The ITI realigns its strategy to position the organization for the future

At its recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chicago on April 28, the International Team for Implantology (ITI) announced important changes to its organizational structure.

The current professional and industry environment is characterized by change with corporate consolidations across the industry, the emergence of implant dentistry dental chains, the introduction of new treatment approaches as well as changes in the way practitioners meet the demands of continuing education. In order to define how the ITI should adapt to meet these changing needs and also redefine the scope of its focus, the ITI Board of Directors held a strategy meeting in December 2015. The resulting proposals were all met with approval by the General Assembly.

"I am extremely pleased with the trust demonstrated by the General Assembly", said ITI President David Cochran. "Strategically we are now better positioned for the future in terms of our focus as well as our ability to respond to change. We also have a leaner structure that can react with greater speed to events as they develop."

While maintaining a focus on education and research funding, along with the identification of gaps in implant dentistry research, the ITI Committees were restructured to enable a more strategic approach to their various tasks. The reorganization provides, among others, a greater focus on promoting and supporting leadership within the organization and the field as a whole as well as a basis for the implementation of the ITI's overarching strategy within its 27 national and regional Sections. As the ITI Study Clubs are now well established and run smoothly, the ITI Study Club Committee was dissolved and responsibility for Study Club matters passed on to the ITI Education Committee. In order to respond more flexibly on a project-by-project basis, the Board and the Committees will now be able to form Task Forces made up of individuals with specific expertise and also dissolve them as required. This is currently particularly important for projects run by the ITI Education Committee in connection with the new ITI curriculum that is in development at the moment.

ITI Honorary Fellowship for Professor Thomas D. Taylor

Since 1980 14 ITI Fellows have been distinguished with Honorary Fellowship of the ITI – the ITI's highest award that recognizes a Fellow's extraordinary contribution not only to the organization but also the field of implant dentistry as a whole. This year Thomas D. Taylor, Professor and Head of the Department of Reconstructive Services at the University of Connecticut, USA, was singled out for this honor in recognition of his many years of service to the ITI as well as his contribution to the field through voluntary work on behalf of patients as well as in leading positions in prosthodontic organizations. Thomas Taylor's professional life has been dictated by a passion for prosthodontics and also for teaching. With 27 years, he is the longest serving Departmental Chair in the US, was one of the first US members of the ITI, went on to become the first ITI President from the US and served on the Board of the ITI for more than 15 years. He has received many awards during his career and each recognizes his exceptional commitment to prosthodontics.

About the ITI

The International Team for Implantology (ITI) is an academic association that unites professionals around the world from every field of implant dentistry and related disciplines. It actively promotes networking and exchange among its membership of currently more than 16,000. ITI Fellows and Members regularly share their knowledge and expertise from research and clinical practice at meetings, courses and congresses with the objective of continuously improving treatment methods and outcomes to the benefit of their patients.

In 36 years, the ITI has built a reputation for scientific rigor combined with concern for the welfare of patients. The organization focuses on the development of well-documented treatment guidelines backed by extensive clinical testing and the compilation of long-term results. The ITI funds research as well as Scholarships for young clinicians, organizes congresses and continuing education events, and runs more than 600 Study Clubs around the globe. The organization also publishes reference books such as the ITI Treatment Guide series and operates the ITI Online Academy, a peer-reviewed, evidence-based e-learning platform with a unique user-centric approach.