Sometimes an absence is unplanned, and may be short-term (sick day) or long-term (leave of absence). Office practices anticipate these unexpected events by having a contingency plan.

For example, for a sick day, the contingency plan may call for an immediate huddle with the staff to assess work-in options for those who cannot/prefer not to wait for their provider to return, followed by notification of patients to reschedule, using a script written for this purpose.

The unexpected long-term absence is less common and more complex, but still requires the team to plan ahead. Some teams are able to hire a temporary provider, but only because plans have been made in advance for funding and access to quickly do so.