MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Scott County, MO
Peak severity leads this reading: Scott County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 38,059.
- Active HPSAs
- 33
- Population
- 38,059
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 53.9
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Scott County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 33 active HPSA designations, more than 98% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 33
- Active HPSA designations
- 11
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 2%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Scott 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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Peak HPSA score 25.0 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 Scott County's active designations would take about 12 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.7 primary care, 4.3 mental health, 3.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Scott County's 33 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 dental (denominator 33).
Scott County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
14 Census ZCTAs intersect Scott 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
6 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Scott County carries 33 active designations, above 98% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Scott County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 115 real counties in MO. 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: 29201. Population: 38,059.
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 33 active (designated) HPSAs in Scott County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Missouri Health Network | dental | 25.0 |
| Southeast Missouri Health Network | primary_care | 23.0 |
| Southeast Missouri Health Network | mental_health | 23.0 |
| Missouri Delta Express Clinic | primary_care | 19.0 |
| LI - Scott County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Southeasthealth Sikeston Clinic | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Smith Street Medical Clinic | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Women's Care Center | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Missouri Delta Primary Care | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Ferguson Medical Group Sikeston | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Benton Community Care Center | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Sikeston Mhca #20 | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Chaffee Medical Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Ferguson Medical Group Scott City | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Ferguson Medical Group Sikeston | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Missouri Delta Express Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Southeasthealth Sikeston Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Smith Street Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Missouri Delta Primary Care | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Ferguson Medical Group Scott City | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Women's Care Center | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Benton Community Care Center | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Women's Care Center | dental | 17.0 |
| Missouri Delta Primary Care | dental | 17.0 |
| Missouri Delta Express Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Southeasthealth Sikeston Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Ferguson Medical Group Scott City | dental | 17.0 |
| Benton Community Care Center | dental | 17.0 |
| Ferguson Medical Group Sikeston | dental | 17.0 |
| Smith Street Medical Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Chaffee Medical Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Chaffee Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| LI-Scott County | dental | 15.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Scott County
Peak severity leads this reading: Scott County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Scott County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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 23.0 of 25; Mental health reads 23.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 53.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Scott County above 98% of real US counties (33 active designations: 11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 25.0. 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.
Scott County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 115 real counties in MO. 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.
Scott 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
11 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
11 designations
- Dental
Dental
11 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Scott County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Scott County's active designations: about 12 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 Scott 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
Scott County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Scott County's 33 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 Scott County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Scott County's dental score of 25.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “SOUTHEAST MISSOURI HEALTH NETWORK”).
Wayne County, MI
25.0 dental score · 1,793,561 pop.
Travis County, TX
25.0 dental score · 1,290,188 pop.
Wake County, NC
25.0 dental score · 1,129,410 pop.
Capitol County, CT
25.0 dental score · 977,165 pop.
Macomb County, MI
25.0 dental score · 881,217 pop.
San Diego County, CA
25.0 dental score · 3,298,634 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Scott County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Scott County carries an MUA designation (index 53.9; 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 Scott County's peak score of 25.0?
- "SOUTHEAST MISSOURI HEALTH NETWORK" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 40,483 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 33 active rows: 11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Scott County's severity reading?
- After "SOUTHEAST MISSOURI HEALTH NETWORK", the next active names on this release are "SOUTHEAST MISSOURI HEALTH NETWORK", "SOUTHEAST MISSOURI HEALTH NETWORK", "SOUTHEAST MISSOURI HEALTH NETWORK" and "MISSOURI DELTA EXPRESS CLINIC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~12 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Scott County's high-severity geography?
- Scott County's 33 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 "SOUTHEAST MISSOURI HEALTH NETWORK".
- How does Scott County's peak severity sit inside MO?
- Scott County holds 33 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Scott County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 115 real counties in MO. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29201. 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 29201 (Scott County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 33; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.