Pediatric infectious diseases specialist Dr. Jacob Kilgore already had a full plate when he stepped in to become Medical Director of Hoops Family Children’s Hospital. He has a simple explanation for his willingness to take on this administrative load: it brings him joy.
After asking, “What are you passionate about?” The Marshall Medical School and Duke Health System graduate answered his own question.
“For me, there’s no greater joy than to see a child get better,” said Dr. Kilgore. “I’ve found fulfillment at the bedside and within the boardroom, through advocacy and visionary discussions about the future of our pediatric hospital.”
“Being a pediatric patient who had to leave the area for care because we didn’t have the encompassing services we do now is something I often think about. What we can offer here while keeping patients close to home is incredibly special.”
Dr. Kilgore took on his new role after former Director Dr. Eduardo Pino retired from the position in the fall of 2024 (although remaining as Marshall Health Network’s Chief Medical Information Officer).
His medical education included a combined internal medicine-pediatrics residency at Marshall, a pediatric infectious diseases fellowship and chief residency in quality and safety at Duke, and an MPH at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Initially, Dr. Kilgore continued his pediatric work at Hoops, although the hospital recently launched a search for a third specialist to relieve him of some day-to-day duties.
“You may ask why someone would want to go into administration—maybe I need to be checked out by a doctor,” he said with a hearty chuckle. “I’ve always had a passion to help bring the bedside to the boardroom. It’s always important to remember who we’re advocating for; so, being a clinician first and foremost, to remember what gets us up in the morning and why we’re doing it.”
The Medical Director thinks Hoops is about more than clinical care. He sees it as connecting with the community outside the hospital and thinking about ways to interact and grow with the Tri-State Area.
Dr. Kilgore said visionaries like Marshall University President Brad Smith and others are sparking a resurgence in Greater Huntington, providing hope and opportunity. Not only for young professionals, he said, but for those who are seeking employment in other areas. It’s the people Kilgore sees wanting to make a difference, so the area is a healthy place where young adults can grow into their dreams and aspirations.
“The ripple effect it can have outside of clinical care is substantial,” said Dr. Kilgore, who lives a few miles from the home where he grew up in Kenova. “I see Hoops as a leading pediatric hospital, and one staffed primarily by members of this community. Hoops is a microcosm of our community. That’s something that is special and exciting.”
