SD · Healthcare shortage profile
Dewey County, SD
Peak severity leads this reading: Dewey County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 5,239.
- Active HPSAs
- 15
- Population
- 5,239
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 44.0
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Dewey County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 15 active HPSA designations, more than 91% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 15
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 9%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Dewey County, SD 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 23.0 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 Dewey County's active designations would take about 2.9 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.6 primary care, 1 mental health, 1.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Dewey County's 15 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 15).
Dewey County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
10 Census ZCTAs intersect Dewey County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
2 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Dewey County carries 15 active designations, above 91% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Dewey County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 66 real counties in SD. 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: 46041. Population: 5,239.
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 15 active (designated) HPSAs in Dewey County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Swiftbird HS | dental | 23.0 |
| Three Rivers Mental Health Center - Mhca 8 | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Dewey County | dental | 21.0 |
| Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Field Health Clinic | dental | 21.0 |
| West Dakota Health Center | dental | 21.0 |
| West Dakota Health Center | primary_care | 19.0 |
| West Dakota Health Center | mental_health | 19.0 |
| White Horse HS | primary_care | 18.0 |
| White Horse HS | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Swiftbird HS | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Field Health Clinic | mental_health | 18.0 |
| White Horse HS | dental | 18.0 |
| Dewey County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Swiftbird HS | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Field Health Clinic | primary_care | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Dewey County
Peak severity leads this reading: Dewey County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Dewey County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 19.0 of 25; Mental health reads 22.0 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 Dewey County above 91% of real US counties (15 active designations: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 23.0. 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.
Dewey County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 66 real counties in SD. 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.
Dewey 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
5 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
5 designations
- Dental
Dental
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Dewey County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Dewey County's active designations: about 2.9 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 Dewey County, SD · 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
Dewey County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Dewey County's 15 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 SD before you draw conclusions from a single score. SD 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 Dewey County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Medina County, OH and Fairfield County, OH.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Dewey County's dental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “Swiftbird HS”).
Medina County, OH
23.0 dental score · 182,470 pop.
Fairfield County, OH
23.0 dental score · 158,921 pop.
Douglas County, KS
23.0 dental score · 118,785 pop.
Adams County, CO
23.0 dental score · 519,572 pop.
Horry County, SC
23.0 dental score · 351,029 pop.
Lexington County, SC
23.0 dental score · 293,991 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Dewey County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Dewey 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 Dewey County's peak score of 23.0?
- "Swiftbird HS" leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 7,759 people in the service area; designated 04/08/2025). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 15 active rows: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Dewey County's severity reading?
- After "Swiftbird HS", the next active names on this release are "Swiftbird HS", "Three Rivers Mental Health Center - MHCA 8", "Dewey County" and "Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Field Health Clinic". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~2.9 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Dewey County's high-severity geography?
- Dewey County's 15 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 "Swiftbird HS".
- How does Dewey County's peak severity sit inside SD?
- Dewey County holds 15 active HPSA rows with peak 23.0. Dewey County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 66 real counties in SD. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Medina County, OH and Fairfield County, OH.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 46041. 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 46041 (Dewey County, SD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 15; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.