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Dana J. Robinson
310.709.4152
dana @ danajrobinson.com
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Writing Samples - IMED Link

HealthNet Brings Saudi Doctors Medical Information Online
IMED Link Becomes a Sponsored Participant in I2
IMED Link Now Connected to Internet2
HealthNet Brings Saudi Doctors Medical Information Online
A Comprehensive Approach to the Global Nursing Crisis
TeleMed '02 from Research to Service Delivery


HealthNet Brings Saudi Doctors Medical Information Online
For Release July 1, 2001


An Internet health site has been developed within the kingdom that will allow physicians and other health professionals to access, at one location, up-to-the-minute medical news, e-mail, a job database and MedLine, a powerful medical search engine provided by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

HealthNet, a specialized medical portal sponsored by MeduNet, the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Medical & Educational Telecommunications Program in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia makes technological services and online information readily available in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. This portal can be accessed on the web at http://www.health.net.sa/.

The Sultan Foundation is providing more than 8000 doctors in Saudi Arabia with dial-up Internet access and e-mail capabilities. This access allows medical providers to use HealthNet to find current health information and utilize its various functions. Among these tools are the JobFinder database, daily articles from Reuters Health News service, centralized links to medical associations, information about events and conferences and telemedicine information.

Through the technology of MeduNet, physicians in Saudi Arabia have access to the expertise of leading medical consultants around the world via telemedical techniques. It connects remote, under-served areas with specialists and resources from regional or global medical centers. This allows doctors in Saudi Arabia to have real-time medical consultations with doctors anywhere in the world.

Future expansion of HealthNet will bring doctors an extensive drug database, CME (continuing medical education) information, preparatory test information, a PDA (personal digital assistant) version, specialized content areas focusing on specific medical fields and community areas. The communities will provide communication tools, such as chat rooms, message boards, expert columnists and a medical library.


IMED Link Becomes a Sponsored Participant in I2
For Release September 1, 2001


IMED Link, sponsored by George Mason University, a member of the Abilene CoU, became a conditionally approved member of the Internet2 network consortium today pending final approval of the policy allowing "qualified for-profit" organizations to be sponsored by a member. The policy has already been approved by the Network Planning and Policy Advisory Council (NPPAC) and is waiting for final approval by the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development's (UCAID) Board of Directors in October.

Internet2, led by over 180 U.S. universities working in partnership with industry and government, is developing and deploying advanced network applications and technologies, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet.

IMED Link's strategic partnership with George Mason University for development of educational tools was specifically designed to extend the advances in nursing education applications into the Middle East. Through the I2 University Consortium, IMED Link will be able to consult with other institutions striving to develop the next generation of educational tools.

The International Medical and Data Link Corporation was established as a U.S. based company to manage and operate the satellite connection to Saudi Arabia for the purpose of bringing medical education and telemedical services to the Kingdom. IMED Link operates a native ATM network, and is establishing connectivity between the major medical institutions in Saudi Arabia.

Located in Bethesda, MD, IMED Link is a provider of both broadband and baseband communications. IMED Link provides solutions for Telemedicine, Distance Learning, Internet Access, and integrates technologies such as fiber optics, satellite services (including VSAT), digital microwave, radio, and wireless closed loop solutions for "last mile" access.



IMED Link Now Connected to Internet2
For Release September 24 , 2001


IMED Link is now connected to Internet2, a high-speed network of over 180 U.S. universities and government research institutions designed to develop advanced Internet technology and applications for high-end academic experimenting and research.

Through its affiliation with George Mason University, IMED Link is the first "qualified for profit" organization to be sponsored by a member. Through this connection, IMED Link can offer clients instant access to advanced telemedicine and distance learning applications.

Colleges and universities will use I2 to explore areas of instruction, research, and public service, such as learningware (software designed for classroom and distance learning), digital libraries and virtual laboratories. Universities will be able to take advantage of higher bandwidth capabilities, multicasting and guaranteed delivery and performance of the system.

Through I2, IMED Link will be able to enhance its services by employing many of I2's most promising applications, including tele-immersion, distance learning, virtual laboratories and digital libraries coupled to sophisticated databases.

For example, at the University of Illinois, Chicago, researchers have constructed a tele- immersive environment to teach medical students anatomy. Two virtual reality drafting tables are networked together providing an environment where teacher and students share a high quality three-dimensional anatomical model, and are able to converse, see each other, and to point in three dimensions to indicate areas of interest.

At the University of North Carolina, geographically dispersed students can attend lectures via streaming audio, video and a virtual "white board."

Or, scientists at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have created a powerful new technology for viewing the brain at work. Using high-speed networks to link an MRI scanner with a supercomputer, they've made it possible to convert scan data almost instantaneously into an animated 3-D image showing what parts of the brain "light up" during mental activity

IMED Link's strategic partnership with George Mason University for development of educational tools was specifically designed to extend the advances in nursing education applications into the Middle East, and to extend telemedicine services throughout the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through the I2 University Consortium, IMED Link will be able to consult with other institutions striving to develop the next generation of educational tools.

The International Medical and Data Link Corporation was established as a U.S.- based company to manage and operate the satellite connection to Saudi Arabia for the purpose of bringing medical education and telemedical services to the Kingdom. IMED Link operates a native ATM network, and is establishing connectivity between the major medical institutions in Saudi Arabia.

Located in Bethesda, MD, IMED Link is a provider of both broadband and baseband communications. IMED Link provides solutions for Telemedicine, Distance Learning, Internet Access, and integrates technologies such as fiber optics, satellite services (including VSAT), digital microwave, radio and wireless closed loop solutions for "last mile" access.



HealthNet Brings Saudi Doctors Medical Information Online
For Release November 28, 2001


Through the generosity of the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation and its program MeduNet a Internet health site has been developed within the Kingdom that allows physicians and other health professionals to access, at one location, up-to-the-minute medical news, e-mail, a job database and medical literature. This portal can be accessed on the Internet at http://www.health.net.sa/.

Since the launch of HealthNet six months ago, more than 10,000 physicians in the Kingdom have access to the customized tools and resources. The site features MedLine, a medical database from the National Institutes of Health, which is hosted on servers at MeduNet. MeduNet has developed a powerful search engine allowing users to quickly and efficiently search the databases for the most recent articles and information. Registered users can even save their entire search histories, providing a way to run the same search again in the future.

Other useful HealthNet features include:
  • Timely medical news stories from Reuters Medical News
  • Weekly news features highlighting new medical developments
  • JobFinder database of career opportunities, such as, job openings at the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City
  • Specialty areas with vital links to medical journals, associations and other information
  • Access to MDConsult, a rich source of medical information for physicians
  • Access to hundreds of CME (Continuing Medical Information) classes
  • Medical Dictionary and Drug Database
  • Personal E-Mail accounts

Future development of HealthNet will provide the ability to link doctors together through interactive chats, message boards and ultimately, real-time "grand rounds" where medical issues are discussed and viewed with videoconferencing over the Internet. By allowing physicians in Saudi Arabia to talk live with other professionals around the globe, HealthNet will significantly contribute to the goal of improving health care in the Kingdom.

HealthNet is a tool that provides expanded access to medical education and resources throughout the Kingdom. Over the next few months, HealthNet will continue to grow rapidly as more content, tools and features are added – all created with the Saudi medical professional in mind.



A Comprehensive Approach to the Global Nursing Crisis
For release November 28, 2001


Countries around the world are facing a dire shortage of nurses. Research concerning trends and current remedies estimate the shortage will only get worse for the next 20 years, with a shortage in the US alone of nearly one-half million nursing vacancies. Saudi Arabia is no exception, of the estimated 61,214 nurses in the Kingdom (1416H), 83 percent or 51,114 are foreign.

Due to the generosity of the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation and its program MeduNet, a one-of-a-kind online RN to BSN degree program is being introduced in Saudi Arabia as one approach to address the problems caused by the critical nursing shortage.

The courses are led by professors of nursing at George Mason University through the use of video and teleconferencing techniques coupled with online computer classes and Internet tools. Adjunct faculty members will help guide the students in the classroom in Saudi Arabia. And with on-going innovations related to distance learning, students are provided with a wealth of information and learning tools, such as:
  • English to Arabic glossaries
  • Study guides and tools
  • Sample exams and quizzes
  • Interactive course activities

The new wave of e-learning meets and often surpasses the typical expectations of the standard classroom learning environments. The instructor involvement, structure of the classes, and the cutting edge technology all contribute to providing the Saudi nursing students with classes identical in content and accreditation to classes they would receive if attending on a typical college campus, without the added stress of leaving their homes and families.

This educational opportunity has several goals. First, to provide Saudi nurses with advanced BSN degrees, which provides career advancements, better salaries and further educational opportunities. Second, to recruit Saudi citizens into the nursing field and providing them with the education necessary for the job. And finally, to decrease the percentage of foreign nurses in the country and producing a lasting investment in the health and well-being of the people of Saudi Arabia.



TeleMed '02 from Research to Service Delivery
For Release January 30, 2002


Dr. Rita M. Carty, Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Science at George Mason University and Dr. Jerold J. Principato, M.D., President and CEO, IMED Link, were selected to present at the Ninth International Conference on Telemedicine and Telecare, "TeleMed '02, from Research to Service Delivery", held in London on January 29-30, 2002.

The Telemedicine & e-Health Forum of the Royal Society of Medicine organized the Conference to promote academic excellence in the field of telemedicine and telecare. Presenters are chosen based upon their innovation and contribution to the field.

Their topic, Technical Innovations And Realities of International e-Nursing, focused on possible solutions to the global shortage of nurses. George Mason University and IMED Link have formed a strategic partnership to deliver a technologically innovative, culturally adapted online nursing education.

Through the innovative use of technology, the format meets and often surpasses the typical expectation of the standard classroom environment. The instructor involvement, structure of the classes, and the cutting edge technology all contribute to providing students with classes identical in content and accreditation to classes they would receive if attending a typical college campus, without the added stress of leaving their homes and families.

The project clearly demonstrated that both nursing content and web-based technological expertise is necessary to successfully offer an e-nursing program. Cultural adaptation of the content and specialized teaching techniques were instituted to maximize the effectiveness of the training.

The global nursing shortage is of such magnitude and immense consequence to the world population that it will undoubtedly require multiple solutions. Viewed in conjunction with the changing role of the nurse in the new medical paradigm, the development and the deployment of e-nursing programs throughout the world will make a major contribution in addressing this critical matter. IMED Link and George Mason University, College of Nursing and Health Science are joining together to ensure cutting edge and innovative tools are available.

The interactivity of the GMU Nursing classes was demonstrated by providing an online segment of the e-nursing program.