First appearing in August 1972, the actress become the fourth longest serving cast member on the show after Helen Wagner (Nancy Hughes), Don Hastings (Bob Hughes), and Eileen Fulton (Lisa Grimaldi) when the show finished on air on September 17, 2010.

The character is portrayed as strong, fiery, sensitive and mother figure who in recent years has taken on the role as the Hughes' matriarch.

Throughout her almost 40-year run on the show, Kim has endured several love interests, health issues including open heart surgery and amnesia whilst making the change from adulterous home-wrecker to matriarchal figure.

Princeton's Bureau County Republican said the character had "grown over the decades and survived the typical drama of complicated soap plots.

"[2] Kathryn Hays was cast as the single, marriage-wrecking Kim Sullivan in 1972 by Irna Phillips.

Phillips had written an earlier story on Another World for the character Pat Randolph that had also paralleled her own life.

I was playing a character who had had a rough patch in her life but she made the choice to be a better person and to not be selfish.

Kim then stayed with John out of guilt but she had started to fall in love with Dr. Dan Stewart.

Kim fled to a cabin and while writing a love letter to Dan a tornado struck and she sustained an injury that caused amnesia.

Tragedy struck in nearly 1979 for Kim when Dan was experiencing bad headaches and was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

When Dan's illness grew worse, they went on vacation but were stumbled upon by criminals Roy Barker and Chip Kelley who were robbing a store.

Kim's stepdaughter by Dan, Betsy was now seeing Steve who was a bad egg and was now involved in smuggling drugs.

Shortly after their wedding, she and Frannie were involved in a mystery which eventually revealed Douglas Cummings as Kim's admirer.

John Dixon and Memorial hospital staff had a role in taking Sabrina away as an infant and getting her out of the country.

Sabrina tried to become part of the Hughes family, but stirred up conflict and came between Frannie and her then-boyfriend, Seth Snyder.

Bob was feeling left out as Kim and John tried to deal with their son Andy's alcoholism.

The strain led to Bob having an affair with an old friend and coworker (and Kim's rival) Dr. Susan Stewart.

Though Kim threw him out of the house, she eventually forgave him and their marriage remained on solid ground.

In 1997, Kim underwent a life-threatening heart valve replacement surgery, something sure to alter her and Bob's life for years.

Chris, now a young doctor, fell in love with the teenaged Alison Stewart, Susan's youngest daughter.

Kim didn't seem to have a problem with the relationship until the couple decided to move in together—into the Hughes' home.

Hays said during this storyline came one of her favourite scenes with actress Marie Masters (Susan Stewart).

Upon arriving in town, Chris was at loggerheads with Bob over a research project conducted by Evan Walsh IV.

At Kim’s insistence, Chris was sworn in as interim Chief of Staff despite his lack of experience.

In the meantime, after six weeks, Bob finally woke up from his coma and made a full recovery.

Despite his brush with death, Bob continued to work long hours at the hospital, frustrating Kim.

The final straw came when Bob refused to take a vacation and go away with Kim to the cabin for their anniversary.

The family proposed holding a quickie ceremony the following day, but an upset Kim revealed that she might not want to marry Bob at all.