i needed my records right after college and i was able to get them even though my pediatrician closed. they had a custodian of records (presumably some other peds office i guess) where you could call and ask for them. i didn't know that at the time and had to contact my elementary, middle, high and college to get what records they had and then i found out i could get them from the peds office.

since then i'm a stickler for making sure each new doctor has the previous doctor's information to get records from. then you only have to remember one at a time. so now i'm at doctor Q and if i move i just have to tell dr R where to find my records. then just occasionally ask a doctor to give you a copy of the records to verify it's all been passed correctly.

you never know when something will happen and you'll need to be able to give someone a full accounting of history