Katherine Heigl takes time off

While we already know that the unhappy Katherine Heigl was essentially forced to remain as a cast member of Grey's Anatomy, this story points out that she is taking an extended leave from the show and will not be featured in five episodes starting around mid-November. All this so she can spend time doing what she really wants to do, which is focus on her movie career. I'm sure the writers will make it work, but I still don't understand why she has not yet just been killed off the show.