MA · Healthcare shortage profile
Berkshire County, MA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Berkshire County: 16 active HPSA records, above 92% of real US counties. Population 129,026.
- Active HPSAs
- 16
- Population
- 129,026
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- 46.3
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Berkshire County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 16 active HPSA designations, more than 92% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 16
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Mental-health shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 8%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Berkshire County, MA 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 21.0 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 Berkshire County's active designations would take about 4.7 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3 primary care, 1.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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43.8% of Berkshire County's 16 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 7 primary care, 4 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 16).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Berkshire County
Berkshire County intersects 36 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
24 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.
Berkshire County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
16 Top 8% higher than 92% 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. Berkshire County sits among the top three county rank positions in MA, at rank 3 of 14. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 25003. Population: 129,026.
Single high-priority discipline
Berkshire County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 4 active mental health designations to Berkshire County , with a peak score of 21.0. 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 16 active (designated) HPSAs in Berkshire County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health Programs, Incorporated | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Community Health Programs, Incorporated | primary_care | 16.0 |
| East Mountain Medical | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Williamstown Medical AT North Adams | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Williamstown Medical | mental_health | 16.0 |
| East Mountain Medical | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - North Berkshire | dental | 16.0 |
| Community Health Programs, Incorporated | dental | 16.0 |
| LI - North Berkshire County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Williamstown Medical | dental | 15.0 |
| Williamstown Medical AT North Adams | dental | 15.0 |
| East Mountain Medical | dental | 15.0 |
| Williamstown Medical | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Southern Berkshires | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Greenfield/Charlemont | primary_care | 8.0 |
| Williamstown Medical AT North Adams | primary_care | 6.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Berkshire County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Berkshire County: 16 active HPSA records, above 92% of real US counties. Berkshire County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 21.0 of 25, 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; Dental care reads 16.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 46.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Berkshire County above 92% of real US counties (16 active designations: 7 primary care, 4 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 21.0. 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.
Berkshire County sits among the top three county rank positions in MA, at rank 3 of 14. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Berkshire County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Berkshire County's active designations: about 4.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Berkshire County's high-priority mental health
Berkshire County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Berkshire 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 MA before drawing conclusions from a single score. MA 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 Berkshire County's 21.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Prince William County, VA and Orange County, NY.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Berkshire County (16 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 16 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Berkshire County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Berkshire County carries an MUA designation (index 46.3; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Berkshire County's 16 active HPSA designations?
- 16 Designated rows (7 primary care, 4 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS, INCORPORATED" (score 21.0; mental health; 25,366 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Also active: "COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS, INCORPORATED", "EAST MOUNTAIN MEDICAL", "WILLIAMSTOWN MEDICAL AT NORTH ADAMS". Above 92% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Berkshire County?
- Peak active score 21.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 16 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Berkshire County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 4.7 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS, INCORPORATED" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Berkshire County's designation volume?
- 16 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Berkshire County's volume compare inside MA?
- 16 active HPSA rows · peak 21.0. Berkshire County sits among the top three county rank positions in MA, at rank 3 of 14. Score-nearest counties on this release include Prince William County, VA and Orange County, NY.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 25003. 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 25003 (Berkshire County, MA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 16; peak score 21.0; signature 16 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.