Growing a Career at UP Health System – Portage: Linnea Hermanson

What is the role at UP Health System – Portage?

I'm the team coordinator at PortagePointe.

What has your career journey at UP Health System – Portage looked like?

I started at UP Health System – Portage as a CNA, working in the Delaware house on the evening shift for about a year. I then switched to dayshift in Franklin house for two years. Then an opportunity to be a team coordinator came about. So, I decided to apply for the position, and I have been doing that since. Over the four years that I've worked here, I've been able to care for many elders—learn about their history, help them get dressed, assist at mealtimes and join them in entertainment. Once I took the team coordinator position, it showed me a whole new world of what goes on behind the scenes. I got to see what all our nurses, cooks, managers and team coordinators all do to keep this place running.  I could have never imagined doing this position if I hadn't given it a try.

I am so glad that I took that leap into challenging myself with something new.  

How has Portage helped you grow professionally?

Having the support from managers and coworkers has helped me build confidence in the work that I do.  I learned that I can be a team leader. I learned how to apply the knowledge to the job that I am doing and how to work with other people to make the job easier. 

When I first started working here, I was doing it to learn how to take care of people and to see if this is what I wanted to do in life. As the years went on, I learned this is exactly where I want to be.  What started as a job became a career because Portage invested in me, encouraged me to take on new challenges, and provided opportunities for me to grow.

What do you enjoy most about your job at UP Health System – Portage?

What I enjoy most about working at PortagePointe is getting to work with the Elderly, learning about their history, and just not knowing what kind of day you are going to have.    

What makes UP Health System – Portage a great place to work?

UP Health System – Portage has a supportive team environment where people genuinely care about each other's success. Every day I work here, I am constantly being told that I am in the right place. You can see that I love to do my job.  It's amazing to work in such an environment, where you can see that everyone around you loves what they do.

What would you tell someone considering a job at UP Health System – Portage?

At PortagePointe, we have a positive work environment, supportive coworkers and opportunities to learn and grow. It's a place where hard work is appreciated and teamwork is valued.  There hasn't been a day that I've regretted starting at Portage Pointe. My life changed when I started here—I thought I was going to be a nurse when I got older and Portage Pointe showed me that being a CNA is what I was made to do.

If you are on the fence about starting here, I say give it a shot; you won't regret working with us.