Subsequent Events	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events Resignation of President and Chief Executive Officer and Director On April 17, 2020, Stuart Paul resigned as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and as a member of the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) effective immediately. As a result of Mr. Paul’s resignation and the previously disclosed decision by Lisa Colleran not to stand for reelection at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), the size of the Board will be reduced to five directors effective as of the Annual Meeting. As a result of Mr. Paul’s resignation, certain time-based, all performance-based and all market-based stock awards previously granted to Mr. Paul will be forfeited. Such forfeitures will be reflected in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. The estimated expense reduction in stock compensation expense related to the forfeited stock awards is approximately $2.4 million. Appointment of President and Chief Executive Officer On April 17, 2020, the Board appointed Russell H. Ellison, M.D., M.Sc. as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Dr. Ellison has served as a member of the Board since January 2020. He will continue to serve as a Class III Director but has resigned as a member of the Compensation Committee. On April 17, 2020, in connection with Dr. Ellison’s commencement of employment, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Ellison pursuant to which he will serve as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (the “Employment Agreement”). The Employment Agreement provides that Dr. Ellison will serve as an at-will employee. Dr. Ellison will receive an annualized base salary of $500,000 (“Base Salary”) and is eligible for a one-time performance-based bonus of $500,000 upon the achievement of certain performance goals, as set forth in the Employment Agreement. Dr. Ellison will be eligible to earn year-end performance bonuses with a target bonus opportunity of 70% of his Base Salary (“Target Bonus”) and is eligible to participate in the employee benefit plans and programs generally available to the Company’s similarly situated senior executives. Dr. Ellison is also eligible to receive annual long-term incentive grants consistent with similar practices for the Company’s senior executives, awarded at the discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board. In connection with his commencement of employment, he received an initial equity grant comprised of a time-based option to purchase up to 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Initial Time-Based Options”) and a performance-based option to purchase up to 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Initial Performance-Based Options”). The Initial Performance-Based Options are conditioned upon and subject to stockholder approval of an Amendment and Restatement of the Rockwell Medical, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan, which will be voted upon by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. In the event that such stockholder approval is not obtained, the Initial Performance-Based Options will be forfeited and of no further force or effect.

Subsequent Events

Resignation of President and Chief Executive Officer and Director

On April 17, 2020, Stuart Paul resigned as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and as a member of the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) effective immediately. As a result of Mr. Paul’s resignation and the previously disclosed decision by Lisa Colleran not to stand for reelection at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), the size of the Board will be reduced to five directors effective as of the Annual Meeting.

As a result of Mr. Paul’s resignation, certain time-based, all performance-based and all market-based stock awards previously granted to Mr. Paul will be forfeited. Such forfeitures will be reflected in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. The estimated expense reduction in stock compensation expense related to the forfeited stock awards is approximately $2.4 million.

Appointment of President and Chief Executive Officer

On April 17, 2020, the Board appointed Russell H. Ellison, M.D., M.Sc. as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Dr. Ellison has served as a member of the Board since January 2020. He will continue to serve as a Class III Director but has resigned as a member of the Compensation Committee.

On April 17, 2020, in connection with Dr. Ellison’s commencement of employment, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Ellison pursuant to which he will serve as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (the “Employment Agreement”). The Employment Agreement provides that Dr. Ellison will serve as an at-will employee. Dr. Ellison will receive an annualized base salary of $500,000 (“Base Salary”) and is eligible for a one-time performance-based bonus of $500,000 upon the achievement of certain performance goals, as set forth in the Employment Agreement. Dr. Ellison will be eligible to earn year-end performance bonuses with a target bonus opportunity of 70% of his Base Salary (“Target Bonus”) and is eligible to participate in the employee benefit plans and programs generally available to the Company’s similarly situated senior executives. Dr. Ellison is also eligible to receive annual long-term incentive grants consistent with similar practices for the Company’s senior executives, awarded at the discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board. In connection with his commencement of employment, he received an initial equity grant comprised of a time-based option to purchase up to 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Initial Time-Based Options”) and a performance-based option to purchase up to 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Initial Performance-Based Options”). The Initial Performance-Based Options are conditioned upon and subject to stockholder approval of an Amendment and Restatement of the Rockwell Medical, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan, which will be voted upon by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting. In the event that such stockholder approval is not obtained, the Initial Performance-Based Options will be forfeited and of no further force or effect.