FL · Healthcare shortage profile
Columbia County, FL
Designation volume is the standout signal for Columbia County: 16 active HPSA records, above 92% of real US counties. Population 69,698.
- Active HPSAs
- 16
- Population
- 69,698
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- 60.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Columbia County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 16 active HPSA designations, more than 92% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 16
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Mental-health shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 8%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Columbia County, FL 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 21.0 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 Columbia County's active designations would take about 22 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.5 primary care, 12 mental health, 6.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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37.5% of Columbia County's 16 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 16).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Columbia County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Columbia County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
3 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.
Columbia County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
16 Top 8% higher than 92% 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. Columbia County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 12023. Population: 69,698.
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 16 active (designated) HPSAs in Columbia County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| CF-Lake City Correctional Facility | mental_health | 21.0 |
| CF-Columbia Correctional Institution/Annex | mental_health | 21.0 |
| LI-Columbia County | dental | 18.0 |
| Grace Pediatrics PL | dental | 18.0 |
| Grace Pediatrics PL | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Lutheran Service Mhca - Circuit 3 | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Children's Medical Center | dental | 17.0 |
| North Florida Pediatrics PA | dental | 16.0 |
| Children's Medical Center | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Children's Medical Center | mental_health | 15.0 |
| North Florida Pediatrics PA | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Grace Pediatrics PL | mental_health | 14.0 |
| North Florida Pediatrics PA | mental_health | 13.0 |
| LI - Columbia County | primary_care | 11.0 |
| CF-Columbia Correctional Institution/Annex | primary_care | 3.0 |
| CF-Columbia Correctional Institution/Annex | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Columbia County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Columbia County: 16 active HPSA records, above 92% of real US counties. Columbia County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 21.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 18.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 60.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Columbia County above 92% of real US counties (16 active designations: 5 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 21.0. 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.
Columbia County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 67. 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 Columbia County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Columbia County's active designations: about 22 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Columbia County, FL · 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 a heavy-burden county
Columbia County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Columbia County's 16 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of FL before you draw conclusions from a single score. FL 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.
Counties With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Columbia County's 21.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Prince William County, VA and Orange County, NY.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Columbia County (16 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 16 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Columbia County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Columbia County carries an MUA designation (index 60.4; 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 Columbia County's 16 active HPSA designations?
- 16 Designated rows (5 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "CF-Lake City Correctional Facility" (score 21.0; mental health; 1,130 people in the service area; ~0.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/08/2026). Also active: "CF-Columbia Correctional Institution/Annex", "LI-Columbia County", "GRACE PEDIATRICS PL". Above 92% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Columbia County?
- Peak active score 21.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 16 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Columbia County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 22 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "CF-Lake City Correctional Facility" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Columbia County's designation volume?
- 16 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 Columbia County's volume compare inside FL?
- 16 active HPSA rows · peak 21.0. Columbia County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 67. Score-nearest counties on this release include Prince William County, VA and Orange County, NY.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 12023. 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 12023 (Columbia County, FL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 16; peak score 21.0; signature 16 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.