Chuck Sidebottom, a longtime AAMI leader and torchbearer in the world of medical device standards, has been named the 2017 recipient of a prestigious standards honor. Sidebottom is due to receive the Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in October, as part of the U.S. celebration of World Standards Day.

With his wife, Carolyn, by his side, Chuck Sidebottom addresses the AAMI Board of Directors after receiving the AAMI Leadership and Achievement Award in June 2015.

With his wife, Carolyn, by his side, Chuck Sidebottom addresses the AAMI Board of Directors after receiving the AAMI Leadership and Achievement Award in June 2015.

The award, named in honor of the late U.S. secretary of commerce, salutes individuals who have demonstrated leadership in promoting the role of standardization in eliminating global barriers to trade, according to the American National Standards Institute.

Jennifer Padberg, AAMI senior vice president of the standards program and policy, called the honor for Sidebottom more than fitting. “As a newcomer to AAMI, I am so appreciative of the work of our incredible volunteers, and Chuck Sidebottom is an absolute star,” Padberg says. “Healthcare technology is safer and better because of Chuck’s commitment to excellence and his collaborative spirit in working with others to find solutions.”

Sidebottom’s impact in the standards world is considerable. At AAMI alone, he has served in several roles. He sat on the AAMI Board of Directors for more than a decade, part of that time as its chair. During that time, he presided over AAMI’s search for its second president and CEO.

His work has taken him from the trenches of detailed standards work to leadership posts, including service on the AAMI Committee on Standards Strategy. He is widely viewed as one of the foremost experts on the IEC 60601 series of standards for medical electrical equipment.

More recently, he served as editor for a special report from AAMI on post-market risk management, a paper that provided a framework for incorporating benefit-risk assessments into device correction and removal decisions.

Sidebottom is the founder and manager partner of PPO Standards, LLC. He started the consulting business after serving as director of corporate standards at Medtronic for almost 14 years.

In 2015, Sidebottom was honored with the AAMI Leadership and Achievement Award, bestowed by the Board of Directors. He was only the eighth recipient to receive that honor.

With the new Brown award, Sidebottom displayed his trademark modesty. “I am humbled by the recognition of my contribution to the medical technology standards community,” he says. “This honor represents more than 30 years of work to help bring to the global marketplaces safe and effective medical technology that benefits patients. Standards help the global marketplace function smoothly in a way that it could not without them.”