After more than 55 years on the job, cafeteria worker is still cooking

This is part of MUSC's 2024 Women's History Month series. For more coverage, please see links at the bottom of this story.

When Cora Twitty first started working in the MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center cafeteria on Sept. 16, 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson was president; a dozen eggs cost 53 cents; and “Night of the Living Dead” was a hit at the box office. 

Twitty didn’t have to worry about the price of gas, though. She and her coworkers trekked the 1.5 miles to and from the hospital. “Me and the girls got together and just walked to work,” Twitty said of her first days on the job.

These days, she no longer sets out on foot to report for her shift like she did as a recent high school graduate. That’s not the only thing that has changed during her 55-year tenure.

Of course, the facility has new ownership and a new name. The former Springs Memorial Hospital accommodated 40 or 50 patients back in 1968. Lancaster Medical Center is a 211-bed facility now. Twitty remembers when the cafeteria housed the dining room and served just the employees.

Besides a larger and remodeled cafeteria and separate dining room, the menu has evolved. “It’s changing for the better,” Twitty said.

What has truly stood the test of time are her award-winning culinary creations, cherished by employees and patrons as some of her most beloved and sought-after dishes.

 

Her fried chicken will always stay on the menu, especially if Lancaster Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Richard Warrin has anything to say about it. “Ms. Cora has committed her entire career to Lancaster Medical Center with her loving and dedication expressed through her wonderful cooking and world-class fried chicken.” 

Her chicken salad is also a fan favorite, so much so that some people call it “Ms. Cora’s chicken salad.” And every Christmas, she makes her famous banana cake. “Everybody loves that,” she said.

It’s not just hospital staffers who appreciate Twitty’s cooking skills. Four years in a row, she won multiple prizes at the University of South Carolina Lancaster Soul Food Cook Off Fundraiser. Dishes like her banana pudding, pinto beans and, naturally, her chicken salad, took home top prizes.

She also cooks for her large family each Sunday, and she used to cook for her church before COVID. “I like cooking for a lot of people,” Twitty said. The reason might be because she’s spent her entire career doing just that. 

She’s worked at the hospital for almost her whole adult life. She admitted she did leave for a week or two in the 1970s, but she quickly realized she had made a mistake. Luckily for her and everyone she’s crossed paths with since, the hospital kept her job open. “I was glad to get back,” she said. “It was a nice environment to work in, so I just stayed.”

Twitty considers retiring every year, but the year ends, and she forgets about it, she shared with a laugh.

A multiple-time winner of the Employee of the Year award, Twitty brings as much joy to her job as she gets back. Keith Hall, division director, Food and Nutrition Services, sings her praises on behalf of everyone.

“Ms. Cora is loved throughout the hospital, her church and the broader community,” said Hall. “Cooking has always been the way that she shows her love. What makes her so special is her desire to see the community thrive. Her empathy and love for our patients and care team members is infectious. She has over 50 years of experience within the hospital, has won numerous cooking competitions within the community and is an amazing person. Ms. Cora inspires me to be a better leader, daily. I am truly blessed to have worked with her.”