Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

GA · Healthcare shortage profile

Pickens County, GA

Peak severity leads this reading: Pickens County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 33,216.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
33,216
Peak shortage score
25.0
MUA Index
46.9

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pickens 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
1
Dental shortages
25
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Pickens County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Pickens County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

4 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.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pickens 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 25.0 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. 33.3% of Pickens County's 3 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).

Corpus placement

Active-designation volume placement

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pickens County carries 3 active designations, above 20% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.

State peer position. Pickens County falls in the upper half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 43 of 159. 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: 13227. Population: 33,216.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 46.9

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 19.0
Mental Health 20.0
Dental 25.0

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 Pickens County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center, Inc. dental 25.0
Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center, Inc. mental_health 20.0
Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center, Inc. primary_care 19.0

Light-burden reading for Pickens County

Peak severity leads this reading: Pickens County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Pickens County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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 19.0 of 25; Mental health reads 20.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 46.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Pickens 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.

Pickens County falls in the upper half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 43 of 159. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Pickens County, GA · 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 Pickens County's designations

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

  • Pickens County's 3 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 GA before you draw conclusions from a single score. GA 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 near Pickens County's dental score of 25.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “GOOD SAMARITAN HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER, INC.”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Pickens County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Pickens County carries an MUA designation (index 46.9; 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 Pickens County's peak score of 25.0?
"GOOD SAMARITAN HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER, INC." leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 33,527 people in the service area; designated 05/01/2015). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Pickens County's severity reading?
After "GOOD SAMARITAN HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER, INC.", the next active names on this release are "GOOD SAMARITAN HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER, INC.", "GOOD SAMARITAN HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER, INC." and "GOOD SAMARITAN HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER, INC.". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~0 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 13227. 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 13227 (Pickens County, GA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.