PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Luzerne County, PA
Peak severity leads this reading: Luzerne County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 325,594.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 325,594
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 44.0
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Luzerne County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Luzerne County
Luzerne County intersects 51 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
39 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 Luzerne 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 Luzerne County's active designations would take about 23 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.2 primary care, 1.5 mental health, 20 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Luzerne County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Luzerne County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
12 Top 15% higher than 85% 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. Luzerne County falls in the upper quarter of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 42079. Population: 325,594.
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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Luzerne County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rural Health Corporation OF Northeastern Pennsylvania | dental | 25.0 |
| Caring Community Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Rural Health Corporation OF Northeastern Pennsylvania | mental_health | 23.0 |
| LI - Luzerne County | dental | 18.0 |
| Caring Community Health Center | mental_health | 17.0 |
| The Children's Service Center OF Wyoming Valley | dental | 15.0 |
| The Children's Service Center OF Wyoming Valley | mental_health | 13.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Dallas | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Caring Community Health Center | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Rural Health Corporation OF Northeastern Pennsylvania | primary_care | 9.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Dallas | primary_care | 6.0 |
| The Children's Service Center OF Wyoming Valley | primary_care | 4.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Luzerne County
Peak severity leads this reading: Luzerne County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Luzerne 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 11.0 of 25; Mental health reads 23.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 44.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Luzerne County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 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.
Luzerne County falls in the upper quarter of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 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.
Luzerne County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Luzerne County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Luzerne County's active designations: about 23 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 Luzerne County, PA · 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
Luzerne County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Luzerne County's 12 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 PA before you draw conclusions from a single score. PA 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 Luzerne County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Luzerne County's dental score of 25.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “RURAL HEALTH CORPORATION OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA”).
Cook County, IL
25.0 dental score · 5,275,541 pop.
Riverside County, CA
25.0 dental score · 2,418,185 pop.
Broward County, FL
25.0 dental score · 1,944,375 pop.
Bronx County, NY
25.0 dental score · 1,472,654 pop.
Salt Lake County, UT
25.0 dental score · 1,185,238 pop.
Fresno County, CA
25.0 dental score · 1,008,654 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Luzerne County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Luzerne County carries an MUA designation (index 44.0; 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 Luzerne County's peak score of 25.0?
- "RURAL HEALTH CORPORATION OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 75,387 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 12 active rows: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Luzerne County's severity reading?
- After "RURAL HEALTH CORPORATION OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA", the next active names on this release are "RURAL HEALTH CORPORATION OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA", "CARING COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER", "RURAL HEALTH CORPORATION OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA" and "LI - Luzerne County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~23 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Luzerne County's high-severity geography?
- Luzerne County's 12 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 "RURAL HEALTH CORPORATION OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA".
- How does Luzerne County's peak severity sit inside PA?
- Luzerne County holds 12 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Luzerne County falls in the upper quarter of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 67. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42079. 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 42079 (Luzerne County, PA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.