LA · Healthcare shortage profile
Jackson County, LA
Peak severity leads this reading: Jackson County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 15,031.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 15,031
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 52.2
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Jackson 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
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Jackson County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Jackson County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
2 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 Jackson County, LA 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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Peak HPSA score 26.0 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.
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Closing Jackson County's active designations would take about 3.4 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.1 primary care, 0.7 mental health, 1.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Jackson 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).
Jackson 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. Jackson County falls in the upper half of LA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 64. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 22049. Population: 15,031.
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 Jackson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Health Center | dental | 26.0 |
| Jackson Parish | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Mercy Medical Health Center | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Mercy Medical Health Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Jackson Parish | dental | 16.0 |
| Jackson Parish | primary_care | 12.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Jackson County
Peak severity leads this reading: Jackson County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Jackson County's deepest shortage reading, 26.0 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 16.0 of 25; Mental health reads 20.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 52.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Jackson 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.
Jackson County falls in the upper half of LA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 64. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Jackson County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Jackson County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Jackson County's active designations: about 3.4 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Jackson County, LA · 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 Jackson County's designations
Jackson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Jackson County's 6 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 LA before you draw conclusions from a single score. LA 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Jackson County's 26.0. Open Indian River County, FL or Allen County, OH next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Jackson County's dental score of 26.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 26.0 (severity lead on this page is “MERCY MEDICAL HEALTH CENTER”).
Indian River County, FL
26.0 dental score · 159,788 pop.
Allen County, OH
26.0 dental score · 102,206 pop.
Carson City County, NV
26.0 dental score · 58,639 pop.
Pinellas County, FL
26.0 dental score · 959,107 pop.
Volusia County, FL
26.0 dental score · 553,543 pop.
Orange County, NY
26.0 dental score · 401,310 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Jackson County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Jackson County carries an MUA designation (index 52.2; 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 Jackson County's peak score of 26.0?
- "MERCY MEDICAL HEALTH CENTER" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 22,158 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Jackson County's severity reading?
- After "MERCY MEDICAL HEALTH CENTER", the next active names on this release are "MERCY MEDICAL HEALTH CENTER", "Jackson Parish", "MERCY MEDICAL HEALTH CENTER" and "MERCY MEDICAL HEALTH CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.4 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Jackson County's high-severity geography?
- Jackson County's 6 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "MERCY MEDICAL HEALTH CENTER".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 22049. 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 22049 (Jackson County, LA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.