Julie Prather
In 1995, after nearly a decade of honing her skills in adult hospital pharmacies, Julie Prather was ready for a change. While perusing the Akron Beacon Journal’s classified ads on Jan. 22, one ad caught her attention. Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron was searching for a pharmacist, and little did Julie know, this opportunity would shape the next chapter of her career.
“I recently found that I had saved the classified ad that changed the course of my life,” said Julie.
After 30 years at Akron Children’s, Julie will retire on June 2. Below, she shares some of her favorite memories and plans for her retirement.
Julie with her daughter, husband and son.
Who or what inspired you to become a pharmacist?
During high school, I wanted to be a musician or a band director. However, after spending a summer at a very competitive music camp, I decided I should make alternative plans! My dad, who was a vocational teacher, suggested I check out pharmacy school. He even arranged for me to go to a pharmacy and interview the pharmacist.
What roles have you held during your time here?
I’m a staff pharmacist in the inpatient pharmacy, but I’ve had many different roles. In addition to day-to-day staffing, I’ve trained IV technicians, worked in the outpatient pharmacy, attended morning check-ins with the hospitalist residents and been the coordinator for investigational drugs studies. For the last several years, I’ve been working in the Infusion and Oncology Satellite.
Julie on the campus of Kent State University with Rossi, the rescue, and Nina, the skunk victim.
In what ways has Akron Children’s changed since you started here?
In addition to the changing landscape of our Akron campus, we’ve expanded our reach across nearly every community in northeast Ohio and beyond. We’ve brought in top-tier specialists and services, including open-heart surgery, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
When I first started, our pharmacy team made hourly rounds to deliver medications and entered orders manually from paper prescriptions. However, with the introduction of dispensing machines, our turnaround times dramatically improved. Today, our department is driven by technology, utilizing barcode scanning to enhance patient safety and streamline our processes.
An avid fan of “Weird Al,” Julie has been lucky to get backstage passes to many of his concerts. A fan of Julie’s blueberry pie, Julie makes sure to bring him one whenever she attends a show.
What’s your most memorable and/or happiest moment at Akron Children’s?
One of the most memorable days I had at work was after my dog had been skunked in the early morning hours. As I reported to work that day, I was greeted all day by people asking, “What’s that smell?” I smelled like burning tires! My co-workers were pretty understanding, but I did take a fair amount of teasing that day. Years later, we still laugh about it.
On a more serious note, other memories include the day the pharmacy moved into its new location in 2006, the arrival of the first Emergency Use Authorization COVID vaccines and being responsible for dispensing a gene therapy drug that cost $3.2 million a dose.
What do you look forward to the most in retirement?
Deepening my relationship with God through daily devotions, prayer, Bible study and fellowship with others growing in their faith. I plan to serve the community through church volunteering and service projects.
Beyond that, I’m excited to hike, bike, exercise, travel, take naps, attend concerts and festivals, bake blueberry pies for “Weird Al” Yankovic, learn new musical instruments, take classes at Kent State, explore genealogy, walk dogs, adopt another rescue dog and declutter my home.
I’ll continue playing oboe in two volunteer groups: the Stow Symphony Orchestra, which I joined when it was formed in 1998, and the Western Reserve Community Band, which I joined in 2017. Both groups include musicians connected to Akron Children’s. Come see us!
Julie, who plays the oboe, is pictured with Maestro Darrell L. Music, conductor and founder of the Stow Symphony Orchestra. Darrell was formerly a pharmacy technician at Akron Children’s.
Do you have any advice for people just starting at Children’s?
Take advantage of the 403(b) tax deferred annuity plan that the hospital offers, and start investing as soon as you can.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I grew up with one sibling, my little brother. During the early days of the pandemic, I found myself wishing for a sister — a thought that seemed absurd. How does a woman in her 50s just get a sister? Well, on my birthday in 2020, I got my wish! A few years earlier, I had taken a DNA test to confirm my heritage. It turned out that an Illinois woman, given up for adoption in 1958, had taken a test to find her birth family. My brother and I welcomed our half-sister into our family, and now we have a reunion every year. She’s been a profound blessing to us!
