Episode 79: Navigating Life's Curveballs - From Caregiver to Cancer Survivor with Jill Massey
What we discussed
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A Personal and Professional Journey
Jill reflects on how her family's battles with cancer shaped her career in the pharmaceutical industry, blending personal empathy with professional expertise.
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Balancing Roles and Emotions
From sibling to spouse to patient, Jill shares the unique emotional dynamics of each role and the coping mechanisms she developed.
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Empowerment Through Knowledge
Jill emphasizes the importance of patient education, advocating for personalized care, and the evolving role of pharmaceutical companies in supporting patient-centric care.
About our guest
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Jill Massey, PharmD, MBA, BCMAS is Vice President, Global Medical Strategy and Operations (GMSO) for Gilead Medical Affairs. In this role, Jill oversees the Patient-focused Implementation Science team, Medical Strategy and Planning, Insights, Data & Analytics and Digital Innovation, Medical Excellence, Medical Affairs Technology, and Scientific Communications including global publications, medical information, medical external affairs and education, and library and information services. Jill joined Gilead Sciences from Immunomedics where she led the Medical Affairs, Safety and Pharmacovigilance organizations. Prior to that, she led Medical Affairs at Janssen, The Medicines Company and Melinta Therapeutics as well as the Melinta Global Antimicrobial Resistance Program. She began her career in the pharmaceutical industry at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Previous to her industry roles, Jill was clinical faculty at the Saint Louis College of Pharmacy, Jewish Hospital and the Program on Aging at Washington University School of Medicine. Jill is a member of the Board of Directors for the Morris County Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Life Sciences Council Steering Committee. She is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program, a member of the Accreditation Council of Medical Affairs Executive Leadership Board and a member of the Seton Hall University Transformative Leadership Advisory Board. Jill earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and her MBA from Drexel University LeBow College of Business. She completed a residency at Mercer University School of Pharmacy and Emory University. She is Board Certified by ACMA. Jill loves running, baking and spending time with her two kids, Maddie and Alex, and her loved ones, sometimes including her two dogs and cat.
Watch the video of our episode on YouTube
Key Moments
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2 minutes:
"I’m a healthcare provider. I’m a pharmacist by training. So oncology was always something I knew about, learned about, but it became personal...when, like probably a lot of other people, cancer hits your family."
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6 minutes:
"When my husband was diagnosed, I had been in this position before of having a family member go through this journey. So to me, I just looked at it like, here we go again. This is another journey we’re on. We’ll get through it, past it, whatever you think. But when I was diagnosed...it hit me that these babies could lose both their parents."
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50 minutes:
"Educate yourself. I would say, even though I remember my physician telling me ...‘Don’t Google it.’ That’s the first thing she said. That’s the first thing I did. And I wish I had asked the question differently when I Googled it...‘Where should I look for information on this?’"
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