Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

IL · Healthcare shortage profile

Massac County, IL

Home to 14,169 residents, with 12 active HRSA shortage designations.

Active HPSAs
12
Population
14,169
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
55.9

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Massac 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
Primary-care shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 15%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Massac County, IL 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.

  1. 33.3% of Massac 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).

  2. Closing Massac County's active designations would take about 20 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.6 primary care, 17 mental health, 1.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 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.

Corpus placement

Active-designation volume placement

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Massac County carries 12 active designations, above 85% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.

State peer position. Massac County falls in the upper quarter of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 102. 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: 17127. Population: 14,169.

4
Primary Care HPSAs
4
Mental Health HPSAs
4
Dental HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 55.9

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 18.0
Mental Health 17.0
Dental 17.0

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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Massac County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Bharat Patel MD primary_care 18.0
Massac Memorial Medical Clinic primary_care 18.0
Massac Memorial Integrated Care Clinic primary_care 18.0
Bharat Patel MD mental_health 17.0
Massac Memorial Medical Clinic mental_health 17.0
Massac Memorial Integrated Care Clinic mental_health 17.0
Massac Memorial Medical Clinic dental 17.0
Massac Memorial Integrated Care Clinic dental 17.0
Bharat Patel MD dental 17.0
LI - Massac County primary_care 16.0
Southern IL Mhca mental_health 16.0
LI - Massac County dental 15.0

Heavy-burden reading for Massac County

Primary care is where Massac County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 18.0 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. Mental health reads 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places Massac 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 18.0. 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.

Massac County falls in the upper quarter of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 102. 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.

Massac County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

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

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

  • Massac 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 IL before you draw conclusions from a single score. IL 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 Primary Care Shortage Score

Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to Massac County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Minnehaha County, SD and Monroe County, MI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Massac County a Medically Underserved Area?

Yes, Massac County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 55.9. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.

How many healthcare shortage areas does Massac County have?

Massac County, IL has 12 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 4 in primary care, 4 in mental health, and 4 in dental care, according to HRSA data.

What does Massac County's HPSA score of 18.0 mean?

18.0 in primary care 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 Massac County?

Based on HRSA shortage designations, Massac 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.

Which federal programs do Massac County's designations unlock?

Massac County's 12 active designations open NHSC placement, Community Health Center grants, the Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, but eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not the county line.

How does Massac County compare to other counties in IL?

Massac County has 12 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 18.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in IL on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Massac County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Minnehaha County, SD and Monroe County, MI.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 17127. 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.

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 17127 (Massac County, IL) 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.