IA · Healthcare shortage profile
Palo Alto County, IA
Home to 8,996 residents, with 11 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 11
- Population
- 8,996
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 55.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Palo Alto County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 11 active HPSA designations, more than 84% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 11
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 16%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Palo Alto 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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36.4% of Palo Alto County's 11 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 11).
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Closing Palo Alto County's active designations would take about 2.8 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.7 mental health, 1.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 17.0 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.
Palo Alto County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
11 Top 16% higher than 84% 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. Palo Alto County falls in the upper quarter of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 99. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 19147. Population: 8,996.
Single high-priority discipline
Palo Alto County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 4 active mental health designations to Palo Alto County , with a peak score of 17.0. 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 mental health records.
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 11 active (designated) HPSAs in Palo Alto County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Family Practice Clinic West Bend | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Spencer/ Spirit Lake Area | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Palo Alto County | dental | 15.0 |
| Family Practice Clinic West Bend | dental | 15.0 |
| Family Practice Clinic Graettinger | dental | 15.0 |
| Family Practice Clinic Emmetsburg | dental | 15.0 |
| Family Practice Clinic Graettinger | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Family Practice Clinic West Bend | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Family Practice Clinic Emmetsburg | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Family Practice Clinic Graettinger | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Family Practice Clinic Emmetsburg | primary_care | 9.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Palo Alto County
Palo Alto County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 13.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Palo Alto County above 84% of real US counties (11 active designations: 3 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 17.0. 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.
Palo Alto County falls in the upper quarter of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 99. 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.
Acting on Palo Alto County's high-priority mental health
Palo Alto County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Palo Alto County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health 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.
Counties With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Palo Alto County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Cleveland County, OK and Onslow County, NC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Palo Alto County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Palo Alto County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 55.4. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Palo Alto County have?
Palo Alto County, IA has 11 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 3 in primary care, 4 in mental health, and 4 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Palo Alto County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?
17.0 in mental health 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 Palo Alto County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto County's designations unlock?
Palo Alto County's 11 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 Palo Alto County compare to other counties in IA?
Palo Alto County has 11 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 17.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in IA on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Palo Alto County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cleveland County, OK and Onslow County, NC.
Next read: The Mental-Health Provider Shortage · IA state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19147. 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 19147 (Palo Alto 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.