John Lace, PhD

Why did you become a provider: Born and raised outside Chicago (Go Cubs!), I come from a health care-focused family – my father is a physician, my mother is an occupational therapist and my sister is a nurse. We had a motto - "Do good things well." Growing up seeing my parents' passion for high-quality work and service to others, I am thrilled to have found my home in clinical neuropsychology wherein I can merge my clinical interests, passion for health care and lifelong goals in a spirit of excellence.

Why did you decide to join UPH? I am blessed to join the UnityPoint family. I am excited to call eastern Iowa home and continue promoting health and excellence within the community.

Medical Specialties or Special Interests: Many of my patients are referred for cognitive changes or memory concerns. I also have specialized interests in concussion/traumatic brain injuries, multiple sclerosis and movement disorders.

Describe your typical patient: Neuropsychology appointments are different from regular doctor visits. Patients typically spend a couple of hours in clinic, and appointments are usually divided into two parts. One part is a clinical interview, wherein I want to understand the patient, their background and history, and especially the cognitive concerns they and/or their family are noticing.

The second part includes a series of standardized cognitive tests designed to measure how the patient's brain is functioning compared to other people like them. The tests focus on things like attention/concentration, processing speed, language and learning/memory - a lot of patients say it feels like a day back in school. After the appointment, I prepare a comprehensive and readable report that goes through our conversation and the testing, clinical impressions/diagnoses (if warranted), and most importantly recommendations for continued care. I want to integrate the "what’s going on” and the "what comes next" related to your cognitive symptoms. All of the patient's doctors receive a copy of the report and it will be available for the patient in MyChart. I then meet with the patient to discuss the results either in-person or virtually, and I am always available via MyChart for questions they might have.

What's most important for patients to know about medical philosophy? Patients are people, not a collection of problems. We'll work together to figure out what's going on.