A Pleasure Working
Date: January 28, 2008

Before most of us have our first cup of coffee, he’s already worked up a sweat.

Before many of us can grunt a morning acknowledgement, he’s flashing a million-dollar smile with an eager, “Hey!”

He is at once a hero, co-worker, role model and friend. And, like Cher, Madonna or The Donald, he’s so well known at Floyd that he needs no last name.

He is Troy.

Kiser is his last name, and at Floyd Medical Center he is legendary.

Troy has come to work as early as midnight, armed with a supply of Cokes to wait until 5:30 a.m. to clock-in, said Dave Johnson, his supervisor in Environmental Services.

“He has only been away from work once since I met him in 1996, and that was because he was sick and we made him go home,” Johnson said.

Dave said Troy takes a pride in his work not often seen.

“You can ask Troy to do anything or something extra, and he is more than happy to do it. Every day Troy asks me, ‘I do a good job for you, don’t I? I’m not lazy, am I?’ My reply to him always is ‘Yes, you do,’ (a good job) and ‘No, you are not,’ (lazy),” Johnson said.

Mary Maire, Floyd vice president and corporate compliance officer, said Troy has a love for his job and for the people at Floyd.

“ Troy loves to talk about how long he has been here, and he loves to share pictures of employees he has collected over the years,” said Maire. “If all of us had Troy’s work ethic, just think what even greater things we could accomplish. “

Jackie Newby, director of risk management for Floyd, said Troy sets a high example for others to follow.

“At no time have I ever known him to raise his voice to anyone or ever to act rudely”Jackie said. “He always gives more than 100 percent effort to any task assigned him, and he takes pride in what he does.

“The majority of people do not even know all that he does.

“Have you ever had the opportunity to clean the morgue? Troy does it on a regular basis and is very proud of his work, and a simple word of encouragement for Troy brightens his face with a huge smile.”

Troy first came to work at Floyd in the Housekeeping Department back in 1961 when he was just 16 years old. He retired last week after 46 years of continuous service.

And, while a many members of the Floyd family know Troy and about his outstanding care for our organization, just as many may not know of this organization’s outstanding care to Troy.

Throughout these 46 years, Troy has been surrounded by secret pals and special buddies who have continuously watched over him.

They make sure he keeps his diabetes in check, because Troy sometimes forgets things like that. They have driven him home, and they have paid for his prescriptions and made sure he took them, because he doesn’t always understand the instructions on the bottles. Each year, unknown to Troy, a third-year resident in Floyd’s Family Medicine Residency Program is given the honor of being his special friend. That resident takes Troy to rodeos–his favorite pastime, and keeps an eye on him throughout the year.

But that’s the kind of care you receive when that’s the kind of care you give.

“Troy has a heart the size of Texas and would give anything he has to help a fellow co-worker,” Jackie said. “He has become a living legend, and I am very proud to be considered his friend.”

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