CO · Healthcare shortage profile
Elbert County, CO
Peak severity leads this reading: Elbert County's highest active HPSA score is 16.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 26,062.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 26,062
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 58.8
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Elbert 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
- 2
- Primary-care shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Elbert 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.
-
Closing Elbert County's active designations would take about 8.3 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.7 primary care, 2.6 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
66.7% of Elbert County's 3 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 3).
-
Peak HPSA score 16.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Elbert County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
14 Census ZCTAs intersect Elbert County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
6 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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Elbert County carries 3 active designations, above 20% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Elbert 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: 08039. Population: 26,062.
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 Elbert County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Limon/Hugo/Simla | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Western Elbert | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Centennial Mental Health Catchment Area | mental_health | 13.0 |
Light-burden reading for Elbert County
Peak severity leads this reading: Elbert County's highest active HPSA score is 16.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Elbert County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 16.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Mental health reads 13.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Elbert 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.
Elbert 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.
Light-volume FTE gap for Elbert County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Elbert County's active designations: about 8.3 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Counties near Elbert County's primary score of 16.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 16.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Limon/Hugo/Simla”).
Cumberland County, ME
16.0 primary score · 303,069 pop.
Deschutes County, OR
16.0 primary score · 198,253 pop.
Charles County, MD
16.0 primary score · 166,617 pop.
Oswego County, NY
16.0 primary score · 117,525 pop.
Highlands County, FL
16.0 primary score · 101,235 pop.
Santa Clara County, CA
16.0 primary score · 1,936,259 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Elbert County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Elbert County carries an MUA designation (index 58.8; 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 Elbert County's peak score of 16.0?
- "LI - Limon/Hugo/Simla" leads the active set (score 16.0; primary care; 1,141 people in the service area; ~0.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/21/2006). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Elbert County's severity reading?
- After "LI - Limon/Hugo/Simla", the next active names on this release are "LI - Limon/Hugo/Simla", "Western Elbert" and "Centennial Mental Health Catchment Area". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~8.3 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 08039. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 08039 (Elbert County, CO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 16.0; signature peak score 16.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.