Closing or selling a practice comes with a long list of decisions. One of the most important is what happens to your patients’ medical records. You’re still responsible for them after your last day. They have to stay secure, available to patients and kept for as long as the law and good practice require.

This checklist covers four steps to take before you retire.

Medical Records Management Checklist

1. Create a record retention plan
2. Decide who will take custody of your records
3. Set up a process for patient access and requests
4. Notify patients and offer transfer options

1. Create a Record Retention Plan

Whether you’re retiring, selling your practice or relocating, start with a written plan for medical records. It should cover:

• How long each type of record will be kept
• Where the records will be kept
• Who is responsible for them
• How they’ll be destroyed when the retention period ends

HIPAA requires you to protect patient information for as long as you keep it. It doesn’t set a retention period for medical records, though. That comes from state law and licensing boards, and it varies from state to state.

How long do doctors need to keep medical records in North Carolina?

North Carolina has no statute that sets a retention period for private physician practices. Licensed facilities have their own rules. Hospitals must keep adult records for 11 years after discharge, and minors’ records until the patient turns 30.

The North Carolina Medical Board says physicians have a legal and ethical obligation to keep records. It tells them to put patients’ present and future healthcare needs first when deciding how long. Many practices follow the hospital timeline as a conservative benchmark. Talk with your attorney or malpractice carrier before you set your schedule.

When the retention period ends, destroy records in a HIPAA-compliant way. That applies to both paper and electronic records.

2. Decide Who Will Take Custody of Your Records

Before you close, decide who will hold your records after you leave. Common choices:

• The practice taking over your patients. If you’re selling your practice or referring patients to a colleague, the new practice can take custody of the records.
• A designated records custodian. This could be a colleague, an attorney or a company that specializes in custodial services. It takes responsibility for storing the records and handling patient requests for the rest of the retention period.

Whoever you choose, put it in writing. The NC Medical Board says physicians shouldn’t hand control of patient records to a third party without an enforceable agreement. That agreement has to protect confidentiality and guarantee that both you and your patients can get to the records. It should also cover who pays storage and request fees, and what happens to the records when the retention period ends.

3. Set Up a Process for Patient Access and Requests

You’re still obligated to make records available after you retire. Patients will need copies for new providers, insurance claims and legal matters. Your plan should spell out:

• How former patients can request their records
• Who will process those requests and how quickly
• How identity will be verified before records are released
• What fees, if any, will be charged under state law

Confirm that whoever takes custody of your records is prepared to handle these requests on time. Tell patients about the process before your practice closes.

4. Notify Patients and Offer Transfer Options

Give patients enough notice to find new care. The NC Medical Board expects at least 30 days. It suggests notifying active patients you’ve seen in the past one to two years. Common ways to reach them:

• Letters or emails to active patients
• Notices posted in your office and on your website
• Phone, text or patient portal messages

Every notice should explain:

• How to get a copy of their records
• How to have records sent to a new provider
• Who will hold the records after you close, and how to reach them

How Record Storage Systems Can Help

Record Storage Systems works with healthcare organizations in the Charlotte area that are still operating. That includes the practice taking over a retiring physician’s patients. We offer:

• Secure offsite storage in a HIPAA-compliant facility
• Document scanning and indexing to bring incoming charts into your system
• Certified document shredding for records past their retention period, with a certificate of destruction

If your practice is taking on records from a retiring colleague, or merging or consolidating locations, contact us to talk through your records plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to patient records when a doctor retires?

The retiring physician is still responsible for keeping records secure and available to patients for the required retention period. Most physicians either transfer records to the practice taking over their patients or appoint a records custodian under a written agreement. Patients should be told who holds their records and how to request copies.

How long must a physician keep medical records after retirement?

It depends on the state. Some states set specific timeframes. Others, including North Carolina, leave it to the physician’s judgment for private practices. Records for minors are usually kept longer. Before closing your practice, check your state’s laws and medical board guidance, and talk with your attorney or malpractice carrier.

How much notice should I give patients before closing my practice?

In North Carolina, the Medical Board expects at least 30 days’ notice so patients can arrange other care. Other states and payer contracts may require more, so check the rules that apply to you.