana as a supplemental occupational therapist, covering clinics, in-patients and out-patients.
Education
Fisher received his BS in OT from IU, his MS in Education from Purdue and an EdS and PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Kentucky.
Professional
Fisher's area of expertise is industrial rehabilitation, ergonomics and case/disease management. He has served as a surveyor for the Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in occupational rehabilitation programs for 14 years. He was one of two non-RN invited participants in establishing the 2000 Standards of Practice for Case Managers through the Case Management Society of America (CMSA).
He has over a dozen first author publications and was a co-author on the Self Study for Work Programs through the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Fisher was enrolled in the Roster of Fellows of the AOTA in 1994 for his leadership, continuing education initiatives and political activity.
In addition to being a CARF surveyor, he is also a member of the Roster of Accreditation Evaluators for the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
Student Committees
Primary Faculty |
2nd/3rd Committee Member |
Students names |
Title of Research Project |
Projected graduation date |
Published/presented |
Dr. Thomas Fisher |
Dr. Judy Feinberg |
Jennifer Austin Brandi Brodzinski Jill Reynolds Stacy Zook |
Effectiveness of Work Injury Prevention Education & Safety Training by an Occupational Therapist |
May ‘07 |
April 2007 Ruth Lilly Auditorium, Riley Hospital
April 2008, AOTA Conf., Long Beach, CA |
Dr. Thomas Fisher |
Dr. Nancy Chism |
Megan Albright Molly Armstrong Abby DeHoff TonyMcGovern |
A Qualitative Study of Professional Occupational Therapy Education: Then and Now |
May ‘08 |
April 25, 2008 Ruth Lilly Auditorium, Riley Hospital |
Dr. Thomas Fisher |
Dr. Janet Everly |
Britani Sepanski* |
Occupational Therapy Practice in Indiana Public Schools |
May ‘08 |
April 25, 2008 Ruth Lilly Auditorium, Riley Hospital |
Dr. Thomas Fisher |
Dr. Judy Feinberg |
Kelly Brown Jennifer Gardiner Lindsey Hewitt Jennifer Jacobs
|
|
May ‘09 |
|
April 25, 2008, Research Presentation Day
From Left to Right: Tony McGovern, Molly Armstrong, Dr. Thomas Fisher, Abby DeHoff, Megan Albright
From Left to Right: Britani Sepanski