A letter (see forms) should be sent to the physician or clinic of each employee who has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or is under a physician's care.

The letter should explain the program and should include the employee's relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope and the form for the physican to complete and return. Follow-up with the physician should be repeated every 6 months until it is determined that the employee is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is important for three reasons:

• The doctors receive employees' health measurements taken at the worksite.



• You receive the blood pressure and cholesterol readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes. Many times the employee does not have this information or does not remember it. The information can be used when counseling the employee.



• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.