OK · Healthcare shortage profile
Carter County, OK
Designation volume is the standout signal for Carter County: 11 active HPSA records, above 84% of real US counties. Population 48,003.
- Active HPSAs
- 11
- Population
- 48,003
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- 57.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Carter County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 11 active HPSA designations, more than 84% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 11
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Mental-health shortages
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 16%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Carter County
Carter 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Carter County, OK 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 19.0 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 Carter 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): 2 primary care, 10 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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36.4% of Carter County's 11 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 11).
Carter County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
11 Top 16% higher than 84% 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. Carter County falls in the upper quarter of OK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 77. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 40019. Population: 48,003.
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 11 active (designated) HPSAs in Carter County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital Healdton - Primary Care | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Good Shepherd Community Clinic, Inc. | dental | 19.0 |
| Mhca 18/Southern Oklahoma | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Good Shepherd Community Clinic, Inc. | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Ardmore Health Clinic | dental | 18.0 |
| Ardmore Health Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Ardmore Health Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Mercy Hospital Healdton - Primary Care | dental | 17.0 |
| Mercy Hospital Healdton - Primary Care | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Carter County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Good Shepherd Community Clinic, Inc. | primary_care | 14.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Carter County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Carter County: 11 active HPSA records, above 84% of real US counties. Carter County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 19.0 by HRSA, 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Carter County above 84% of real US counties (11 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 19.0. 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.
Carter County falls in the upper quarter of OK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 77. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Carter County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Carter 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 Carter County, OK · 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
Carter County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Carter County's 11 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 OK before you draw conclusions from a single score. OK 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Carter County's 19.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Etowah County, AL and Franklin County, OH.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Carter County (11 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 11 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Carter County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Carter County carries an MUA designation (index 57.8; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Carter County's 11 active HPSA designations?
- 11 Designated rows (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "MERCY HOSPITAL HEALDTON - PRIMARY CARE" (score 19.0; mental health; 42,920 people in the service area; designated 06/16/2015). Also active: "GOOD SHEPHERD COMMUNITY CLINIC, INC.", "MHCA 18/Southern Oklahoma", "GOOD SHEPHERD COMMUNITY CLINIC, INC.". Above 84% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Carter County?
- Peak active score 19.0 in mental health and dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 11 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Carter County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 12 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "MERCY HOSPITAL HEALDTON - PRIMARY CARE" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Carter County's designation volume?
- 11 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Carter County's volume compare inside OK?
- 11 active HPSA rows · peak 19.0. Carter County falls in the upper quarter of OK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 77. Score-nearest counties on this release include Etowah County, AL and Franklin County, OH.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 40019. 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 40019 (Carter County, OK), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 11; peak score 19.0; signature 11 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.