
John W. Fisher, Ph.D., J.D., M.S., M.A.
Senior Associate ScholarCommander John W. Fisher, USN (Ret.), is a Senior Associate Scholar at Charlotte Lozier Institute supporting major research projects through data acquisition and analysis.
A retired U.S. Navy submarine officer who commanded a fast attack submarine, Dr. Fisher earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems and Decision Sciences from the University of South Florida, a Juris Doctor degree from the Massachusetts School of Law, and five separate master’s degrees, including studies in Information Systems, Business Administration, National Security, and Ocean Engineering.
Dr. Fisher has developed and taught graduate courses in Information Management for Troy University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he spearheaded efforts to create a data warehouse-based community assessment portal for North Carolina Health Departments and supported development of a new approach to more effectively analyze sub-population outcomes below the county-level.
At Charlotte Lozier Institute, Dr. Fisher has co-authored peer-reviewed research examining pregnancy outcomes, abortion mortality, maternal mortality, and other public health topics. His analysis of the similarities between the tobacco industry’s use of science and the abortion industry’s use of science, co-authored with Dr. James Studnicki, was published by Newsweek in 2022.
Research Authored
A Cohort Study of Mental Health Services Utilization Following a First Pregnancy Abortion or Birth
A first pregnancy abortion, compared to a birth, is associated with significantly higher subsequent mental health services utilization following the first pregnancy outcome. The risk attributable to abortion is notably higher for inpatient than outpatient mental health services.
A Post Hoc Exploratory Analysis: Induced Abortion Complications Mistaken for Miscarriage in the Emergency Room are a Risk Factor for Hospitalization
Previous research indicates that an increasing number of women who go to an emergency room for complications following an induced abortion are treated for a miscarriage, meaning their abortion is miscoded or concealed.
A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Emergency Room Utilization Following Mifepristone Chemical and Surgical Abortions, 1999–2015
Existing research on postabortion emergency room visits is sparse and limited by methods which underestimate the incidence of adverse events following abortion. Postabortion emergency room (ER) use since Food and Drug Administration approval of chemical abortion in 2000 can identify trends in the relative morbidity burden of chemical versus surgical procedures.
Estimating the Period Prevalence of Mothers Who Have Abortions: A Population Based Study of Inclusive Pregnancy Outcomes
The prevalence of induced abortion among women with children has been estimated indirectly by projections derived from survey research. However, an empirically derived, population-based conclusion on this question is absent from the published literature.
Estimating the Period Prevalence of Publicly Funded Abortion to Space Live Births, 1999 to 2014
Although a majority of women who have an abortion report having 1 or more children, there is no published research on the number of abortions which occur between live births, after a first child but before the last. The objectives of this research, therefore, were to estimate the period prevalence of an induced abortion separating live births in a population of Medicaid eligible enrollees and to identify the characteristics of enrollees significantly associated with the use of abortion to enable child spacing.
Perceiving and Addressing the Pervasive Racial Disparity in Abortion
Black women have been experiencing induced abortions at a rate nearly 4 times that of White women for at least 3 decades, and likely much longer. The impact in years of potential life lost, given abortion’s high incidence and racially skewed distribution, indicates that it is the most demographically consequential occurrence for the minority population.
Pregnancy Outcome Patterns of Medicaid-Eligible Women, 1999-2014: A National Prospective Longitudinal Study
The objective of this study was to describe the characteristic patterns of subsequent pregnancy outcomes evolving from each of three initiating outcome events (birth, induced abortion, natural fetal loss) occurring in a Medicaid population fully insured for all reproductive health services.
Improving the Metrics and Data Reporting for Maternal Mortality: A Challenge to Public Health Surveillance and Effective Prevention
The current measuring metric and reporting methods for assessing maternal mortality are seriously flawed. Evidence-based prevention strategies require consistently reported surveillance data and validated measurement metrics.
Doctors Who Perform Abortions: Their Characteristics and Patterns of Holding and Using Hospital Privileges
Controversy exists regarding whether doctors who perform abortions should be required to hold hospital admitting privileges, but no research exists as to the extent to which they actually hold and use such privileges.
Recent Increases in the U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate: Disentangling Trends From Measurement Issues
We have analyzed the exact source data identified by the authors in the study by MacDorman et al. Our analysis has led us to contest some of the stated findings and the resultant interpretation.