How one email helped Rick take control of his health

Every day, our email inboxes fill up with a slew of things that demand our attention – work tasks, personal messages, newsletters we barely remember signing up for. But it’s not every day that one of those emails can change – or save – our life.

For Rick Hollis, a Retail Sales Consultant in Virginia, an email introducing him to Included Health changed the entire trajectory of his well-being. In Rick’s own words, this virtual healthcare benefit available to all AT&T employees offers participants “complete care.”

Rick had just relocated from Atlanta to a small Virginia town to care for his aging parents. In the midst of caregiving, his own health fell by the wayside. Years of frustrating doctor visits and long waiting times left him feeling stuck – until that email landed in his inbox.

Health benefits that care for the whole human

Included Health is a virtual healthcare platform that treats the whole person – mind and body. It gives employees like Rick access to a dedicated Personal Healthcare Team at no cost and is one of more than 70 employee benefits AT&T offers.

Instead of waiting months for an appointment, Rick could see a doctor within days. Setting up his first visit was simple. The team helped him share medical records and asked thoughtful questions to understand his needs.

His care team – consisting of a primary care doctor, therapist, and personal pharmacist – is conveniently available 24/7. If one member isn’t available, another steps in, ensuring seamless support.

And the best part? Rick gets all this care from home.

Learning to trust again

When Rick started with Included Health, his health was struggling. High blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and an unhealed leg injury became the result of misdiagnoses and poor medical communication. He didn’t trust doctors and had avoided care for years.

But meeting his new care team changed everything. Their attentive, personalized approach restored his confidence – in medical guidance and in himself. Their encouragement made him want to get better. The stress of doctor visits disappeared. Regular check-ins every few days kept him on track. And knowing his team believed in him gave Rick the motivation to work hard on his health.

“The care I’ve gotten from Included Health is way better than anything I had before. I used to feel like just a number to doctors, but this team truly cares about me. They’ve been a big reason I’m still here today.”

Why Included Health? Rick shares the reasons he went with them in this video.

Support that makes a difference

Rick has worked in the communications technology industry for many years, including at competitor companies. He says the support through the benefits he’s received at AT&T is a “night and day difference.”

“AT&T’s health benefits don’t just treat injuries — they look at the whole person, both mentally and physically. At other jobs, they might fix the injury but ignore what caused it. AT&T and Included Health are different. They offer complete care.”

But benefits alone don’t tell the whole story. Rick credits his leaders and coworkers for encouraging him to use these resources and for understanding when his health journey affected his work.

“It was that email from HR that got me started, but my leaders helped me make the most of it. They’ve been very supportive and flexible, which made all the difference.”

Looking ahead

Rick is feeling better every day. Within eight months of working with Included Health, Rick lowered his blood pressure, lost weight, and started sleeping better. His mental health is improving, too.

He’s proud to be an example for his coworkers and often encourages them to make a good call and take charge of their own health with Included Health.

“It’s one thing to do your job, but it’s another to truly care. The people on my care team really care about me. When I say I wouldn’t be here without Included Health, I mean it.”