TN · Healthcare shortage profile
Bedford County, TN
Home to 50,237 residents, with 8 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 8
- Population
- 50,237
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 61.3
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bedford County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 8 active HPSA designations, more than 73% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 8
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Primary-care shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 27%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Bedford County, TN 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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37.5% of Bedford County's 8 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 8).
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Closing Bedford County's active designations would take about 8.8 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.5 primary care, 4.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 17.0 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.
Bedford County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
8 Top 27% higher than 73% 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. Bedford County falls in the upper quarter of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 95. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 47003. Population: 50,237.
Single high-priority discipline
Bedford County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is primary care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active primary care designations to Bedford County , with a peak score of 17.0. 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 primary 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 8 active (designated) HPSAs in Bedford County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Bedford County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Healthy Kids LLC | primary_care | 16.0 |
| J Howard Rupard MD | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Healthy Kids LLC | mental_health | 15.0 |
| J Howard Rupard MD | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Healthy Kids LLC | dental | 15.0 |
| LI-Bedford County | dental | 15.0 |
| J Howard Rupard MD | dental | 15.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Bedford County
Primary care is where Bedford County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 17.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Bedford County above 73% of real US counties (8 active designations: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 17.0. 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.
Bedford County falls in the upper quarter of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 95. 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 Bedford County's high-priority primary care
Bedford County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Bedford County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of TN before drawing conclusions from a single score. TN 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 Primary Care Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to Bedford County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with San Juan County, PR and St. Johns County, FL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bedford County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Bedford County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 61.3. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Bedford County have?
Bedford County, TN has 8 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 3 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 3 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Bedford County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?
17.0 in primary care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
What healthcare providers are needed in Bedford County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Bedford County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers), and dental care (dentists, dental hygienists). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.
Which federal programs do Bedford County's designations unlock?
Bedford County's 8 active designations open NHSC placement, Community Health Center grants, the Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, but eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not the county line.
How does Bedford County compare to other counties in TN?
Bedford County has 8 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 17.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in TN on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Bedford County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include San Juan County, PR and St. Johns County, FL.
Next read: The Primary-Care Shortage · TN state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 47003. 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.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →
Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 47003 (Bedford County, TN) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-15.