IA · Healthcare shortage profile
Buena Vista County, IA
Home to 20,823 residents, with 6 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 20,823
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- MUA
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Buena Vista County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Primary-care shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Buena Vista County, IA 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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33.3% of Buena Vista County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
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Closing Buena Vista County's active designations would take about 2.4 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.5 primary care, 0.4 mental health, 0.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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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.
Buena Vista County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Buena Vista County falls in the upper half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 26 of 99. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 19021. Population: 20,823.
Single high-priority discipline
Buena Vista County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is primary care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active primary care designations to Buena Vista County , with a peak score of 18.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the primary care records.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Buena Vista County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| United Community Health Center, Inc. | primary_care | 18.0 |
| United Community Health Center, Inc. | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Buena Vista County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| United Community Health Center, Inc. | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Buena Vista County | primary_care | 14.0 |
| LI - Buena Vista | dental | 9.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Buena Vista County
Primary care is where Buena Vista 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 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.
Buena Vista County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Buena Vista County falls in the upper half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 26 of 99. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Acting on Buena Vista County's high-priority primary care
Buena Vista County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Buena Vista 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 IA before drawing conclusions from a single score. IA 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.
Nearby primary-care score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active primary-care HPSA score to Buena Vista County's 18.0. Open Monroe County, MI or Bossier County, LA next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buena Vista County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Buena Vista County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is not available. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Buena Vista County have?
Buena Vista County, IA has 6 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 2 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Buena Vista 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.
Next read: The Primary-Care Shortage · IA state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19021. 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.
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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 19021 (Buena Vista County, IA) 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 2026-08-15.