Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

MO · Healthcare shortage profile

DeKalb County, MO

Peak severity leads this reading: DeKalb County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 11,029.

Active HPSAs
5
Population
11,029
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
46.5

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, DeKalb County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

5
Active HPSA designations
2
Mental-health shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 53%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for DeKalb 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 18.0 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.

  2. Closing DeKalb County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5 primary care, 4.1 mental health, 2.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 40% of DeKalb County's 5 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 5).

DeKalb County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

10 Census ZCTAs intersect DeKalb 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

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.

DeKalb County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

5 Top 53% higher than 47% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. DeKalb County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 87 of 115. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 29063. Population: 11,029.

Single high-priority discipline

DeKalb County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health

Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active mental health designations to DeKalb County , with a peak score of 18.0. 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

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 46.5

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 13.0
Mental Health 18.0
Dental 11.0

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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in DeKalb County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - St. Joseph Mhca #1 mental_health 18.0
DeKalb/Andrew Counties primary_care 13.0
Western Missouri Correctional Center mental_health 12.0
Andrew and DeKalb Counties dental 11.0
Western Missouri Correctional Center primary_care 9.0

Moderate-burden reading for DeKalb County

Peak severity leads this reading: DeKalb County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. DeKalb County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 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 11.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 46.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

DeKalb County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.

DeKalb County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 87 of 115. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for DeKalb County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for DeKalb County's active designations: about 11 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on DeKalb County's high-priority mental health

DeKalb County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • DeKalb 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 MO before drawing conclusions from a single score. MO 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.

Nearby mental-health score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to DeKalb County's 18.0. Open Caguas County, PR or Cuyahoga County, OH next.

Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Counties near DeKalb County's mental score of 18.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - St. Joseph MHCA #1”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does DeKalb County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - DeKalb County carries an MUA designation (index 46.5; 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 DeKalb County's peak score of 18.0?
"LI - St. Joseph MHCA #1" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 55,440 people in the service area; ~3.7 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/14/2026). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under DeKalb County's severity reading?
After "LI - St. Joseph MHCA #1", the next active names on this release are "LI - St. Joseph MHCA #1", "DeKalb/Andrew Counties", "Western Missouri Correctional Center" and "Andrew and DeKalb Counties". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow DeKalb County's high-severity geography?
DeKalb County's 5 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 "LI - St. Joseph MHCA #1".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29063. 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 29063 (DeKalb County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.