The Ultimate Medical Practice Holiday Checklist (Updated for 2025)

9 tips to prepare your health clinic for the holiday season

This time of year tends to be busy, and your team and clients may be celebrating throughout the season. It’s important to prepare in advance, so you remember to acknowledge the practice’s achievements over the year, mark important milestones, and get yourself and your team ready for a well-deserved break.

Practices that kick off the new year right tend to start early to keep operations streamlined and consistent. A simple business continuity plan for healthcare strengthens the clinic’s ability to manage staff leave, client demand, and unexpected disruptions.

1. Set a holiday policy for your practice

There’s no quicker way to put a damper over the holiday season than a lack of planning and communication. If you make space to think ahead and put a health clinic holiday policy in place, you can boost morale and end the year on a high, rather than dealing with team frustration.

The holiday policy should cover:

• Which holidays the practice will close for? This should be based on the makeup of your client base, your preferences and those of your employees. There should also be an explanation for why those holidays have been chosen and if accommodation can be made for employees whose religious or cultural holidays are not observed by the practice. If your practice offers floating holidays, be sure to include that information in your holiday policy and in your Practice Operations Manual.
• Any changes to health clinic holiday pay? This includes the pay employees will receive if they work on a holiday (for example, double time and time off on another day).
• What happens when holidays fall on a non-work day? Will the practice close the day before or after, and will holidays be observed if they fall on a weekend?
• Whether the practice will close early before a holiday. Some practices choose to close at midday the day before so staff can enjoy an afternoon off.
• How additional leave requests will be handled. Employees may want to take additional days, so it’s essential to address how leave requests will be handled, how many staff can be off at any one time, and to communicate this well in advance.
• Plan leave early: Require all team members to submit holiday leave requests at least 6–8 weeks beforehand. Use Zanda scheduling to adjust practitioner availability and confirm on-call rotations in your Practice Hive team chat for seamless coverage. While reviewing schedules, take a moment to review and plan availability, session fees, and practitioner performance.

Review and refresh your holiday policy each year, then share the updated holiday calendar with your staff.

2. Patient care continuity

Even with reduced hours or staff leave, clients may still rely on your clinic for ongoing support. A thoughtful plan helps maintain care standards without disruption.

These steps form the foundation of a strong business continuity plan for client care during the holidays:

• Advance appointments: Encourage clients to book routine check-ups or request prescription refills ahead of the holidays. Send your client portal link with a friendly reminder to book early.
• Telehealth availability: Consider offering limited telehealth appointments for non-urgent cases. It’s a simple way to stay connected with clients while keeping your team’s workload manageable.
• Automate appointment reminders and online booking: Reduce no-shows and scheduling confusion by setting up text or email reminders.
• Emergency protocols: Post clear instructions for urgent care, local ERs, and after-hours hotlines on your website, voicemail, and practice door.

3. Decide on (and communicate!) your opening hours

As December rolls around, team members may want to take leave to spend time with their families. Meet with your employees to coordinate who is taking leave and when, and update your schedule accordingly. Then, decide on your opening hours for the period, factoring in your team’s availability.

Some businesses choose to close between mid-December and the New Year to give employees a good break, which coincides with a quieter period as many clients spend time with their families too. Look back at your bookings from previous years to determine when you’re likely to be busy, so you can encourage staff to take their leave during quiet periods. (Tip: You can use Zanda Reports & Analytics to review last year’s booking trends and plan accordingly.)

When you have a clear idea of your holiday hours, you need to let your clients and referrers know. Communicating holiday hours should be a top priority of the season! Inform contacts a month in advance of holiday hours and provide a protocol for emergency situations.

Use all communication methods at your disposal, including:

• Social media
• Email and SMS
• In-office signage

Remember to update office hours on your practice’s:

• Website
• Voicemail
• Electronic Health Record (EHR) scheduling system
• Online client portal
• Google Business Profile and other online profiles
• Facebook page

Remember to review your emergency and on-call procedures before finalizing your communications. Add these details to your out-of-office messages so patients can easily find urgent-care options when you’re away. Make sure patients know how to reach any on-call staff during closures and that your team understands the handover process.

4. Send festive greetings to your clients (and include a special offer!)

Anytime from mid-November onwards, get in touch with clients to wish them a happy holiday season and thank them for their support. As you reach out, take a moment to update client information so your records are accurate going into the new year.

It’s also an opportunity to share your updated opening hours for December and January, and to remind them to book an appointment before any closures. Use a text message or email template to send a personalized greeting.

To stand out from all the other emails sent around this time of year, and if it’s right for your practice, consider including a special offer along with your wishes. The holidays can often be an expensive, stressful time. This could be a good time to offer a discount on your services or, if you sell retail products, share last-minute gift ideas your clients could buy for themselves or others.

5. Build on referrer relationships

The end of the year is also a great time to identify your top referrers and thank your referring partners. The only downside is everyone thinks they’re standing out by sending a card and a gift like chocolates or wine. While this is definitely better than nothing, it’s an opportunity wasted.

This year, be imaginative and show you really appreciate the partnerships you’ve built with a memorable gift or gesture without appearing forced, as if you’re ‘just going through the motions.’ (Could you gift an experience, a framed print you know they’d appreciate, or something else unique?)

You won’t necessarily want to do this for all your referral partners, but if you check your recent referrals report in Zanda, you can see how many clients have been sent by each referrer. Simply set the date range (usually the last 12 months) and sort by the ‘Billed Column’, then think of ways to thank those who have helped your practice this year.

It’s a way to build your relationships and ultimately grow your clinic. By showing real thought and appreciation, you’ll be more likely to be at the forefront of their minds when they’re referring clients in the new year. Strong communication with referrers keeps those connections active well beyond the holidays.

Note: Gifting guidelines can vary by location. Check with your professional association if you have questions about gifting.

6. Share the love with your community

The end of the year is a perfect time to give back to your community. It’s an opportunity to dive headfirst into the spirit of giving, spread some much-needed holiday cheer, and market your practice at the same time.

This could be a volunteer outing for your team at a non-profit group in the area, a toy or food drive you host at the practice, or even free educational sessions for the community. As a skilled health professional, you can share your expertise either via a webinar or through an interview with your local radio station and, at the same time, spread awareness about your practice.

7. Plan a party

With the practicalities out of the way, it’s time to put some fun back into the festive season. A party helps to end the year on a high note, so don’t forget to plan your team’s end-of-year function. It’s an opportunity to highlight the individuals who make up your team and thank them for their contributions.

And if you work by yourself, don’t think this doesn’t apply to you! Be proactive and arrange an end-of-year meet-up with other practitioners in the same position. It’s been a long year, and you’ve accomplished so much; it’s important to mark these achievements with a celebration.

Here are our top tips for making your end-of-year celebration a success:

• Plan and book it early so you can choose your ideal time, date and location. If you’ve missed the boat, you can be more original and celebrate the start of the year with a party in January!
• View it as a team bonding opportunity. It’s a chance to reward your team for all the hard work they’ve put in, and can also be the perfect time to re-energize them to tackle the new year with you.
• Decide whether it’s for team members only or if partners are invited. This will depend on the type of team you have and its size. Both options have pros and cons, but including partners can go a long way in building employee loyalty.
• Think about employee gifts. They should communicate thoughtfulness, appreciation, and, if possible, also be useful. A good option is a gift card, but personalize it by buying each employee a gift card from their favorite store.
• Make the food and drink selection clear if necessary. This might mean allocating a budget per head or limiting how many drinks can be ordered.
• On a tight budget? There are still many things you can do, such as a catered brunch at the office or an end-of-year celebration over breakfast rather than in the evening.

8. Bring some holiday cheer to the practice

Don’t forget to get creative. Getting into the holiday spirit doesn’t need to cost a lot of money, and your whole team can get involved in the fun.

Some office celebration ideas include:

• Add decorations to the reception area, waiting room, and even your practice rooms. Get the whole team involved with arranging the displays.
• Prepare a small gift for your clients–something to make them smile. This might mean a bonbon, a decoration they can use in their own celebrations, or an indigenous seedling to give away as a thank-you for their support.
• Think about adding some edible treats for clients and staff. Home-baked cookies, candy bars, or chocolates can all help set the mood.
• Plan a festive tea or other events where clients are invited to pop in on a certain date to enjoy some merriment before your offices close.

9. Get your business in order

There’s something rewarding about finishing the year with everything in place. Once your books, files, and team plans are wrapped up, the whole practice can head into the holidays with a clear mind and a clean slate.

Consider the following to-do list as you wrap up the year:

• Finalize financials: Check that outstanding invoices are paid, expenses are logged, and payroll is complete before you close for the holidays.
• Billing and claims: Submit claims and invoices before public holidays to avoid delays. Use Zanda invoicing automations to stay on top of billing.
• Back up important data: Save patient data and critical systems as part of your healthcare business continuity checklist, so essential records remain accessible in case of emergencies or outages.
• Security: Check alarm systems and lock procedures before closures to safeguard your premises and information.
• Update business tools: Refresh your templates, email signatures, and scheduling settings as needed, so everything is current for the year ahead.
• Compliance check: Confirm the operations manual reflects your actual workflows, and review compliance and practices to keep policies aligned with current standards.
• Streamline operations: Archive old files, clear your inbox, and declutter your workspace for a clean start in January.
• Cross-training: Ensure staff can cover essential roles (front desk, billing, urgent triage). Zanda Academy is a great resource to train your team members on the Zanda essentials.
• On-call rotas: Establish an on-call schedule for urgent needs (practitioners, nurses, admin support). Communicate it via your Zanda Practice Hive team chat and upload the schedule to your Practice Operations Manual for easy reference.
• Temporary support: Consider locum/agency staff to cover peak days. Set a Zanda user profile with detailed permissions for temp staff login and stay in control of what they can access.
• Plan for January: Schedule time for team meetings, strategy sessions, or performance reviews early to kick off the year smoothly. During this process, review and set new practice benchmarks.
• Finally, assess your year-end results. Use Zanda reports to track performance goals and create measurable milestones for 2025.

When planning, keep in mind you may have a diverse client base and staff members who observe a range of special occasions. This is an exciting opportunity to celebrate together. By preparing early, communicating clearly, and celebrating your team’s efforts, you’ll enter the new year organized, motivated, and ready for new opportunities.

If you know a practice owner who needs some inspiration for the last few weeks of the year, we’d love for you to share this with them!