The Neuropsychology Program at Lancaster General Health was established in 1987 to provide both inpatient and outpatient psychological and neuropsychological assessment and therapy services to patients with a variety of medical problems. The program has grown in the breadth of services provided, but continues to specialize in neuropsychological and behavioral medicine services. LG Health Physicians Neuropsychology consists of seven psychologists (two board certified), two postdoctoral neuropsychology fellows, two psychometricians, four doctoral interns, and support staff. Doctoral interns will participate in a 12-month training program each year.

Typically, the interns spend 40 hours per week involved in individual evaluations and interventions, individual and group supervision and didactics, and completing documentation requirements (e.g., writing of neuropsychological reports). Upon successful completion of the training year, interns will have completed 2000 hours of supervised clinical experience that can be applied towards licensure. Under supervision, interns engage in a wide variety of neuropsychological and psychological assessments and interventions appropriate to the role and function of a neuropsychologist.

Training Experiences:

Consultation Service: Interns will provide consultations on patients hospitalized at the Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital. Students will be trained to review hospital records, read and interpret relevant neuroimaging studies, evaluate patients, and provide feedback to the consulting physician, nursing staff, and ancillary health professionals.

Bedside/Inpatient Psychometric Testing: Interns will learn to administer, score, and interpret neuropsychological/psychological tests given to hospitalized patients. Often this testing is of the screening variety, which allows for determining post-injury baselines or assessments of patients suspected of having a dementia or delirium. Occasionally, a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery is necessary but usually this type of assessment is performed on an outpatient basis. Bedside testing is typically in the form of an MMSE or MOCA, RBANS, BDI, BAI or similar instruments.

Outpatient Neuropsychological and Psychological Evaluations: Interns will be introduced to the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the Wechsler assessment tools, Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB), RBANS, various memory scales, intelligence tests, etc. Students will participate in case presentations using the neuropsychological test data and are expected to develop a basic understanding of neuropsychological test data and clinical underpinnings. Interns will also learn to evaluate patients suspected of having a dementia using a dementia test battery. It is expected that interns will participate in evaluating patients at our Alzheimer’s and Memory Care (AMC) Program, interfacing with neurologists, geriatricians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and social workers in determining a diagnosis and treatment plan for their patients.

Interns will perform pre-surgical neuropsychological evaluations of patients being considered for deep brain stimulator placement for treatment of Parkinson’s or essential tremor as well as ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus. A portion of NPH evaluations occur in an inpatient setting at our downtown hospital two hours following lumbar puncture. By engaging in these evaluations, interns will gain valuable insights into the intersection of neuropsychology and neurosurgery.

Fibromyalgia Clinic: Interns will participate in a rotation of the Fibromyalgia Program where they will assess the emotional well-being and coping style of individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia and refer to appropriate resources to address significant emotional distress.

Additional training opportunities include:

• Concussion Evaluations with focus on triaging and psychoeducation
• Psychological evaluations of patients participating in the bariatric weight loss surgery program and those being considered for implantation of morphine pumps or spinal cord stimulators
• fMRI program to help plan brain surgeries for neuro-oncology patients by mapping critical areas for movement and language to protect them.
• Outpatient individual psychotherapy
• Group psychotherapy for stroke and TBI patients 

LGHP Neuropsychology is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in our recruiting of all staff and trainees. Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health is committed to providing an equal opportunity work environment. We comply with all laws, regulations, and policies related to non-discrimination and fair employment practices in all of our personnel actions. We strongly encourage interested candidates from minority and/or disability backgrounds to apply. Further expressed commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are indicated below.