Slatemont Capital Group, a small-business funding broker in Bismarck, North Dakota, connects medical and dental practices with lending partners for equipment financing, term loans and working capital. Burleigh County had 256 ambulatory health care employer establishments in 2023, including 52 dental and 34 physician offices. Partners decide on each request and set every rate and term.
| Ambulatory health care employers | 256 outpatient employers in Burleigh County, ND (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Offices of dentists | 52 dental offices with 548 on payroll (CBP 2023) |
| Offices of physicians | 34 physician offices with 1,179 on payroll (CBP 2023) |
| Payroll in health care and social assistance | $669.2 million, the county's largest (CBP 2023) |
| Owner-only ambulatory practices | 347 (NES 2024) |
| Decision | The lending partner's alone |
Burleigh County, ND clinics and dental offices in Census tables
| Group (NAICS) | Employers | Paid employees | Annual payroll | Under 5 employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory health care (621) | 256 | 3,916 | $323.1 million | 47.7% |
| Offices of physicians (6211) | 34 | 1,179 | $136.2 million | 35.3% |
| Offices of dentists (6212) | 52 | 548 | $47.1 million | 26.9% |
Health care and social assistance as a whole paid $669.2 million in 2023, the largest payroll of any sector in the county. Dental offices averaged about 11 paid employees each and physician offices about 35, so the offices with staff are mostly established employers rather than one-person operations.
Another 347 ambulatory health care businesses had no paid employees in 2024, including 53 physician and 5 dental practices (Nonemployer Statistics 2024, a separate count).
What practices usually finance
- Dental chairs, delivery units, imaging and sterilization equipment
- Diagnostic and exam equipment for physician offices
- Practice management and imaging software
- Fit-out of a leased clinic or a move to a larger space
- A buy-in to an existing practice
- Payroll and supplies while insurance claims are paid
Equipment: own it or lease it
Equipment that changes quickly, such as imaging and diagnostic gear, often suits a fair market value lease that can be upgraded at the end. Chairs, cabinetry and sterilization units that last for years usually suit a loan or a $1 buyout. Equipment financing explains each structure, and our post on financing medical equipment for a Bismarck, ND practice goes through a purchase step by step.
Fit-outs and new space
A clinic fit-out bundles plumbing, cabinetry, electrical work and equipment into one project. A term loan can cover the whole job in one agreement, where equipment financing covers only the machines. Partners usually ask for the contractor's bid, the lease and a projection of patient volume in the new space.
Physician and dental practice buy-ins
A buy-in is usually financed with a term loan to the buying clinician. Partners typically review the practice's financial statements, the buy-in agreement, any valuation, and the buyer's personal finances and credit. Have your own advisor review the agreement before you sign either document.
Cash while claims are paid
Practices pay staff and suppliers before insurers and patients pay them. When a gap has a known size and end date, working capital financing covers it; when gaps repeat, a line of credit is usually cheaper over time.
A practice's file, as a partner reads it
- Business tax returns and recent financial statements
- Production and collections reports
- Bank statements and existing debts
- Quotes for equipment, with make and model
- The clinician-owner's credit, and often a personal guarantee
Next steps for a Burleigh County, ND practice
The Bismarck, ND page sets health care in the context of the whole county, and the industries hub covers the other sectors partners finance.
By Slatemont Capital Group · Updated
