Kay Talley grew up in Mesquite and moved to Rockwall after high school for a job in healthcare. When she heard Texas Health was opening a hospital in Rockwall, that was her sign.
“I was excited to serve my community in this way and after meeting then-hospital President Ken Teel and then-Chief Nursing Officer Cindy Perrin, I knew this is where I was meant to be,” Talley said.
She was hired as director of materials management on Oct. 1, 2007, and the hospital opened just a few months later. Talley held that position until December 2021, when she decided to retire.
“I went home, decluttered and organized everything, just to discover that I was not quite ready to retire after all. Fortunately for me, there was an opening in Human Resources, and now I’m the volunteer manager. Best. Job. Ever,” she said.
“Kay is exactly who we need leading our volunteers. Her enthusiasm and kindness shine through every event and we’re grateful to have her at Texas Health Rockwall,” said Kimber Harris, entity human resources officer.
Read more about Talley in her own words:
What did you want to be as a kid, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
I always wanted to be a teacher. During the summer, our neighborhood of kids would play school and I was usually the teacher. I didn’t end up on that path. Right out of high school, I landed a job as an invoice processor in materials management. I had a wonderful boss who mentored and taught me so much that I was able to become a corporate purchasing manager. All that experience came in handy during 2020-2021 when there was so much to juggle in terms of the pandemic, hospital expansion planning, as well as transitioning to PeopleSoft.
My Texas Health career 2.0 as volunteer manager is fulfilling in a new way. Volunteers play such an important role and are great ambassadors for the hospital. I just love the relationships and culture that’s distinctively Texas Health.
What does a typical workday look like?
A big part of my job is planning events to recognize and reward our caregivers, so a lot of my time is spent organizing and preparing for each event.
What are some of the ways you strive to serve employees and volunteers?
I want to make sure all of our employees and volunteers feel valued and appreciated for the gift of time and service they give to the hospital, our patients and community.
What’s your favorite part of your job, and the biggest challenge?
I actually have two favorites. I love working with the volunteers. They give the best hugs and work so hard to make our caregivers, patients and visitors feel welcomed and appreciated.
My other favorite part is getting the Christmas tree decorated in our main lobby. I love that time of year when I get to help coordinate the hospital’s toy drive and organize our shopping trip for seniors.
The biggest challenge is that there’s not enough hours in the day to get it all done, but I love every minute of it.
What’s something that most people wouldn’t know about you?
Christmas is MY thing. Most folks wouldn’t know that I have more than 30 big plastic tubs of Christmas decorations in my attic. Each year, my kids bring it all down and warn me not to get more, but … I can’t help myself!
