Medically Underserved Area Mono-discipline · primary care

GA · Healthcare shortage profile

Heard County, GA

Peak severity leads this reading: Heard County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 11,412.

Active HPSAs
1
Population
11,412
Peak shortage score
19.0
MUA Index
45.0
GA state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Heard County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

1
Active HPSA designations
1
Primary-care shortages
19
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 98%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Heard County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Heard 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.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Heard County, GA 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 19.0 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.

  2. Closing Heard County's active designations would take about 1.3 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.3 primary care. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 100% of Heard County's 1 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 1).

Heard County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

1 Top 98% higher than 2% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Heard County falls in the lower half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 102 of 159. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 13149. Population: 11,412.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 45.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 19.0

Current designated records only · primary care only on this FIPS. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?

Highest-severity HPSA designations

All 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Heard County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Heard County primary_care 19.0

Light-burden reading for Heard County

Peak severity leads this reading: Heard County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Heard County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 19.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 45.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Heard County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.

Heard County falls in the lower half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 102 of 159. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Acting on Heard County's high-priority primary care

Heard County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Heard County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
  • See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of GA before drawing conclusions from a single score. GA 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 near Heard County's primary score of 19.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Heard County”).

Lancaster County, NE

19.0 primary score · 322,608 pop.

Sacramento County, CA

19.0 primary score · 1,585,055 pop.

Salt Lake County, UT

19.0 primary score · 1,185,238 pop.

San Joaquin County, CA

19.0 primary score · 779,233 pop.

South Central Connecticut County, CT

19.0 primary score · 571,298 pop.

Washoe County, NV

19.0 primary score · 486,492 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Heard County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Heard County carries an MUA designation (index 45.0; 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 Heard County's peak score of 19.0?
"LI - Heard County" leads the active set (score 19.0; primary care; 3,988 people in the service area; ~1.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 07/15/2009). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 0 dental.
What provider types does Heard County's severity cover?
Active rows break down 1 primary care / 0 mental health / 0 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 1.3 additional clinician FTEs on this release.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 13149. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) — 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 13149 (Heard County, GA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.