NE · Healthcare shortage profile
Pierce County, NE
Home to 7,317 residents, with 5 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 7,317
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pierce 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
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pierce County, NE 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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40% of Pierce 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).
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Closing Pierce County's active designations would take about 7.7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.7 primary care, 7.1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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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.
Pierce 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
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. Pierce County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 92. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 31139. Population: 7,317.
Single high-priority discipline
Pierce County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active mental health designations to Pierce 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.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Pierce 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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Pierce County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chi Health Clinic Plainview | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Catchment Area 4 | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Chi Health Clinic Plainview | dental | 15.0 |
| Northeast Nebraska | primary_care | 8.0 |
| Chi Health Clinic Plainview | primary_care | 5.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Pierce County
Pierce 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 8.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Pierce County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Pierce 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.
Pierce County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 92. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Pierce County's active designations: a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Pierce County's high-priority mental health
Pierce County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Pierce 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 NE before drawing conclusions from a single score. NE 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 Pierce County's 17.0. Open Dorchester County, SC or Flagler County, FL next.
Showing 3 of 3083 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Pierce County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (5 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (8.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Pierce County have?
Pierce County, NE has 5 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 2 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 1 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Pierce County a Medically Underserved Area?
Pierce 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 Pierce County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?
17.0 in mental health 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 Pierce County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Pierce 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.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31139. 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.