Practices borrow for three main reasons: clinical equipment such as imaging, space such as build-outs and added operatories, and cash for payroll while insurers pay claims. Ivyview Lenders, a small-business funding broker in Greenville, North Carolina, introduces Pitt County physician, dental and other health practices to lending partners for equipment financing, term loans and working capital; partners decide and set terms.
| Typical needs | Imaging, dental chairs, sterilization, IT, build-outs, payroll |
|---|---|
| Options discussed | Equipment financing, term loans, working capital, lines of credit |
| Pitt County practices | 123 physician offices and 42 dentist offices with paid employees in 2023 (Census CBP 2023) |
| Not covered here | Patient financing, or buying an existing practice |
| Who decides | The lending partner, not Ivyview Lenders |
| Office | 623 S Pitt St #24, Greenville, NC 27834 · (252) 318-3595 |
Health care in Pitt County's economy
No sector in Pitt County paid more in wages in 2023 than health care and social assistance: $1.07 billion across 518 employer establishments (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). Independent practices are one part of that.
| Practice type | Employer establishments | Paid employees |
|---|---|---|
| Offices of physicians | 123 | 2,694 |
| Offices of dentists | 42 | 442 |
| Offices of other health practitioners | 78 | 902 |
| Outpatient care centers | 36 | 638 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Solo practitioners appear separately: in 2024 the county had 141 physician offices, 27 dentist offices and 311 offices of other health practitioners with no paid employees (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024).
Physician offices are more concentrated here than nationally, with a 2025 employment location quotient of 1.42; dentist offices were close to the national level, at 0.93 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 2025). Those ratios describe concentration, not the reasons for it.
Imaging, chairs and clinical equipment
Equipment financing covers most clinical purchases: digital imaging, dental chairs and delivery units, intraoral scanners, sterilizers, exam tables, lab equipment and the computers and servers behind practice software. The equipment usually secures the financing.
Technology that will be outdated in a few years may suit a lease with an upgrade path; equipment that stays in service much longer may suit a loan or equipment finance agreement that ends in ownership. Ask how the agreement handles service contracts and software licenses, which are sometimes bundled and sometimes not.
Build-outs, added operatories and new locations
Finishing a suite, adding operatories or exam rooms, or opening a second location is usually term loan work. Leasehold improvements stay with the building, so they make weak collateral; partners rely more on the practice's cash flow and often on the owners' guarantees.
Two things reduce what you need to borrow: a tenant improvement allowance negotiated with the landlord, and phasing the build-out so some rooms produce revenue before the rest are finished. Partners will ask for the lease, contractor bids and a production forecast for the new space.
Working capital while claims are processed
Revenue from insurers arrives on the payer's timetable, not the practice's. Adding a provider, changing billing systems or a backlog of denied claims can leave payroll and rent due before collections catch up. Working capital financing or a line of credit can bridge that gap.
Partners will look at accounts receivable by age and by payer. A clean aging report, with denials worked and a clear trend in collections, is the strongest evidence you can bring.
Starting a practice or adding a provider
A new practice has no collections history, so partners weigh the owners' credentials, credit, cash invested and a realistic ramp-up plan. Adding a provider raises a similar question in miniature: salary starts before that provider's production does, and the financing should cover the ramp, not just the equipment. Credentialing with insurers can take time as well, so build that wait into the plan before you size the request.
Comparing offers for clinical equipment
Two offers with similar payments can be very different deals. Check each one for:
- the sum of every payment over the full term, and any added charges;
- the end-of-term options, including any buyout price;
- whether service contracts, installation, training and software licenses are included or billed separately;
- whether you can upgrade before the term ends, and on what terms;
- the insurance the agreement requires you to carry on the equipment.
What partners usually review
- production and collections reports, and accounts receivable aging by payer;
- business tax returns and current financial statements;
- equipment quotes, or the lease and bids for a build-out;
- existing equipment financing, leases and lines of credit;
- credit history for the practice and, often, the owners;
- professional license information, which partners may verify with the licensing board.
Free local help, and how Ivyview Lenders fits
The NC SBTDC office at East Carolina University, at 300 East First Street in Greenville, (252) 737-1385, is a University of North Carolina System advisory service that lists help to access sources of capital and financing; it works by appointment. The Pitt Community College Small Business Center offers free resources and guidance for Pitt County businesses. Ivyview Lenders is not affiliated with either.
Ivyview Lenders connects you with lending partners; partners make credit decisions and set rates and terms. Tell us whether the need is equipment, space or the claims gap, and we will take the request to partners that fund practices. Call (252) 318-3595 or start online.
By Ivyview Lenders · Updated