Kansas City, Kansas, woman has worked at the same hospital for 60 years and has no plans to retire

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Aline Thomas has a unique connection to the University of Kansas Hospital — she was born there in 1947, started working there at 19 and at 79, has no plans to leave.

Thomas, a surgical technologist at the newly named The University of Kansas Health System — better known as "Miss A" — has held several positions at the hospital since she was first hired on August 16, 1966.

She also went to school there.

Today, she works primarily in the burn unit.

Al Miller/KSHB 41

"My journey has been six decades, and all the decades, I was able to advance, touch different people's lives," Thomas said.

The burn unit is one of the most demanding environments in the hospital, but Thomas has never shied away from it.

"It's like seeing miracles come alive,” Thomas said. “Seeing a patient that has been burnt all over be able to walk again.”

Bell Operating Room Manager Theresa Thomas said Miss A's presence in that unit is unlike anyone else's.

"Miss A works in the burn unit a lot, and that is a very tough operating room to work in,” Theresa Thomas, RN said. “The conditions are very, very hot. She's very passionate about what she does, but she's passionate in a quiet way. Her actions show more than what her words do.”

After six decades, Aline Thomas said passing on what she knows has become just as important as the work itself.

"What my knowledge is, is to pass it on,” Aline Thomas said. “I enjoy sharing my knowledge. I think God has blessed me, and I want to bless someone else in my work.”

Theresa Thomas said that approach makes Miss A an exceptional mentor.

Al Miller/KSHB 41

"She's got compassion. She lets a learner learn. And she listens, which is a very important part of teaching," Theresa Thomas said.

The hospital is more than a workplace for Aline Thomas — it is the backdrop of her entire life, including some of its hardest moments.

"In my lifetime being here, I did lose my mother here, I lost both of my sons here. But being here was like having a family all around you, even in bad times," Aline Thomas said.

She says she also faced prejudice during her time at the hospital.

“Of course you know way back then, being born on the Black side and stuff like that, the doctors wasn’t always nice to me,” Thomas said. “But some kind of way, all the doctors that was not nice to me are all gone and I’m still here.”

Theresa Thomas said Miss A’s milestone deserved to be recognized.

The University of Kansas Health System

"60 years,” Theresa Thomas said. “If you think about all the people, all the patients that she's touched. It's pretty mind-boggling. It's pretty amazing. She has had a hand in helping thousands of people and affecting their lives.”

For Aline Thomas, the work has never felt like just a job.

"To me, KU is my life. I've been here all my life. As long as I'm able to still do my job, able to teach and help someone else learn and do their job, I will be here," Aline Thomas said. "I came here for a job, but I ended up with a career.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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