Medical and dental practice financing covers clinical equipment, build-outs and new locations, and the working capital needed while insurance claims are paid. Glenford Financial, a small-business funding broker in San Angelo, TX, helps Tom Green County practices compare equipment financing, term loans and working capital, and connects them with lending partners, which set rates and terms.
| Health care payroll | $529.6 million, the county's largest sector payroll (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Outpatient health care employers | 161 in Tom Green County (CBP 2023) |
| Dental offices | 40 employer establishments (CBP 2023) |
| Physician offices | 35 employer establishments (CBP 2023) |
| Funding to compare | Equipment loans or leases, term loans, working capital |
| Who decides | Lending partners, not Glenford Financial |
Health care in Tom Green County's economy
Health care and social assistance had the largest annual payroll of any sector in Tom Green County in 2023, $529.6 million, across 289 employer establishments employing 8,051 people (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). The outpatient side, where most independent practices sit, looks like this:
| Group | Establishments | Under 5 employees (share) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory health care services | 161 | 46.6% | 2,267 employees; $237.0 million annual payroll |
| Offices of dentists | 40 | 37.5% | 315 employees; $20.8 million annual payroll |
| Offices of physicians | 35 | 62.9% | Employee and payroll figures carry a high noise flag and are not shown |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Separately, 320 outpatient health care businesses in the county had no paid employees in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024), a different program and year. In ZIP 76903, which includes the office, 87 employer establishments were in health care and social assistance, and 47.1 percent of them had fewer than five employees (U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023).
Clinical equipment: imaging, chairs and sterilization
Healthcare equipment financing covers imaging systems, dental chairs and delivery units, sterilizers, lasers, exam tables and practice-management hardware. The equipment usually secures the financing, and the term should end before the technology is due for replacement. Leasing can make sense for equipment that changes quickly, such as digital imaging; buying suits equipment the practice will keep for its whole life. Chiropractic, physical therapy and optometry equipment is financed the same way. More on financing clinical and office equipment.
Build-outs, extra operatories and second sites
Dental office financing and medical clinic financing for a build-out, an extra operatory or a second location is usually a one-time project with a contractor's price, which points to a term loan. Partners will want the plans, the quotes, the lease and a view of how the added capacity pays for itself. Clinical equipment for the new space can be financed separately so each piece of funding matches its own useful life.
Cash flow while insurers pay
Practices pay staff every pay period, while a large share of revenue arrives later from insurers. When a payer slows down or a billing system changes, the gap widens quickly. Short-term working capital covers a one-time gap with a known end; a line of credit suits a gap that recurs. Either way, an accounts receivable report broken down by payer and age helps a partner see when the money will arrive.
New practices and added providers
A new practice has no collections history, so funding often leans on the equipment itself as collateral, on owner investment and, for some, on SBA-backed loans from SBA lenders. Adding a provider to an existing practice is easier to fund because history exists; partners will want to see how the new provider's production is expected to build. A written plan helps in both cases; see how to write a business plan for a loan application.
Comparing vendor financing with third-party offers
Equipment vendors often arrange their own financing. Compare it with a third-party offer on the total of all payments, not only the monthly figure, and check what happens to service contracts, software licenses and warranties if the equipment is upgraded or replaced before the financing ends.
Questions to ask before signing for clinical equipment
- What is the total of all payments, and is there a balloon or residual at the end?
- Does the financed amount include installation, training and software, or only the hardware?
- Is a service contract required, and does it continue if the financing is paid off early?
- What insurance does the partner require on the equipment, and who must be named on the policy?
- What happens to the financing if the practice is sold, merged or moved to a new location?
- Can the equipment be traded in or upgraded before the term ends, and on what terms?
Write the answers down and compare them across offers. Two quotes with the same monthly payment can differ a great deal once these points are added in.
What partners usually review, and Glenford Financial's part
- Recent business bank statements
- Collections or production reports, and accounts receivable by payer
- Equipment quotes, or build-out plans and contractor bids
- Business tax returns and existing debts
We help you match each need to a funding type and send the request to partners that fund practices. Local figures are on the San Angelo, TX page, and other sectors under funding by industry.
By Glenford Financial · Updated