CO · Healthcare shortage profile
Cheyenne County, CO
Designation volume is the standout signal for Cheyenne County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 1,748.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 1,748
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 61.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cheyenne County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Cheyenne County, CO 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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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.
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Closing Cheyenne County's active designations would take about 3.4 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.5 primary care, 2.6 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Cheyenne County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Cheyenne County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Cheyenne County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Cheyenne County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
9 Top 25% higher than 75% 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. Cheyenne County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 64. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 08017. Population: 1,748.
Single high-priority discipline
Cheyenne County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active dental care designations to Cheyenne 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
Peak severity 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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Cheyenne County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Kit Carson Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Kit Carson Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Prairie View Rural Health Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Prairie View Rural Health Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Kit Carson Clinic | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Centennial Mental Health Catchment Area | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Prairie View Rural Health Clinic | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Cheyenne County | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Cheyenne County | dental | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Cheyenne County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Cheyenne County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Dental care carries Cheyenne 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 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 14.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Cheyenne County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 17.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Cheyenne County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 64. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Cheyenne County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Cheyenne County's active designations: about 3.4 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Cheyenne County's high-priority dental care
Cheyenne County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Cheyenne 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 CO before drawing conclusions from a single score. CO 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.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Cheyenne County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Bossier County, LA and Woodbury County, IA.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Cheyenne County (9 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 9 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Cheyenne County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Cheyenne County carries an MUA designation (index 61.8; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Cheyenne County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "KIT CARSON CLINIC" (score 17.0; dental; 5,172 people in the service area; designated 11/05/2024). Also active: "KIT CARSON CLINIC", "PRAIRIE VIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC", "PRAIRIE VIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Cheyenne County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Cheyenne County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 3.4 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "KIT CARSON CLINIC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Cheyenne County's designation volume?
- 9 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Cheyenne County's volume compare inside CO?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Cheyenne County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 64. Score-nearest counties on this release include Bossier County, LA and Woodbury County, IA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 08017. 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 08017 (Cheyenne County, CO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 17.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.