STRUCTURE

Structure

Iron Disorders Institute (IDI) is a national agency with corporate headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina. Corporate includes the administrative staff, payroll records, tax and financial records, by-laws and governance policies, minutes of board meetings, historic records, operations policies and procedures, supplies and educational materials. All programs and services are initiated and directed from corporate although regional directors and coordinators may carry out activities.

Iron Disorders Institute (IDI) has three boards:   A Board of Directors, a Medical & Scientific Advisory Board and an Institutional Review Board.

Board of Directors

Institutional Review Board

Board of Directors: governing board
Directors provide leadership and serve as the governing body of the organization. Members are selected for their business experience, commitment to advocacy and the mission of IDI, and for their position in the community. The board of directors meets twice a year; whereas the executive committee members meet more frequently by web-cast or conference call. The Board of Directors established policy, evaluates the performance of the executive director and the status of the organization. The board votes on measures that assure compliance with Iron Disorders Institute’s mission and ongoing financial stability.

Medical & Scientific Advisory Board (M&SAB): medical and scientific oversight
Comprised of experts in iron metabolism, genetics, laboratory sciences, all body systems or disciplines, the M&SAB members assure medical and scientific accuracy and relevance of IDI’s product content (publications).Collectively, the members make policy position statements, serve as expert presenters at medical seminars or in response to media requests. These board members represent all of the body systems: digestive/metabolic; heart, lung, blood, brain, endocrine, musculo-skeletal, skin and immune system.

Institutional Review Board: protects human subjects
These individuals review any research project of Iron Disorders Institute; they assure that research participants are not harmed by the research methods or practices.

Volunteers: all board members serve on a volunteer basis. In addition to their service many men and women throughout the USA volunteer their time. These regional and local volunteers help to raise awareness in their community. They distribute IDI literature, promote the organization and provide emotional support for other patients. They also serve on regional or national conference committees, help to organize and participate in fund raising activities and campaigns.

Iron Disorders Institute Logo

The IDI logo symbolizes all things associated with iron balance in health. The logo is comprised of two triangles, one red and the other one black, representing iron balance. Each triangle contains a sphere or iron atom with the letters Fe, the symbol for iron on the periodic table of the elements. One transferrin molecule can only hold and transport two atoms of iron to ferritin, where iron is stored or contained. The triangles and iron atoms are separated by a diagonal slash; viewed together, this represents a percentage sign. The IDI logo represents iron balance, serum ferritin (SF) and Transferrin Saturation Percentage (TS%).

Iron Disorders Institute Mascot “C.R. Hume”

The cartoon character C. R. Hume is a ferret who is featured on promotional materials used to raise awareness about the importance of iron balance through his message to “Keep your ferritin in range” by periodically checking iron levels. His name is a play on words; when said rapidly, “C. R. Hume” is meant to sound like the word “serum,” and since he is a ferret, he represents serum ferritin.