MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Washington County, MO
Peak severity leads this reading: Washington County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 23,514.
- Active HPSAs
- 20
- Population
- 23,514
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 58.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Washington County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 20 active HPSA designations, more than 95% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 20
- Active HPSA designations
- 7
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 5%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Washington 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 Washington County's active designations would take about 12 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.1 primary care, 5 mental health, 3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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35% of Washington County's 20 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 7 primary care, 6 mental health, 7 dental (denominator 20).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Washington County
Washington County intersects 16 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
4 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, Washington County carries 20 active designations, above 95% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Washington County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 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: 29221. Population: 23,514.
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 20 active (designated) HPSAs in Washington County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Great Mines Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Great Mines Health Center | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Great Mines Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Potosi Correctional Center | dental | 21.0 |
| LI-Washington County | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Health Way Primary Care | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Wcmh Urgent Care | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Austin Plaza Primary Care | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Potosi Rural Health Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI - Mhca 17A/B | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Potosi Rural Health Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Wcmh Urgent Care | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Health Way Primary Care | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Austin Plaza Primary Care | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Wcmh Urgent Care | dental | 15.0 |
| Health Way Primary Care | dental | 15.0 |
| Austin Plaza Primary Care | dental | 15.0 |
| Potosi Rural Health Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Washington and Iron Counties | dental | 13.0 |
| Potosi Correctional Center | primary_care | 12.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Washington County
Peak severity leads this reading: Washington County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Washington 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 21.0 of 25; Mental health reads 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Washington County above 95% of real US counties (20 active designations: 7 primary care, 6 mental health, 7 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.
Washington County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 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.
Washington 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
7 designations
- Dental
Dental
7 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
6 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Washington County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Washington 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 Washington 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
Washington County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Washington County's 20 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 Washington County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Fulton County, GA and Erie County, NY.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Washington 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 “Great Mines Health Center”).
Fulton County, GA
25.0 dental score · 1,066,710 pop.
Erie County, NY
25.0 dental score · 954,236 pop.
El Paso County, TX
25.0 dental score · 865,657 pop.
Miami-Dade County, FL
25.0 dental score · 2,701,767 pop.
Tarrant County, TX
25.0 dental score · 2,110,640 pop.
Philadelphia County, PA
25.0 dental score · 1,603,797 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Washington County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Washington County carries an MUA designation (index 58.5; 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 Washington County's peak score of 25.0?
- "Great Mines Health Center" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 65,950 people in the service area; designated 02/28/2006). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 20 active rows: 7 primary care, 6 mental health, 7 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Washington County's severity reading?
- After "Great Mines Health Center", the next active names on this release are "Great Mines Health Center", "Great Mines Health Center", "Great Mines Health Center" and "Potosi Correctional Center". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~12 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Washington County's high-severity geography?
- Washington County's 20 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 "Great Mines Health Center".
- How does Washington County's peak severity sit inside MO?
- Washington County holds 20 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Washington County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 115. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Fulton County, GA and Erie County, NY.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29221. 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 29221 (Washington County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 20; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.