Father’s Day: Honoring the Families Who Power Our Health System
Across Boston Medical Center Health System, we celebrate the BMC employees within our own community who show up - for patients, for colleagues, and for each other. From the food pantry to the cardiology suite, our community has included generations of parents and children who have helped shape our hospitals with dedication, heart, and shared commitment.
In honor of Father’s Day, we’re proud to spotlight three dads and their children whose stories show how our community’s commitment to care and connection extends beyond departments, titles, and decades.
A Legacy of Care: Latchman and Kevin at Boston Medical Center
For father and son Latchman and Kevin, Boston Medical Center (BMC) is more than a workplace - it's where their family's legacy has grown for over 40 years. Nearly 20 relatives have worked across the hospital, in places including Environmental Services and the Emergency Department.
The legacy started in 1983, when Latchman's father-in-law, Kevin's grandfather, joined BMC's Environmental Services team. Latchman followed, beginning in the Food and Nutrition Department and working his way up to becoming the manager of BMC's Preventive Food Pantry. Today, he helps provide culturally aligned and nutritious food to thousands of families. Inspired by his father's dedication, Kevin now works in Guest Support Services, where he manages the main phone line.
Latchman says the happiest day of his life was when Kevin was born. Now, working alongside his son is just as meaningful. For Kevin, hearing people speak highly of his dad makes him proud to continue the family tradition.
Father-Son Duo: Kevin and Danny at Boston Medical Center – Brighton
For Kevin and Danny, working at BMC Brighton feels like coming full circle. Nearly 40 years ago, Kevin began working at what was then St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, after his wife, a medical secretary at the time, encouraged him to explore job opportunities there. Years later, Kevin, now a maintenance scheduler, urged his son Danny to apply for a licensed HVAC technician position. What drives them both is pride in the expertise and professionalism they show at work.
“The process of fixing something for a patient or a coworker — you get a lot of respect when you show up and are professional and do your job well,” says Danny.
For Kevin, fatherhood has always meant showing up and setting an example - like his own father, who worked three jobs to support his family. Kevin himself worked two jobs for years and is proud of the four hardworking adults he has raised. For Danny, his dad's strong work ethic and dedication to work, family, and community continue to shape how he shows up every day.
"That work ethic is something that Kevin helped instill in Danny and his other children. And it's something he learned from his own father, who worked three jobs to help support his family.
"His work ethic definitely inspired all of us to get out there," says Danny. "You can't be lazy; you've got to get out there and work. Put in the time, it definitely rewards."
Though they hold different roles, they share the same goal: keeping the hospital running so patients, staff, and visitors feel safe, cared for, and comfortable. Being there for their colleagues and the hospital's visitors, patients, and families echoes the way Kevin looks back at how he and his wife raised their kids to be there as support for each other.
"Over the years, I've instilled in all my kids that you are going to be there for each other, whether it's a medical issue or whatever the case may be," Kevin says. "Being a dad, that's the most important thing."
Arkin To Arkin Handoff: Two Generations of Care at Boston Medical Center – South
Barry Arkin spent decades caring for patients as a cardiologist at Good Samaritan Medical Center, now BMC South. Josh grew up watching his dad work - but he initially took a different path for his career, starting in consulting. It wasn't until his mid-20s, during a dinner with his parents and wife (then-girlfriend) - a long, long dinner with many questions, as both Arkins described - that he shared he wanted to go to medical school. This decision surprised everyone, including Barry, who questioned him thoroughly before realizing he was serious.
In medical school, Josh felt a calling toward his father's specialty of cardiology. He remembers being together on family vacations and trying to impress Barry by reading EKGs on the beach, and his dad teaching him.
"My dad would always say, 'Cardiology is the best field because the heart is the most important organ.' So, I had that in the back of my head the whole time, but he never told me, 'You should go into cardiology.'"
His father echoes the sentiment, obviously proud of his son’s path: “I wasn't trying to predict or determine a career path for him, of course, but he made a good choice.”
Years later, after finishing his training in interventional cardiology, Josh joined his father's practice. This special opportunity to work side by side, allowed them to share not just a specialty but a deep dedication to their patients and community.
Working together deepened their bond in new ways, especially through life's most difficult moments, including the loss of Roberta, Barry's wife and Josh's mother. For Josh, it felt like a dream to practice medicine with his father and mentor - someone he describes as passionate, hard-working, and deeply committed to both his patients and his family.
For Barry, it was especially meaningful to refer patients to his son while he was practicing and then see some of his longtime patients continue their care with Josh after he retired — a transition they jokingly call the "Arkin to Arkin handoff."
"If you walked around this hospital and asked about him, he's left a strong sort of footprint or legacy," says Josh. "That's why so many people ask how he's doing - not just patients, but staff. And so part of my day every day is answering all the questions about my dad, and it's nice to give them an update that he's doing great and that he's the same passionate person that they all knew."
Happy Father’s Day to the dads who support us, challenge us, and walk beside us every step of the way.
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At Boston Medical Center Health System, many employees have built careers rooted in service, often alongside other family members. Across the health system, even without familial ties, our teams are united by a shared commitment to community and compassion. If you're inspired by our purpose, explore career opportunities with us.