Summitreach Capital, a small-business funding broker in Jacksonville, North Carolina, helps Onslow County medical, dental and chiropractic practices compare equipment financing for clinical systems, term loans for build-outs and lines of credit for the wait on insurance payments. Health care had the county's largest payroll in 2023. Lending partners decide and set rates and terms.
| Health care payroll | $312.3 million, largest sector payroll in Onslow County, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Ambulatory care employers | 211 establishments (CBP 2023) |
| Physicians' and dentists' offices | 61 and 35 establishments |
| Usual fits | Equipment financing, term loans, line of credit |
| Decision and pricing | The lending partner, not Summitreach Capital |
| Office | 614 Court St, Jacksonville, NC 28540 · (910) 348-5386 |
Health care in Onslow County's economy
Health care and social assistance had the largest payroll of any sector in Onslow County in 2023, about $312.3 million across 304 employer establishments and 6,270 paid employees (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023).
| Group | Employer establishments | Under 5 employees | Paid employees | Annual payroll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory health care services | 211 | 96 | 2,375 | $142.7 million |
| Offices of physicians | 61 | 27 | 870 | $55.4 million |
| Offices of dentists | 35 | 6 | 453 | $27.6 million |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Ambulatory care includes physicians, dentists, chiropractors, therapists and other outpatient providers. Another 449 ambulatory health care businesses, including 80 physicians' offices, operated without paid employees in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Dental offices in the county are seldom very small: only 6 of the 35 had fewer than five employees.
Medical and healthcare equipment financing
Clinical equipment is specialized, expensive and tied to how the practice earns revenue. Typical requests include exam and procedure tables, diagnostic and imaging systems, lasers, chiropractic tables, sterilization equipment and practice management or electronic records systems. Medical device financing works like other equipment financing: a loan, lease or equipment finance agreement, usually with the equipment as collateral.
Because some clinical equipment has a narrow resale market, partners often look closely at the practice's revenue and at how long the equipment will stay current. Ask whether software, installation and training can be included, and match the term to the equipment's realistic working life. Equipment loans and leases are explained side by side.
Dental office and clinic financing
Dental practices usually finance chairs and delivery units, imaging, sterilization and lab equipment, and the build-out of new operatories. Adding an operatory combines construction, plumbing, electrical work and equipment, so it is often handled as a term loan for the build-out plus equipment financing for the chair and imaging. Get the contractor's estimate and the equipment quotes before you ask for anything, so the request matches the real cost.
Working capital while claims are paid
A practice delivers care first and is paid later, often after insurers process claims, while payroll and supplies are due on their own schedule. A line of credit can bridge that gap: draw when payroll lands, clear the draw as reimbursements arrive. If the gap comes from a one-time event, such as onboarding a new provider whose billing has not started, a working capital loan sized to that gap may fit better.
Opening, expanding or relocating a practice
A new location, a relocation or a significant expansion has a known cost and pays off over years, which makes it a term loan question. Partners usually ask for the practice's tax returns and financial statements, the build-out estimate, the equipment list and any lease for the new space. A practice that is brand new has fewer options than an established one, because there is no revenue history yet.
Buying into or taking over an existing practice is different again: the partner will look at the practice's past revenue and patient base as well as the buyer's own finances and experience. Whatever the route, a written plan showing when the new location or provider starts producing revenue makes the request easier to review.
Comparing offers for clinical equipment
- Compare the total cost, not the monthly payment, across a loan, a lease and an EFA.
- On a lease, read the end-of-term option: a nominal buyout behaves like a purchase; a fair-market-value option may mean returning or buying the equipment at a price set later.
- Ask what happens if the equipment becomes outdated before the term ends.
- Check whether service contracts or software subscriptions are bundled into the payment.
What partners review, and how Summitreach Capital helps
Expect requests for bank statements, tax returns or financial statements, equipment quotes, and details of the practice's existing debt. We help you separate the equipment, build-out and cash-flow parts of a request and take each to partners that fund medical and dental practices.
Owners who want free, independent planning help can contact the NC SBTDC; the Onslow County help directory lists how. Other sectors are on the sector overview, and county data is on the local business page.
By Summitreach Capital · Updated