New clinic in Steamboat Springs offers one-day treatment for depression

Key Points:

• Michael Savage, a psychiatric nurse practitioner in Steamboat Springs, has introduced accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at Rising Psychiatry, offering a new, non-invasive treatment for depression in the Yampa Valley.
• This "one-day TMS" treatment involves 20 brief sessions completed in an 11-hour span, making it more accessible and convenient compared to traditional TMS, which requires multiple weeks of treatment.
• Savage charges a flat fee of $3,000 for the treatment, which is not covered by insurance, and emphasizes that TMS is especially beneficial for patients whose depression has not responded to medications.
• The treatment uses magnetic pulses to stimulate targeted brain areas and is combined with a medication called d-cycloserine to enhance effectiveness, with many patients noticing improvements within two weeks.
• Rising Psychiatry also offers traditional psychiatric care, and Savage plans to expand the accelerated TMS service to Boulder, aiming to broaden access to this innovative depression treatment.