Meet Your Doctors: Dr. Vance Lassey

It’s often said that “laughter is the best medicine” — and that’s the kind of prescription that Dr. Vance Lassey is happy to write.

“Laugh! Every day!” says Lassey, when asked for the one piece of medical advice he would give anyone. “Scientifically speaking, laughter is the opposite of stress.”

Lassey, a staff doctor at Family Practice Associates in Holton since 2007, also says that he has always felt a calling to be a doctor.

“I was inspired by helping patients at a nursing home at age 10 as a volunteer,” said Lassey, who has a total of 11 years of experience as a doctor.

Lassey grew up in Peck, a small community straddling the Sedgwick-Sumner county line in south central Kansas. He attended The University of Kansas, earning a bachelor of arts degree in human biology in 1998 and a bachelor of science in organismal biology in 1999 before going on to earn his medical doctorate at the KU School of Medicine in 2004.

He served a three-year residency with the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency Program in Salina, where he served as chief resident, before joining the Family Practice Associates staff. Today, he practices full-spectrum family medicine with obstetrics.

When it comes to Holton, Lassey most enjoys the neighborly attitude and friendliness of its residents, whom he says exemplify “people helping each other.”

“It’s a beautiful city that people take pride in and come together to maintain and improve,” he said. “The Square is full of personality and is a trademark of the town.”

The Square is also where his wife, Erin, works as the proprietor of Penny’s on the west side. The Lasseys remodeled the former J.C. Penney building into a coffee shop and event venue, opening it last fall.

The Lasseys have two children, seven-year-old Luke and six-year-old Rebekah, both students at Colorado Elementary School in Holton. They also have a Brittany Spaniel, two ducks and three cats “at last count,” Lassey said.

Lassey also serves as a deacon at First Baptist Church in Holton. In his spare time, he enjoys building and remodeling, basketball, exercise, playing banjo, working on his computer and, most of all, spending time with his family.

And, of course, incorporating a sense of humor into the things he does.

“I dress comfortably and wear comfortable shoes, like Gilda Radner, who said, ‘I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn’t itch,’” he said.