AL · Healthcare shortage profile
Lamar County, AL
Home to 13,972 residents, with 3 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 13,972
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 58.2
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lamar County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 3
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Lamar County, AL on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-15. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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33.3% of Lamar County's 3 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).
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Closing Lamar County's active designations would take about 6.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.3 primary care, 3.8 mental health, 0.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 17.0 clears HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Scores at or above 17 on the 0–25/26 scales open NHSC placement priority for the matching provider type; eligibility still follows the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
Lamar County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
3 Top 80% higher than 20% of 3,289 real US counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more real US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs · 2026
State peer position. Lamar County falls in the upper half of AL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 29 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 01075. Population: 13,972.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Lamar County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI Mhca-4 | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Lamar County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI - Lamar County | dental | 12.0 |
Light-burden reading for Lamar County
Lamar County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 12.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Lamar County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.
Lamar County falls in the upper half of AL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 29 of 67. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lamar County's active designations: a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Lamar County's high-priority mental health
Lamar County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lamar County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of AL before drawing conclusions from a single score. AL overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. HPSA score lookup
HPSA scores describe shortage severity within HRSA's designation criteria, not the availability of any individual provider. For a specific appointment, contact a provider or your insurer; use HRSA's current tools to verify a designation.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Lamar County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (3 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (16.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lamar County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Lamar County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 58.2. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Lamar County have?
Lamar County, AL has 3 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 1 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 1 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Lamar County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?
17.0 in mental health clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 01075. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) , BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_DH.csv (dental) — download the normalized export on our open data page. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.