CO · Healthcare shortage profile
Bent County, CO
Home to 5,650 residents, with 3 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 5,650
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 56.8
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bent 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
- Dental shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Bent County, CO on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-03. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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33.3% of Bent 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 Bent County's active designations would take about 6.6 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.9 primary care, 2.9 mental health, 0.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 22.0 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bent County carries 3 active designations, above 20% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Bent County falls in the lower half of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 39 of 64. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 08011. Population: 5,650.
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 Bent County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bent County | dental | 22.0 |
| Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area | mental_health | 21.0 |
| LI-Bent/Crowley/Otero | primary_care | 18.0 |
Light-burden reading for Bent County
Dental care carries Bent County's deepest shortage reading, 22.0 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 18.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Bent 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.
Bent County falls in the lower half of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 39 of 64. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Bent County, CO · 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 Bent County's designations
Bent County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Bent County's 3 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 CO before you draw conclusions from a single score. CO 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bent County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Bent County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 56.8. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Bent County have?
Bent County, CO 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 Bent County's HPSA score of 22.0 mean?
22.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
Next read: Dental Shortage in America · CO state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 08011. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →
Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 08011 (Bent County, CO) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-03.