Meet ONCO’s new Client Support Specialist, Jonathan Rakestraw! With five years of experience in cancer registry software and firsthand experience working in a CoC-accredited program, Jonathan brings valuable expertise, empathy, and a genuine passion for helping clients succeed. He understands the challenges registry professionals face and finds it especially rewarding to help them solve complex problems and make the most of their data.
We’re excited to have Jonathan on the team and invite you to get to know him—from what drew him to ONCO to the thoughtful advice that shapes his approach to client support.
Jonathan Rakestraw, Client Support Specialist
What brought you to ONCO?
After working in the Cancer Registry software field for about 5 years, I decided I wanted to work for the best Cancer Registry software provider, and that is ONCO. After meeting with several of my fellow employees, and in working with some of them before in the past, I knew that I wanted to work there and be a part of a fantastic team.
Now that you’ve been with ONCO for a couple of months, what’s stood out to you most about the team and company culture from other companies?
Every ONCO employee is dedicated, not only to their individual areas of expertise, but to the success of our team, and most importantly our clients. We all strive to provide the best service in the industry and work very hard to ensure client satisfaction.
Is there a ticket, case, or issue you’ve worked on during your first few months that was especially interesting, challenging, or rewarding?
It is just so hard to pick just one. I find the tickets that meet those criteria are generally tickets relating to assisting our users running reports. Our clients use the robust reporting features for many different purposes, and the types of data important to registries can sometimes be unique. I find the most satisfaction in working with clients on reports that they request assistance on and hearing their joy after working with them to find the reports that meet their needs. Those tickets are the most rewarding for me.
What do you enjoy most about working as a registry support specialist?
I worked in a CoC accredited program for several years, so I always like to put myself in our clients’ shoes. Whether it be clients who are really struggling with clearing that one last edit, or completing that report request that a physician is waiting for while looking over their shoulder. Resolving those issues is very rewarding because I have been in that seat and felt that pressure.
What’s something people are usually surprised to learn about you?
In my college years, I used to work as security and as a doorman for several music venues.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
It is better to be quick to listen, than to be quick to speak. Listening is not just understanding the words of the questions being asked, but also understanding why they are being asked and who is asking them. That can sometimes be a very tall, but very important task.
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