Know what to do the moment your EHR goes down

A free Word template that walks your practice through a downtime plan: who to call, how to keep seeing patients on paper, and exactly who is responsible for the fix.

A free Word EHR downtime contingency plan template. Build a call tree, paper fallback steps, and a clear vendor-versus-IT responsibility matrix in an afternoon.

1 call tree
so no one wonders who to phone
Paper fallback
steps to keep seeing patients
$0
free, no strings, yours to keep

What you'll get

A practical, ready-to-use resource you fill in with your own numbers and keep. No expiring trial, no strings.

EHR/System Downtime Contingency Plan Template
editable Word template, yours to keep
Preview

What the downtime plan template does

The worst time to figure out your downtime plan is during downtime. When the EHR is frozen and the waiting room is filling up, your team needs to act, not improvise. Most small practices know this, but writing the plan keeps sliding to the bottom of the list because it is hard to know where to start.

This template gives you the structure. You fill in your systems, your vendors, and your staff, and you end up with a plan your front desk can actually follow when the screen goes dark. It covers the first phone calls, how to keep seeing patients on paper, and how to catch up your records once everything is back.

Fillable, not theoretical

Bracketed placeholders for your systems, vendors, and staff. Fill it in once and you have a real plan, not a binder of generic advice.

A clear downtime call tree

Roles and a calling order so that when the EHR freezes, your front desk knows who to reach first and what to say.

Vendor versus IT, settled

A responsibility matrix that ends the finger-pointing: who owns the EHR application, who owns the network, and who you actually call.

Built with HIPAA in mind

Includes a note on the HIPAA contingency-plan requirement and a drill log, so your plan is documented and tested, not just written once and forgotten.

What is inside the template

  • A downtime roles and call tree section, with a clear calling order
  • Paper and manual fallback procedures for scheduling, charting, and prescriptions during an outage
  • An EHR-vendor versus IT-provider responsibility matrix, so you know who owns what
  • A data catch-up checklist for re-entering information after systems are restored
  • A short note on the HIPAA contingency-plan requirement and why this counts toward it
  • A test and drill log to record when you last practiced the plan

A plan you have tested beats a perfect plan you have not

The value of a downtime plan is in the practice run. Walk your team through it once a year, note what was confusing, and update it. If you want help running a tabletop drill or sorting out the vendor-versus-IT lines, we are happy to help.

Not sure who actually fixes your EHR?

The single biggest source of downtime confusion is not knowing whether the software vendor or your IT company owns the problem. Our article on who fixes your EHR when it is down untangles that, and our industry IT hub covers how we support healthcare and other specialized practices.

How it works

1

Tell us where to send it

Fill in the short form. Just enough so we know who we're helping and can tailor any follow-up, only if you want it.

2

Check your inbox

We email your copy right away, and the download is yours to keep. No expiring trial, no login.

3

Put it to work

Use it on your own, or ask us for a second set of eyes. No pressure either way.

We do not sell your information

You get the file and an email copy for later. That is it. No third-party sharing, ever.

Real local humans built this

Vicinity is a genuinely local IT provider with people in Alaska and Hawaii who support real healthcare practices.

A working tool, not legal advice

The template helps you plan and document. It is a starting point, not a substitute for professional advice.