Long before he wore scrubs in the operating room, Kyle Gilmore, LPN, RN, BSN, already knew the halls of FMOL Health | St. Dominic.
Some of his earliest memories include tagging along with his father, Darryl Gilmore, who has spent nearly three decades serving the hospital as its director of compliance. As a child, Kyle was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes world of healthcare, especially the robots that quietly delivered meals and laundry through the hospital corridors. What began as childhood curiosity eventually became something much deeper.
“He was always science specific,” Darryl says. “He always searched for the solution and wanted to know what was behind it.”
That curiosity followed Kyle everywhere. While other kids asked for toys, he wanted science books and atlases. Learning was something he genuinely enjoyed, and medicine quickly became the subject that captured his imagination.
“I was that kid,” Kyle says with a laugh. “I liked textbooks. Mom and Dad would get me science books instead of regular reading books. I’ve always had a passion for science and the way it works.”
By the time he was in high school, Darryl watched his son spend hours shadowing surgeries at St. Dominic. What was supposed to be a brief observation turned into an entire day in the operating room.
“He really had that want to be in the surgery realm,” Darryl says.
Years later, that’s exactly where Kyle would build his career.
A Family That Cares
Healthcare was never just Dad’s job. It was woven throughout the Gilmore family.
Kyle’s aunt, uncle and cousin all worked as nurses. Growing up, conversations around the dinner table often found their way back to medicine.
“We are very family-oriented,” Kyle says. “Just seeing that caring aspect of it is what drew me into the hospital setting. I wanted to take care of people and do it the best that I can.”
He earned his LPN, then his RN, then his BSN, and is now working toward becoming a nurse practitioner. Each milestone built on the last, steadily moving him toward the career he envisioned.
For Darryl, watching that progression has been especially meaningful.
“I’m really proud to see that he’s continuing that career path,” he says. “He’s always kept his eye on what he wants to do. It’s really fulfilling as a father to see your child grow and develop into someone who’s respected.”
Different Jobs, Shared Purpose
Although their careers look very different, father and son are motivated by many of the same values.
As director of compliance and privacy, Darryl helps ensure the hospital operates with integrity while supporting caregivers across the organization. Every day is different, but he finds purpose in helping people carry out the hospital’s mission.
“I believe this is my mission field,” Darryl says. “For me to come to work, pray before meetings and see people really making a difference in people’s lives, and for me to support that, means a lot.”
Kyle experiences that purpose from a different perspective inside the operating room as a surgical nurse specializing in general surgery.
Over the years, both men have found that their faith naturally connects with the work they do. Both serve as deacons at their church, and both see healthcare as an opportunity to care for people during some of life’s most important moments.
“It means a lot,” Darryl says. “We don’t talk a lot of shop because I can’t talk about the things I deal with and he can’t talk about the things he deals with. But we can talk about how the hospital is progressing, and we share that grounding in faith.”
Seeing Each Other at Work
Even though they work under the same roof, their paths only occasionally cross.
Kyle spends most of his day inside the operating room, where procedures can last for hours. Every now and then, he’ll stop by his dad’s office for a quick visit or they’ll run into each other in the hallway.
For Darryl, those unexpected visits have become small moments he treasures.
“The first thing I usually say is, ‘Is there anything wrong?’” Darryl says with a smile. “Ninety-nine times out of a hundred he says, ‘No, I just wanted to come by and say hi.’ It means a lot because you get to touch base with your kid during the workday.”
Because of Darryl’s role in compliance, they have always been intentional about maintaining professional boundaries.
“When I’m here, while I am his son, at the end of the day I’m also an employee of St. Dominic,” Kyle says. “We’re really a big ‘no shop talk at home’ family. His job is his job. My job is my job. We both take that very seriously.”
Darryl admits he once worried that his position might cast a shadow over Kyle’s career. Instead, he’s watched his son establish his own reputation.
“He didn’t grow up in my shadow,” Darryl says. “He grew up as his own person. Kyle chose his own path, and that’s something I always wanted.”
A Father’s Pride, A Son’s Gratitude
These days, Darryl often hears team members recognize Kyle before anyone realizes they’re related.
“Somebody will say, ‘Oh, you’re Kyle’s dad,’” Darryl says. “Or they’ll tell me how well he’s doing. You hear those things and you can’t help but be proud.”
That pride has only grown as he’s watched Kyle become a respected nurse while continuing to pursue new opportunities in healthcare.
“It’s indescribable,” Darryl says. “As a parent, you spend years supporting your children as they grow. I get to experience that now on the professional side, too.”
For Kyle, working alongside his father has given him a front-row seat to the example Darryl has set over nearly 30 years at St. Dominic.
“He’s been a very good role model of the type of father I want to be to my son,” Kyle says. “It’s been special seeing the relationship between him and his dad, then mine and his relationship, and wanting that for my son as he grows.”
Now, a new generation is beginning to recognize the family connection. Kyle’s three-year-old son already points out St. Dominic whenever they drive by.
“He’ll say, ‘That’s Pop’s work,’” Kyle says. “Then I remind him, ‘Dad works there, too.’ It’s been fun seeing everything go full circle.”
