MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Cole County, MO
Home to 77,279 residents, with 9 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 77,279
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cole County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Cole County, MO 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 Cole County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
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Closing Cole County's active designations would take about 6.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.4 primary care, 5.2 mental health, 0.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
Peak HPSA score 23.0 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cole County carries 9 active designations, above 75% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Cole County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 115. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 29051. Population: 77,279.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Cole County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Cole County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health Center OF Central Missouri | dental | 23.0 |
| Community Health Center OF Central Missouri | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Community Health Center OF Central Missouri | mental_health | 19.0 |
| LI - Mhca 11 Cole Catchment Area | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Cole County | primary_care | 10.0 |
| Cole County | dental | 9.0 |
| CF-Jefferson City Correctional Center | mental_health | 6.0 |
| Jefferson City Correctional Center | primary_care | 3.0 |
| CF-Jefferson City Correctional Center | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Cole County
Dental care carries Cole County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 20.0 of 25; Mental health reads 19.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Cole County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Cole County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 23.0. 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.
Cole County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 115. 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.
Cole County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
3 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
3 designations
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Cole County's active designations: 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 Cole County, MO · 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 a heavy-burden county
Cole County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Cole County's 9 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 MO before you draw conclusions from a single score. MO 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.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Cole County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Cumberland County, PA and Bayamon County, PR.
Showing 6 of 2746 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Cole County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (9 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (20.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Cole County have?
Cole County, MO has 9 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 3 in primary care, 3 in mental health, and 3 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Cole County a Medically Underserved Area?
Cole County does not currently have a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designation from HRSA. However, the county may still have individual HPSA designations for specific provider types.
What does Cole County's HPSA score of 23.0 mean?
23.0 in dental 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 Cole County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Cole 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 Cole County's designations unlock?
Cole County's 9 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 Cole County compare to other counties in MO?
Cole County has 9 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 23.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in MO on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Cole County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cumberland County, PA and Bayamon County, PR.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29051. 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.