Intensive Care Online Network (ICON), in connection with Drager Medical, Inc. and the Berger/URS JV, joins the effort to rebuild hospitals in Iraq. The purchase of ventilators for the reconstruction project provides hospitals with ICON's support and solutions, directed at modernizing ICU care delivery. These services meet the needs of clinicians and healthcare providers, increasing their effectiveness in the critical care environment.

In March of 2004, the government awarded The Louis Berger Group, Inc./ URS Corp. Joint Venture a $10.8 million contract for the restoration of Iraq's Buildings/ Education/ Health sector. In an effort to actualize the improvement of Iraqi hospitals, the Berger/ URS JV purchased 110 ventilators from Drager Medical in August 2004. With this purchase, Berger/ USR JV secured ICON's products and services for hospitals receiving ventilators, as determined by the Iraqi Ministry of Health. ICON's services, which include: the Critical Care Resource Center, on-line education, remote ICU monitoring and program development, are vital for quality patient care.

ICON recently sent a package to Iraq, welcoming and engaging hospitals which acquired the new ventilators. The welcome package included brochures explaining ICON's services and contact information for the 24x7 Critical Care Resource Center. The package also contained Evita Series Respiratory Care Modules (ESRCM) to assist clinicians in the use of the Drager Evita Series ventilators. The ESRCM is developed by ICON clinicians to provide an overview of the ventilators and their features for safe and effective use. Because communication technology is limited in Iraqi hospitals, ICON faces the challenge of generating innovative ways of supplying their services. Kathy Harrington, Project Manager for the Berger/ URS JV, informed ICON, "Most facilities cannot call toll-free to the US and there might be one or two hospitals in the entire country that would have some type of internet service, but not any high speed yet." While this presents an obstacle, ICON remains dedicated to providing clinician support to the Iraqi Reconstruction Program.