AR · Healthcare shortage profile
Pulaski County, AR
Home to 399,125 residents, with 5 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 399,125
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 50.4
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pulaski 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
- Dental shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pulaski 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.
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40% of Pulaski County's 5 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 5).
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Closing Pulaski County's active designations would take about 50 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 15 primary care, 0.7 mental health, 34 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.
Pulaski 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
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. Pulaski 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: 05119. Population: 399,125.
Single high-priority discipline
Pulaski County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active dental care designations to Pulaski County , with a peak score of 17.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the dental care records.
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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Pulaski County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Pulaski County | dental | 17.0 |
| LI - Pulaski County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| CF Wrightsville Unit | mental_health | 6.0 |
| CF Wrightsville Unit | primary_care | 3.0 |
| CF Wrightsville Unit | dental | 3.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Pulaski County
Dental care carries Pulaski County's deepest shortage reading, 17.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, 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; Mental health reads 6.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 50.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Pulaski 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 (2/1/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Pulaski 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.
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Pulaski County's active designations: a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Pulaski County's high-priority dental care
Pulaski County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Pulaski County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of AR before drawing conclusions from a single score. AR 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Pulaski County's 17.0. Open Garland County, AR or Rogers County, OK next.
Showing 3 of 2746 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Pulaski County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (5 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (16.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pulaski County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Pulaski County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 50.4. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Pulaski County have?
Pulaski County, AR has 5 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 2 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Pulaski County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?
17.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
What healthcare providers are needed in Pulaski County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Pulaski County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers), and dental care (dentists, dental hygienists). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 05119. 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.