Dr. Robert Tooms, a longtime orthopedic surgeon with Campbell Clinic and former Baptist Memorial Hospital medical staff president, passed away on Sept. 10. A renowned figure in the field of orthopedics, his contributions in Campbell’s Operative Orthopedics on the complexities of amputation surgery guided surgeons around the globe for years. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army and nurtured the Child Amputee Clinic.
His contributions to Baptist were just as influential. He led a team of caregivers at the Baptist Memorial Rehabilitation Unit’s Spinal Cord Injury Center and was an inaugural Baptist Health Sciences University board member. In retirement as before, Dr. Tooms continued to serve others, mentoring medical students, orthopedic residents, and nurses as well as tutoring inner city children. Dr. Tooms is survived by his wife of 61 years, Gerry, as well as three children and one grandson.