Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

MO · Healthcare shortage profile

Maries County, MO

Designation volume is the standout signal for Maries County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 8,432.

Active HPSAs
9
Population
8,432
Peak shortage score
17.0
MUA Index
54.8

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Maries 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
Mental-health shortages
17
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 25%
US counties by volume
D
Healthcare Access Score
48/100
Maries County, MO

Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.

Primary care C-
16.0 of 25
Primary care shortage severity (HPSA score)
Mental health C+
17.0 of 25
Mental health shortage severity (HPSA score)
Dental B+
15.0 of 26
Dental shortage severity (HPSA score)
Underserved status D
IMU 54.8
Index of Medical Underservice (designated MUA)
Provider gap F
11.9 per 10K
Unmet provider need (HRSA-estimated) per 10,000 residents

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Maries 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 17.0 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 Maries County's active designations would take about 10 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.5 primary care, 5 mental health, 1.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Maries 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).

Maries County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

10 Census ZCTAs intersect Maries 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.

Maries County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

9 Top 25% higher than 75% of 3,289 real US counties

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. Maries County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 115. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 29125. Population: 8,432.

Single high-priority discipline

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

Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active mental health designations to Maries County , with a peak score of 17.0. 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: 54.8

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 16.0 Below priority line
Mental Health 17.0 High priority
Dental 15.0 Below priority line

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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Maries County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Mhca 17A/B mental_health 17.0
Ssm Health Medical Group Family Medicine primary_care 16.0
Phelps Health Medical Group Vienna primary_care 16.0
Ssm Health Medical Group Family Medicine mental_health 16.0
Phelps Health Medical Group Vienna mental_health 16.0
Phelps Health Medical Group Vienna dental 15.0
Ssm Health Medical Group Family Medicine dental 15.0
Osage/Maries Counties primary_care 12.0
Osage/Maries/Gasconade Counties dental 12.0

Heavy-burden reading for Maries County

Designation volume is the standout signal for Maries County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Maries County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 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 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 54.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places Maries 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 17.0. 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.

Maries 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.

Heavy-volume FTE gap in Maries County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Maries County's active designations: about 10 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Maries County's high-priority mental health

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

  • Maries 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.

Counties With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score

Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Maries County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Thurston County, WA and Boone County, MO.

Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

High-volume peers of Maries County (9 active)

One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 9 across the national corpus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Maries County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Maries County carries an MUA designation (index 54.8; 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 Maries County's 9 active HPSA designations?
9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LI - MHCA 17A/B" (score 17.0; mental health; 75,666 people in the service area; ~5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/25/2026). Also active: "SSM HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP FAMILY MEDICINE", "PHELPS HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP VIENNA", "Osage/Maries Counties". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
What does volume-plus-score look like for Maries County?
Peak active score 17.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
What clinician need sits behind Maries County's designation volume?
Closing published gaps would take about 10 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LI - MHCA 17A/B" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
Which federal programs follow Maries County's designation volume?
9 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 Maries County's volume compare inside MO?
9 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Maries County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 115. Score-nearest counties on this release include Thurston County, WA and Boone County, MO.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29125. 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 29125 (Maries County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 17.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.