NE · Healthcare shortage profile
Valley County, NE
MUA standing opens this profile: Valley County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 4,059.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 4,059
- Peak shortage score
- 15.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Valley 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
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 15
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
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.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Valley County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Valley County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
1 additional ZCTA 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Valley 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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Closing Valley County's active designations would take about 5.3 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.3 primary care, 5.1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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40% of Valley 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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Peak HPSA score 15.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Valley County carries 5 active designations, above 47% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Valley County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 92. 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: 31175. Population: 4,059.
Below high-priority line
Valley County is designated, but no active score clears 17
5 active designations sit on this FIPS (2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental), and the peak severity is 15.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Valley County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Vchs Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Vchs Medical Clinic | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Mental Health Catchment Area 3 | mental_health | 12.0 |
| LI - East Central Nebraska | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Vchs Medical Clinic | primary_care | 7.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Valley County
MUA standing opens this profile: Valley County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Dental care carries Valley County's deepest shortage reading, 15.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 11.0 of 25; Mental health reads 14.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Valley 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.
Valley 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.
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Valley County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Valley County's active designations: about 5.3 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Score neighbours for Valley County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (11.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Valley County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Valley County carries an MUA designation (index 0.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- How do Valley County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 5 active HPSA designations (2 primary care / 2 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "VCHS MEDICAL CLINIC" (score 15.0; dental; 6,596 people in the service area; designated 12/06/2005). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 15.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 15.0 sits below the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 0.0 remains a separate need measure.
- Which programs can Valley County's dual standing open?
- Active HPSA geography can open NHSC/CHC/Medicare-bonus/J-1 routes by provider type; MUA standing can open additional underserved-area pathways. Eligibility is record-specific, read the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31175. 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 31175 (Valley County, NE), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 15.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.