The person who knows where everything is, who set up the firewall, who holds the domain registration and why the printer in the east wing needs a special setting, is leaving. Often it is a single office manager, a part-time technician or a trusted employee who "just handles the computers." The notice may be two weeks. If the knowledge lives only in that person's head, you are about to lose it.
A good handover does not require a perfect documentation project. It requires gathering the information a successor will need on day one and the first month, and making sure the organization, not an individual, controls every critical account.
Before anything else, confirm that the organization owns the keys. Check each of these and move any personal ownership to company-owned, role-based accounts:
Domain registration and DNS hosting.
Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administrator accounts.
Internet service accounts and circuit information.
Firewall, router and Wi-Fi administrator logins.
Backup console and recovery keys.
Software and vendor portals, including EHR administrator access.
Credit card or billing relationships tied to subscriptions.
Password manager ownership and recovery.
Make sure at least two trusted people can recover each critical account. Departing staff should not be the only holder of a recovery code or a multi-factor device.
Computers, laptops, tablets and phones, with assigned users.
Servers, network switches, firewalls and access points.
Printers, copiers and scanners.
Specialty devices, such as door controls, cameras, nurse call and phone systems.
Warranty and end-of-support dates.
A simple diagram showing the internet connection, firewall, switches, Wi-Fi networks and where servers or critical equipment sit. Include IP address ranges and which networks serve staff, residents, guests and devices.
Who has administrator rights, and why.
How new accounts are created and removed.
Shared mailboxes and distribution lists.
Multi-factor authentication setup and exceptions.
Service accounts used by systems rather than people.
List major applications, vendors, license counts, renewal dates and who owns each relationship. Note support phone numbers and contract terms.
What is backed up, where and how often.
How to check that backups are working.
When a restore was last tested.
Where recovery keys are stored.
The downtime plan for the EHR and other critical systems.
Antivirus and endpoint protection details.
Patching schedule.
The latest HIPAA security risk analysis and open action items.
Security awareness training records.
Incident response plan and contacts.
Names, phone numbers and account numbers for the internet provider, phone vendor, EHR support, copier company, cabling contractor and any managed service provider. Include escalation paths.
This is the most valuable and least documented section. Capture recurring issues, workarounds, scheduled tasks, odd settings, half-finished projects and things the departing person worries about.
Schedule time early. Block several hours per week for knowledge transfer.
Use a template. The headings above can form a simple document or shared folder.
Walk through, do not just write. Have the successor shadow routine tasks, such as onboarding a user or checking backups.
Record short videos of procedures, where useful.
Test access. Have the new administrator sign in to each critical system before the old one leaves.
Review together. Ask the departing person, "If you were out for a month, what would worry you?"
Remove the departing person's access the same day they leave, including admin rights, VPN, email forwarding and vendor portals.
Rotate shared passwords and keys they knew.
Update documentation as you learn, and set a quarterly reminder to review it.
Tell vendors about the new contact.
If you cannot hire quickly, a managed service provider can step in as a stopgap or a long-term solution. UnityCare IT helps healthcare and senior-living organizations in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas take over environments, document what exists and fill gaps in coverage. Even a short assessment can give you a reliable inventory and a plan.
An outsourced IT department with proactive maintenance and one number to call.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172