UPHS – Portage Heroes | Janelle Cone, Registered Pharmacist

What is your role at UPHS – Portage? 
I am a staff pharmacist in the inpatient pharmacy at UP Health System – Portage. 

What was your inspiration for getting into healthcare?
My mom! My mother, Margaret Axford, is a retired registered nurse and I grew up realizing the importance of healthcare providers, especially in our rural area. I shadowed providers employed in several different healthcare careers during my undergraduate years at Michigan Tech and while all were inspiring options, the pharmacy was the best fit for me.

What's a typical day like for you?
As many people that work in healthcare will tell you, there is rarely a “typical” day. I spend some of my shifts working with the providers in cancer care to prepare chemotherapy agents and also medications required for patients in our emergency department, outpatient surgery or outpatient infusion departments. I spend other days working as part of a team to provide care for patients that have been admitted to our hospital or swing bed program.

How long have you been employed here? Have you always been in the same position?
I have been employed for a total of almost eight years. I have also held positions as a staff pharmacist at both the Apothecary Pharmacies and nursing home pharmacies during my time here.

What are some of the big changes you have experienced in this position?
When I first graduated from pharmacy school in 2002, most hospitals still used paper-written orders and paper medication administration records. That way is long gone as we now utilize barcode scanning to reduce medication errors; physician orders are entered via computer which also can help to diminish the likelihood of errors. The advances in technology continue to amaze me and pharmacy is an ever-changing field.

What are some of your interests outside of work? What is your favorite local gem?
I love our area. There are so many gems but my summer favorite is spending the day at White City near Jacobsville on our boat. Our family got into boating in 2020 and I taught myself (with the help of YouTube) not only how to drive our boat but also how to attach the boat trailer to our truck and get the boat in and out at a boat launch by myself. My husband often travels for work so I decided that if we were going to be boat owners, I had better learn how to use it myself. Our three kids have also been active in youth sports in the area so I can often be found at soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, or hockey games and track meets, too.

What do you enjoy most about working at UPHS – Portage? 
I enjoy working as part of a team to take care of my friends and neighbors!