Medical Records Custodian Services
Protecting patient records and fulfilling your legal obligations — long after the last appointment.
When a medical practice closes, retires, or transitions, patient records don’t retire with it. Physicians are legally required to designate a custodian of medical records — an organization that will store, manage, and fulfill patient requests going forward.
GRM’s Medical Records Custodian Services give healthcare providers a fully managed, HIPAA-compliant solution to handle that responsibility end-to-end. From physical chart storage and EMR extraction to Release of Information management and certified destruction, GRM covers every step of the records lifecycle — so you don’t have to.
FULL-LIFECYCLE MEDICAL RECORDS MANAGEMENT
Secure Storage — Physical & Digital
Many closing practices maintain a mix of paper charts and electronic records across multiple systems. GRM handles both, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks during the transition.
Physical archiving: Climate-controlled offsite storage with barcode tracking and chain-of-custody documentation
Digital archiving: Scanning, digitization, and EMR extraction into a single organized archive
Permission-based access: Authorized-only retrieval with full audit trails via GRM’s eAccess platform
When your practice closes, patients don’t stop needing their records. Attorneys, insurers, and other authorized third parties don’t either. GRM’s dedicated ROI team and platform take over all incoming record requests the moment you transition custody — handling intake, verification, retrieval, and secure delivery on your behalf, so you have zero ongoing obligation and your patients have a reliable point of contact.
Patient data often lives across multiple EMR platforms, paper files, and legacy formats — each with different extraction requirements. GRM has deep experience migrating records from virtually any EMR environment, consolidating them into a compliant, indexed archive without data loss or disruption.
Retention requirements vary significantly by state, patient age, and record type. GRM tracks mandates across all 50 states and builds automated compliance schedules specific to your patient population — flagging records for destruction when their retention period is met, and enforcing policy without requiring your ongoing attention.
Years after your practice closes, records will begin reaching the end of their required retention period. GRM handles destruction automatically — flagging eligible records, executing secure disposal, and providing a Certificate of Destruction for every batch. You don’t need to stay involved or track timelines yourself. GRM closes the loop on the full records lifecycle, from the day you hand off custody to the day the last record is lawfully destroyed.
- Secure shredding of physical records
- Certified digital deletion with cryptographic verification
- Certificate of Destruction provided for every batch
Closing a Medical Practice? Here’s Where to Start.
GRM guides physicians and administrators from the moment a closure decision is made through patient notification, records transfer, and beyond.
Here’s what the records piece of that process looks like:
- Notify patients of closure and designate a Medical Records Custodian (30–90 days in advance, per state law)
- Complete a full inventory and indexing of all patient records — physical and digital
- Extract and export records from all active EMR systems
- Securely transport physical records to GRM’s storage facility
- Confirm retention schedules by patient type and state
- Establish a Custodian of Medical Records Agreement with GRM
- Set up patient-facing ROI request portal and contact information
- Schedule certified destruction for records that have met their retention period
Who Benefits:
Retiring Physicians
Close your practice without carrying ongoing records obligations for years. GRM takes full legal custodianship so you can move forward — completely.
Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities
When a facility closes, there's no one left to manage the records that remain. GRM steps in — inventorying, storing, and fulfilling requests on your behalf for the life of those records
Practice Administrators
GRM's experienced team guides administrators through every step of the records transition — from inventory and secure transport to patient notification and custodian setup — so nothing gets missed on the way out.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does a medical records custodian cost?
Costs vary based on record volume, the mix of physical versus digital records, your state’s retention requirements, and expected ROI request volume. GRM offers upfront, transparent pricing — contact us for a customized quote.
How long must records be kept after a practice closes?
Most states require adult patient records to be retained for a minimum of 7–10 years. Records for minors are often held until adulthood plus the standard period. Requirements vary by state — GRM manages these timelines automatically across your full inventory.
What happens to patient records when a doctor retires or a practice closes?
Providers are legally required to designate a custodian before closing. The custodian stores records, notifies patients of how to access their files, and fulfills future requests. GRM handles all of this on your behalf.
Can GRM extract records from our existing EMR system?
Yes. GRM has experience with a wide range of EMR platforms and handles extraction, migration, and archiving as part of the transition process.
Do you provide a certificate of destruction?
Yes — every destruction event includes a Certificate of Destruction for your compliance records.
Does GRM provide its own Release of Information (ROI) services?
Yes. When a practice closes and GRM takes custody of your records, our dedicated ROI team becomes the point of contact for all incoming record requests — from patients, attorneys, insurers, and authorized third parties. GRM’s ROI solution handles the full HIPAA-compliant request lifecycle: intake, identity verification, retrieval, and secure delivery, powered by GRM’s VisualVault platform. And our Zappix-powered mobile app gives requestors a self-service option or direct access to a live GRM agent.
CONTACT SALES
To speak with our Sales team call 888.907.9687 or complete the form below.
For Customer Service inquiries contact Customer Support