Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

AR · Healthcare shortage profile

Monroe County, AR

Peak severity leads this reading: Monroe County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 6,799.

Active HPSAs
5
Population
6,799
Peak shortage score
21.0
MUA Index
46.0

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Monroe County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

5
Active HPSA designations
2
Mental-health shortages
21
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 53%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Monroe County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Monroe County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

4 additional ZCTAs intersect this county in the crosswalk (ordered by land share).

Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Monroe County, AR 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 21.0 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.

  2. Closing Monroe County's active designations would take about 4.7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.1 primary care, 4.6 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 40% of Monroe County's 5 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 5).

Monroe County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

5 Top 53% higher than 47% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Monroe County falls in the upper half of AR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 37 of 75. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 05095. Population: 6,799.

2
Mental Health HPSAs
1
Dental HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 46.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 14.0
Mental Health 21.0
Dental 20.0

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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Monroe County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Mid-Delta Health Systems Inc mental_health 21.0
Mid-Delta Health Systems Inc dental 20.0
Helena Mhca mental_health 16.0
Mid-Delta Health Systems Inc primary_care 14.0
Monroe County primary_care 9.0

Moderate-burden reading for Monroe County

Peak severity leads this reading: Monroe County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Monroe County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 21.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 20.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 46.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Monroe County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Monroe County falls in the upper half of AR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 37 of 75. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Monroe County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Monroe County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Monroe County's active designations: about 4.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Monroe County, AR · 2026 HRSA designation data updated quarterly; HPSA scores 0-25 (primary/mental) and 0-26 (dental); higher = greater shortage severity. Coverage tiers from U.S. Census ACS PUMS + KFF state tracker.

Acting on Monroe County's designations

Monroe County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Monroe County's 5 active designations make providers here eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
  • See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of AR before you draw conclusions from a single score. AR overview
  • Check whether an area clears HRSA's 3,500:1 population-to-provider threshold with the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score. 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.

Nearby mental-health score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Monroe County's 21.0. Open Winnebago County, IL or King County, WA next.

Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Counties near Monroe County's mental score of 21.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 21.0 (severity lead on this page is “MID-DELTA HEALTH SYSTEMS INC”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Monroe County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Monroe County carries an MUA designation (index 46.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
Which record sets Monroe County's peak score of 21.0?
"MID-DELTA HEALTH SYSTEMS INC" leads the active set (score 21.0; mental health; 8,018 people in the service area; designated 07/21/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Monroe County's severity reading?
After "MID-DELTA HEALTH SYSTEMS INC", the next active names on this release are "MID-DELTA HEALTH SYSTEMS INC", "MID-DELTA HEALTH SYSTEMS INC", "Helena MHCA" and "MID-DELTA HEALTH SYSTEMS INC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Monroe County's high-severity geography?
Monroe County's 5 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "MID-DELTA HEALTH SYSTEMS INC".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 05095. 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.

HRSA Data Warehouse HPSA + MUA/P records for FIPS 05095 (Monroe County, AR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 21.0; signature peak score 21.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.