Steven Thomsen, CPO, passed away on November 6. The following memorial statement was submitted by his friend and colleague, James Athearn, CO, FAAOP, of Shriners Hospital for Children, Springfield, Massachusetts:
Steve Thomsen received his bachelor of arts degree in health studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, California, in 1977. He had eight years of experience as a physical therapy aide at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. He received his prosthetic and orthotic education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), graduating in 1979.
Following graduation, he was awarded a one-year fellowship at the Child Amputee Prosthetics Project (CAPP) at UCLA. He then accepted a position as a member of the staff of Elizabethtown Hospital for Children and Youth, where he was responsible for their adaptive seating program and lecturing at seminars on the subject. He attended upper-extremity and hand clinics, as well as general orthopedic clinics. He also worked part time at Orthotic and Prosthetic Services, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, where he fabricated upper- and lower-limb prosthesis and orthoses.
He was a staff member at Shriners Hospital for Children, Springfield, Massachusetts, from 1983 to 2008, becoming assistant director in 1989. He served a brief stint as director but returned to the position of assistant director when he found that the directorship took him away from working with the patients and their families that he so dearly loved, as well as his other interests and projects. Steve became the director of the Springfield Shriners NCOPE [National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education] residency program in 1999. This program accepts one graduate of a P&O program per year and trains them in all aspects of the field to encourage expertise and independence in their future careers. In addition, he coordinated our two to three yearly interns from the Newington Certificate Program in Orthotics & Prosthetics, Connecticut, and often one or two students from local colleges. Steve also regularly presented on the topic of lower-limb prosthetics to our medical residents, various patients, and the board of governors.
Steve not only examined and treated children in Springfield; he saw hundreds more at outreach clinics, where his counsel was sought by physicians, residents, and co-workers alike. Steve was also sought in our specialty clinics for advice on prosthetic treatment of upper- and lower-limb deficiency children, and orthotic treatment of children with neuromuscular and spinal problems as well myelodysplasia.
Steve had an active interest in pursuing research at Shriners, getting institutional review board (IRB) approval for projects related to temperatures inside of ventilated and non-ventilated prosthetic sockets. He presented his findings at ACPOC [Association of Children’s Prosthetic-Orthotic Clinics] meetings and a regional AOPA [American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association] meeting. For five years, Steve was a consultant on senior projects at Western New England College, Springfield, and Springfield College.
Outside of work, he was known for his long-distance bicycle trips, gardening, love of music, family, and cookies!
He leaves behind his loving wife, Margie, and daughter, Jen. We will all miss him.
