PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Lackawanna County, PA
Peak severity leads this reading: Lackawanna County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 215,896.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 215,896
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 61.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lackawanna County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- 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.
Dense ZCTA lattice over Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County intersects 29 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
17 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 Lackawanna County, PA 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 Lackawanna County's active designations would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 13 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Lackawanna County's 7 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 7).
Lackawanna County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
7 Top 30% higher than 70% 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. Lackawanna County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 42069. Population: 215,896.
Single high-priority discipline
Lackawanna County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active dental care designations to Lackawanna County , with a peak score of 25.0. 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 dental care records.
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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Lackawanna County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Scranton Primary Health Care Center Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| The Wright Center Medical Group | dental | 23.0 |
| LI - Lackawanna County | dental | 16.0 |
| Scranton Primary Health Care Center Inc | mental_health | 15.0 |
| The Wright Center Medical Group | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Scranton Primary Health Care Center Inc | primary_care | 10.0 |
| The Wright Center Medical Group | primary_care | 9.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Lackawanna County
Peak severity leads this reading: Lackawanna County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Lackawanna 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 10.0 of 25; Mental health reads 15.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Lackawanna County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 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.
Lackawanna County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. 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.
Acting on Lackawanna County's high-priority dental care
Lackawanna County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lackawanna County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of PA before drawing conclusions from a single score. PA 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.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Lackawanna County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Lackawanna County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Lackawanna County carries an MUA designation (index 61.4; 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 Lackawanna County's peak score of 25.0?
- "SCRANTON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 31,190 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 7 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Lackawanna County's severity reading?
- After "SCRANTON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC", the next active names on this release are "SCRANTON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC", "THE WRIGHT CENTER MEDICAL GROUP" and "LI - Lackawanna County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~13 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Lackawanna County's high-severity geography?
- Lackawanna County's 7 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 "SCRANTON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC".
- How does Lackawanna County's peak severity sit inside PA?
- Lackawanna County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Lackawanna County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42069. 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 42069 (Lackawanna County, PA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.