SD · Healthcare shortage profile
Ziebach County, SD
Peak severity leads this reading: Ziebach County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 2,413.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 2,413
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 46.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Ziebach 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Ziebach 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 22.0 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 Ziebach County's active designations would take about 1.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.3 primary care, 1 mental health, 0.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Ziebach 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).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Ziebach County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Ziebach County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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.
Ziebach 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. Ziebach County sits among the top three county rank positions in SD, at rank 2 of 66. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 46137. Population: 2,413.
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 Ziebach County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers Mental Health Center - Mhca 8 | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Red Scaffold Health Station | dental | 21.0 |
| Eagle Butte | dental | 21.0 |
| LI - Ziebach County | dental | 20.0 |
| Eagle Butte | mental_health | 19.0 |
| LI-Ziebach County | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Red Scaffold Health Station | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Cherry Creek HS | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Cherry Creek HS | dental | 14.0 |
| Eagle Butte | primary_care | 10.0 |
| Red Scaffold Health Station | primary_care | 10.0 |
| Cherry Creek HS | primary_care | 9.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Ziebach County
Peak severity leads this reading: Ziebach County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Ziebach County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 22.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 18.0 of 25; Dental care reads 21.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 46.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Ziebach 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 22.0. 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.
Ziebach County sits among the top three county rank positions in SD, at rank 2 of 66. 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 Ziebach County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Ziebach County's active designations: about 1.5 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 Ziebach 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
Ziebach County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Ziebach 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 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Ziebach County's 22.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Palm Beach County, FL and Duval County, FL.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Ziebach County's mental score of 22.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 22.0 (severity lead on this page is “Three Rivers Mental Health Center - MHCA 8”).
Palm Beach County, FL
22.0 mental score · 1,492,191 pop.
Duval County, FL
22.0 mental score · 995,567 pop.
San Joaquin County, CA
22.0 mental score · 779,233 pop.
Baltimore City County, MD
22.0 mental score · 585,708 pop.
Naugatuck Valley County, CT
22.0 mental score · 451,887 pop.
Lubbock County, TX
22.0 mental score · 310,639 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Ziebach County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Ziebach County carries an MUA designation (index 46.5; 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 Ziebach County's peak score of 22.0?
- "Three Rivers Mental Health Center - MHCA 8" leads the active set (score 22.0; mental health; 14,392 people in the service area; ~1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 05/16/1979). 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 Ziebach County's severity reading?
- After "Three Rivers Mental Health Center - MHCA 8", the next active names on this release are "Three Rivers Mental Health Center - MHCA 8", "Red Scaffold Health Station", "EAGLE BUTTE" and "LI - Ziebach County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~1.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Ziebach County's high-severity geography?
- Ziebach 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 "Three Rivers Mental Health Center - MHCA 8".
- How does Ziebach County's peak severity sit inside SD?
- Ziebach County holds 12 active HPSA rows with peak 22.0. Ziebach County sits among the top three county rank positions in SD, at rank 2 of 66. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Palm Beach County, FL and Duval County, FL.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 46137. 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 46137 (Ziebach County, SD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 22.0; signature peak score 22.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.