LA · Healthcare shortage profile
Lafourche County, LA
Peak severity leads this reading: Lafourche County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 97,557.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 97,557
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- 55.4
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lafourche 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
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Lafourche 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 19.0 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 Lafourche County's active designations would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.2 primary care, 2.1 mental health, 7.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Lafourche 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).
Lafourche County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
15 Census ZCTAs intersect Lafourche County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
7 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.
Lafourche 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. Lafourche 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: 22057. Population: 97,557.
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 Lafourche County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Life Coast Community Health Center, Inc. | dental | 19.0 |
| LI - Lafourche Parish | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI Lafourche Parish | dental | 17.0 |
| Life Coast Community Health Center, Inc. | primary_care | 15.0 |
| LI - Lafourche Parish | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Life Coast Community Health Center, Inc. | mental_health | 13.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Lafourche County
Peak severity leads this reading: Lafourche County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Lafourche County's deepest shortage reading, 19.0 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 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 17.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Lafourche 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.
Lafourche 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.
Lafourche 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 Lafourche County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lafourche County's active designations: about 13 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 Lafourche 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 Lafourche County's designations
Lafourche County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lafourche 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 Lafourche County's 19.0. Open Cobb County, GA or Dauphin County, PA next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Lafourche County's dental score of 19.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “LIFE COAST COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.”).
Cobb County, GA
19.0 dental score · 766,149 pop.
Dauphin County, PA
19.0 dental score · 286,401 pop.
Berrien County, MI
19.0 dental score · 154,316 pop.
Monongalia County, WV
19.0 dental score · 105,822 pop.
Aroostook County, ME
19.0 dental score · 67,105 pop.
Scott County, KY
19.0 dental score · 57,155 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Lafourche County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Lafourche County carries an MUA designation (index 55.4; 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 Lafourche County's peak score of 19.0?
- "LIFE COAST COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC." leads the active set (score 19.0; dental; 105,730 people in the service area; designated 03/29/2023). 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 Lafourche County's severity reading?
- After "LIFE COAST COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.", the next active names on this release are "LIFE COAST COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.", "LI - Lafourche Parish", "LI LAFOURCHE PARISH" and "LIFE COAST COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~13 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Lafourche County's high-severity geography?
- Lafourche 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 "LIFE COAST COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 22057. 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 22057 (Lafourche County, LA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.