FL · Healthcare shortage profile
Hendry County, FL
Peak severity leads this reading: Hendry County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 39,619.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 39,619
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 59.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Hendry County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Hendry 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 23.0 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 Hendry 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): 3.4 primary care, 16 mental health, 3.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Hendry County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Hendry County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Hendry County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
1 additional ZCTA 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.
Hendry County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
12 Top 15% higher than 85% 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. Hendry County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 12051. Population: 39,619.
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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Hendry County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Big Cypress Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Dr James D Forbes Family Care | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Li/mfw - Hendry County | dental | 19.0 |
| Hendry Regional Convenient Care Center | dental | 18.0 |
| Dr James D Forbes Family Care | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Big Cypress Health Center | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Hendry Regional Convenient Care Center | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Hendry Regional Convenient Care Center | primary_care | 15.0 |
| MHCA-LI-CentralFLBehavioralHealthNetwork-Circuit20 | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Big Cypress Health Center | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Li/mfw - Hendry County | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Dr James D Forbes Family Care | dental | 14.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Hendry County
Peak severity leads this reading: Hendry County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Hendry County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 16.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Hendry County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 23.0. 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.
Hendry County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 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.
Hendry County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Hendry County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Hendry 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 Hendry 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
Hendry County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Hendry County's 12 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 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 Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Hendry County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Spartanburg County, SC and McLennan County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Hendry County's dental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “BIG CYPRESS HEALTH CENTER”).
Spartanburg County, SC
23.0 dental score · 327,997 pop.
McLennan County, TX
23.0 dental score · 260,579 pop.
Beaufort County, SC
23.0 dental score · 187,117 pop.
Portage County, OH
23.0 dental score · 161,791 pop.
Caguas County, PR
23.0 dental score · 127,244 pop.
Kent County, MI
23.0 dental score · 657,974 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Hendry County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Hendry County carries an MUA designation (index 59.5; 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 Hendry County's peak score of 23.0?
- "BIG CYPRESS HEALTH CENTER" leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 2,604 people in the service area; designated 07/19/2011). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 12 active rows: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Hendry County's severity reading?
- After "BIG CYPRESS HEALTH CENTER", the next active names on this release are "BIG CYPRESS HEALTH CENTER", "DR JAMES D FORBES FAMILY CARE", "LI/MFW - Hendry County" and "HENDRY REGIONAL CONVENIENT CARE CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~22 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Hendry County's high-severity geography?
- Hendry County's 12 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "BIG CYPRESS HEALTH CENTER".
- How does Hendry County's peak severity sit inside FL?
- Hendry County holds 12 active HPSA rows with peak 23.0. Hendry County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 67. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Spartanburg County, SC and McLennan County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 12051. 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 12051 (Hendry County, FL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.