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Emotional farewell to twins after combined 100 years of service

Each dedicated over 50 years to Research Medical Center
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Kate Keen and the twins, Sherrie and Terrie Allen

KANSAS CITY, Mo — For over 50 years, Sherrie and Terrie Allen, now retired patient technicians, were "the twins" of Research Medical Center.

Kate Keen, the hospital's float pool manager, supervised the twins toward the end of their careers.

Entering as a first-time manager, she joked the twins were her boss.

“They know this place better than anybody, so the fact that they’re leaving is so hard because there is no way that I could ever, ever replace anyone such as them," Keen said.

As part of the float pool, the twins could work around the hospital.

“They can go in every single unit and really work their magic wherever they’re at. They float to the ER, the in-patient units, wherever they’re needed,” Keen explained.

Balloons, flowers and congratulations card
Gift from the Float Pool Team.

Everyone enjoyed their twin charm that brought joy to patients.

Terrie had the most fun seeing a patient’s first reaction to meeting both sisters together.

“They’re always surprised at how much we look alike,” she said.

Can you spot the difference?

Terrie and Sherrie side by side
Terrie and Sherrie side by side.

Terrie has a tiny freckle on her nose, and Sherrie is older (by 10 minutes).

In case you couldn’t tell, “they are so in sync with the things they wear, they say, they do. It’s unmatched," Keen said.

Keen hopes the twins embrace retirement because "they let us live our best life here at research by doing the best job."

But before the twins start relaxing, they already coordinated a to-do list.

Sherrie said for the first two months, they plan to clean “the house, the attic, and the basement.”

Terrie was on the same timeline saying, “Now that we’re retired, it’s like, we gotta get this done in the house and this done.”

Although the sisters start a new chapter without their hospital family, they will always have each other.

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