NC · Healthcare shortage profile
Mitchell County, NC
Peak severity leads this reading: Mitchell County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 14,903.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 14,903
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- 41.2
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Mitchell 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
- Dental shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Mitchell County, NC 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 21.0 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.
-
Closing Mitchell County's active designations would take about 14 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.7 primary care, 11 mental health, 1.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Mitchell 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).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Mitchell County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 4 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Mitchell County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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, Mitchell County carries 9 active designations, above 75% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Mitchell County falls in the upper quarter of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 100. 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: 37121. Population: 14,903.
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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Mitchell County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Community Health Partnership, Incorporated | dental | 21.0 |
| Mountain Community Health Partnership, Incorporated | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Mountain Community Health Partnership, Incorporated | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mission Health Mauzy-Phillips Center | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Western Highlands Mhca | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Mitchell County | dental | 16.0 |
| Mission Health Mauzy-Phillips Center | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Mitchell/Yancey Counties | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Mission Health Mauzy-Phillips Center | primary_care | 14.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Mitchell County
Peak severity leads this reading: Mitchell County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Mitchell County's deepest shortage reading, 21.0 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 17.0 of 25; Mental health reads 19.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 41.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Mitchell 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 21.0. 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.
Mitchell County falls in the upper quarter of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 100. 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.
Mitchell 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
3 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
3 designations
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Mitchell County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Mitchell County's active designations: about 14 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 Mitchell County, NC · 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
Mitchell County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Mitchell County's 9 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 NC before you draw conclusions from a single score. NC 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 Mitchell County's 21.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Ventura County, CA and Monterey County, CA.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Mitchell County's dental score of 21.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 21.0 (severity lead on this page is “MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, INCORPORATED”).
Ventura County, CA
21.0 dental score · 843,843 pop.
Monterey County, CA
21.0 dental score · 439,035 pop.
Lorain County, OH
21.0 dental score · 312,964 pop.
Jefferson County, NY
21.0 dental score · 116,721 pop.
Flathead County, MT
21.0 dental score · 104,357 pop.
Putnam County, WV
21.0 dental score · 57,440 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Mitchell County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Mitchell County carries an MUA designation (index 41.2; 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 Mitchell County's peak score of 21.0?
- "MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, INCORPORATED" leads the active set (score 21.0; dental; 11,400 people in the service area; designated 06/01/2012). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 9 active rows: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Mitchell County's severity reading?
- After "MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, INCORPORATED", the next active names on this release are "MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, INCORPORATED", "MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, INCORPORATED", "MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, INCORPORATED" and "MISSION HEALTH MAUZY-PHILLIPS CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~14 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Mitchell County's high-severity geography?
- Mitchell County's 9 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 "MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, INCORPORATED".
- How does Mitchell County's peak severity sit inside NC?
- Mitchell County holds 9 active HPSA rows with peak 21.0. Mitchell County falls in the upper quarter of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 100. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Ventura County, CA and Monterey County, CA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37121. 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 37121 (Mitchell County, NC), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 21.0; signature peak score 21.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.