"I was hired at 71 years old. What does that say about Gilead?" says Jim, Senior Director,
Jim is now 74 years old and still enjoys coming to work every day. He feels especially fortunate to be working at a company that offers employees an assortment of healthcare and retirement benefits. He credits one of those benefits with providing invaluable healthcare information when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year.
After seeking a series of medical opinions from a radiation oncologist, a medical oncologist, a urologist and a hormone treatment specialist, Jim was overwhelmed trying to decide which option was best for him.
That's when his colleagues at work told him to contact AccessHope, a cancer care support benefit that Gilead began offering to
"Much of our discoveries here at Gilead are dedicated to treatments for those facing cancer," says
In Jim's case, he was connected with an oncology nurse who spent hours walking him through each of his treatment options.
"They won't tell you what to do, but they help educate you and point you to resource materials," says Jim. After speaking with the nurse and doing some more follow-up research, he was able to make a treatment decision he was at peace with.
"A big part of my job is to remove administrative burdens and help employees navigate our healthcare benefits, and now I want to let everyone know about what an incredibly helpful program I had at my disposal when I needed it the most," he says. "It didn't just help me, but my wife was also able to gain emotional support from the program during this journey, too."
Gilead's cancer care efforts caught the attention of
Jim, meanwhile, is still undergoing treatment but is happy to say his cancer is undetectable. He also credits his annual check-ups for this good health, and he hopes his experience will serve as a reminder to others of the role regular exams and screenings can play in early detection.
He also notes how grateful he is that Gilead helps him and others - from providing employees access to wellbeing services and cancer support to fostering a rewarding work environment. "I'm proof that Gilead cares about its employees."
Originally published by
.
(C) 2024 M2 COMMUNICATIONS, source