CO · Healthcare shortage profile
Lake County, CO
Home to 7,436 residents, with 6 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 7,436
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lake County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Lake 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 Lake County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
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Closing Lake County's active designations would take about 4 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.1 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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Peak HPSA score 18.0 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.
Lake County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Lake County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 64. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 08065. Population: 7,436.
Single high-priority discipline
Lake County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active mental health designations to Lake County , with a peak score of 18.0. 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 mental health records.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Lake County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Lake County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| West Central Mental Health Catchment Area | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Lake County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| St Vincent Family Health Center And Urgent Care | primary_care | 15.0 |
| St Vincent Family Health Center And Urgent Care | dental | 15.0 |
| St Vincent Family Health Center And Urgent Care | mental_health | 9.0 |
| Lake County | dental | 9.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Lake County
Lake County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, 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; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Lake County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Lake County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Lake County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 64. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Acting on Lake County's high-priority mental health
Lake County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lake County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health 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.
Nearby mental-health score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Lake County's 18.0. Open Florence County, SC or Jasper County, MO next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Lake County have?
Lake County, CO has 6 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 2 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Lake County a Medically Underserved Area?
Lake County does not currently have a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designation from HRSA. However, the county may still have individual HPSA designations for specific provider types.
What does Lake County's HPSA score of 18.0 mean?
18.0 in mental health 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 Lake County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Lake 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.
Next read: The Mental-Health Provider Shortage · CO state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 08065. 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 08065 (Lake 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.