TN · Healthcare shortage profile
Rhea County, TN
Peak severity leads this reading: Rhea County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 32,870.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 32,870
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 60.4
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Rhea County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Rhea County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Rhea County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
1 additional ZCTA 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 Rhea 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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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.
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Closing Rhea County's active designations would take about 9.3 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.2 primary care, 3 mental health, 3.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Rhea County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Rhea County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Rhea County falls in the upper quarter of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 95. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 47143. Population: 32,870.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Rhea County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Mhca 12 | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI-Rhea County | dental | 17.0 |
| Firefly Pediatrics | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Rhea County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Firefly Pediatrics | dental | 15.0 |
| Firefly Pediatrics | primary_care | 14.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Rhea County
Peak severity leads this reading: Rhea County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Rhea County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 17.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 60.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Rhea County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Rhea County falls in the upper quarter of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 95. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Rhea 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
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Rhea County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Rhea County's active designations: about 9.3 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 Rhea County, TN · 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 Rhea County's designations
Rhea County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Rhea County's 6 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 TN before you draw conclusions from a single score. TN 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.
Nearby mental-health score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Rhea County's 17.0. Open Kendall County, IL or Matanuska-Susitna County, AK next.
Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Rhea County's mental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-MHCA 12”).
Kendall County, IL
17.0 mental score · 131,869 pop.
Matanuska-Susitna County, AK
17.0 mental score · 107,081 pop.
Sevier County, TN
17.0 mental score · 98,380 pop.
Benton County, OR
17.0 mental score · 95,184 pop.
Lake County, FL
17.0 mental score · 383,956 pop.
Frederick County, MD
17.0 mental score · 271,717 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Rhea County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Rhea County carries an MUA designation (index 60.4; 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 Rhea County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI-MHCA 12" leads the active set (score 17.0; mental health; 44,440 people in the service area; ~3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/15/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Rhea County's severity reading?
- After "LI-MHCA 12", the next active names on this release are "LI-MHCA 12", "LI-Rhea County", "FIREFLY PEDIATRICS" and "LI - Rhea County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~9.3 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Rhea County's high-severity geography?
- Rhea County's 6 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 "LI-MHCA 12".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 47143. 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 47143 (Rhea County, TN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.