Fieldhill Loans helps medical and dental practices in Columbus, IN and Bartholomew County, IN request equipment financing for imaging and operatories, term loans for build-outs, buy-ins and second offices, and working capital for insurer payment gaps. Partners review collections, payer mix and the equipment quote, then decide. Practice owners compare any offers before signing.
| Physician offices with employees, Bartholomew County, IN | 60 employer establishments, CBP 2023 |
|---|---|
| Offices of dentists | 34 employer establishments, CBP 2023 |
| Physician offices under 5 employees | 35.0%, CBP 2023 |
How medical and dental practices use funding
Much of a practice's revenue can arrive after the visit: claims go to insurers, patient balances follow, and payment can take weeks. Meanwhile wages, rent and supplies are due on schedule. On top of that sit large one-time costs: imaging, chairs, sterilization equipment, software and build-outs.
In short: equipment financing for equipment, term loans for build-outs, buy-ins and second offices, and working capital or a line of credit for the gap between treatment and collection.
Doctors' and dentists' offices across Bartholomew County, IN
County Business Patterns counted 60 offices of physicians (NAICS 6211) and 34 offices of dentists (NAICS 6212) with employees in Bartholomew County, IN in 2023. The physician offices reported 860 paid employees and about $95.7 million in annual payroll; the dental offices reported 311 employees and about $19.2 million. Of the physician offices, 35.0% had fewer than five employees; of the dental offices, 20.6%.
ZIP 47201 held 40 of the physician offices and 19 of the dental offices (ZIP Business Patterns 2023). No-payroll practices are counted separately: Nonemployer Statistics found 43 physician and 4 dentist businesses with no payroll in the county in 2024, a different program and year from the employer counts.
For context, ambulatory health care as a whole had 185 employer establishments in the county in 2023, and the wider health care and social assistance sector had 266.
Where the cash goes in a practice
Supplies and consumables
Dental practices carry impression materials, implants and lab bills; medical offices carry vaccines, testing supplies and disposables. These costs recur through the year.
Payroll
Assistants, hygienists, nurses and front-desk employees are paid on a fixed schedule regardless of when claims settle. That timing gap can make a profitable practice look short of cash on paper.
Equipment
Digital imaging, CBCT units, dental chairs and delivery systems, exam tables, autoclaves and practice software are the big-ticket items. Healthcare equipment financing spreads them over their useful life.
Payment delays
Claim denials and resubmissions can stretch the gap further. Partners read your collections pattern, not just billed amounts.
Matching practice needs to funding types
| Need | Where Fieldhill would start |
|---|---|
| Imaging unit, chairs or operatory equipment | Equipment financing |
| Build-out of a new or second office | Term loan |
| Buying into a practice or buying out a partner | Term loan |
| Payroll while insurer claims are outstanding | Working capital |
| Recurring collection gaps | Line of credit |
How to finance a dental practice purchase or a partner buy-in
Business loans for a dental practice purchase rest on the practice's collections history: the seller's production and collections reports, tax returns, the patient base and the lease. Partners may compare the purchase price with what the practice has actually collected rather than what it billed. A buy-in to an existing partnership is reviewed the same way, with the partnership agreement added.
Dental practice financing options for a start-up office are narrower and are not targeted on this site, because startup funding before a business has revenue is outside what Fieldhill arranges.
Medical clinic financing and second offices
A second clinic location combines a build-out, equipment and a ramp-up period while new patients book. Splitting the request into those parts lets each have its own schedule. Before signing a lease, check zoning and building-permit requirements with the city; the Columbus, Indiana permits checklist lists the questions.
Collections, aging and quotes: a practice's file for partners
- Production and collections reports for recent periods.
- Accounts receivable aging, by payer.
- Business tax returns and a current profit and loss.
- Equipment quotes, or the purchase or partnership agreement.
- The office lease and its remaining term.
A labeled example, not an offer
Hypothetical figures only: a three-chair dental office adds a fourth operatory. The chair, delivery unit, light and cabinetry are quoted at $58,000, with $9,000 of plumbing and electrical work. Equipment financing covers the operatory equipment on a schedule matched to its life; the trades work either joins the equipment financing, if the partner allows soft costs, or goes on a short term loan. The real figures come only from a partner.
Practice software, IT and smaller equipment
Practice management software, digital charting, intraoral scanners, sterilization upgrades and network hardware can be easy to underestimate when budgeting, and together they can add up. Some partners will finance them as part of an equipment package if they are on the same quote; on their own they may be harder to finance, because software has little resale value.
If a vendor offers its own payment plan for software, compare the total cost with a broader equipment package before signing, and check how long the subscription runs after the equipment is paid off.
Related practices and pages
Chiropractors, physical therapists and optometrists have smaller offices and a different payer mix; see chiropractic, therapy and optometry funding. All sectors are on the industries page, and county counts on the Columbus, IN page.
By Fieldhill Loans · Updated
