• Home
• About
the Chapter
• 
Board
of Directors
• Coding
Information
• CHF
Support Group
• Job
Board
• Legislative
• Meetings
& Events
• News
& Publications
• On-Line
Resources
• Sponsorship
CHF Support Group
Kit
Sample Letter to Referring Primary Care Physician
Return to "Printer's Files" Page
(to be printed on your letterhead)
Date
Primary Care Physician Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Primary Care Physician Name:
I am writing to let you know that I have recently formed a support group for congestive heart failure patients. I would like to invite you to share this information with your CHF patients who may truly benefit from the experience. My support group facilitator will be (insert name of facilitator), and the group will meet as follows: (insert site, date, time).
I’m sure you will agree that there is a need to underscore the importance of medical management and prevention of heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, 58,800,000 Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, and nearly 5 million of those are living with congestive heart failure. CHF claims the lives of upwards of 250,000 patients per year. There are over 850,000 hospitalizations per year for CHF alone, and it is the single most frequent cause of hospitalization in people 65 and older. The cost of hospitalization for CHF patients is $22 billion per year including direct costs (the cost of physicians and other professionals, hospital and nursing home services, the cost of medications, home health and other medical durables) and indirect costs (lost productivity resulting from morbidity and mortality). Patient education is a cornerstone of CHF management, and it is well documented that the support of others contributes to longevity and well being. I believe that this CHF support group project, through dynamic patient education and support, will help to reduce costs and contribute to patient satisfaction.
Please mention this CHF Support Group opportunity to your patients as they visit you, or leave a pamphlet in your waiting room to let them know more. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (insert phone number). Thank you.
Sincerely,
Cardiologist’s Name
Title