UT · Healthcare shortage profile
Washington County, UT
Designation volume is the standout signal for Washington County: 19 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Population 180,279.
- Active HPSAs
- 19
- Population
- 180,279
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 54.7
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Washington County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 19 active HPSA designations, more than 95% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 19
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Dental shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 5%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Washington County, UT 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 Washington County's active designations would take about 19 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 6.1 primary care, 7 mental health, 6.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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36.8% of Washington County's 19 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 6 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 dental (denominator 19).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Washington County
Washington County intersects 21 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
9 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, Washington County carries 19 active designations, above 95% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Washington County sits among the top three county rank positions in UT, at rank 2 of 29. 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: 49053. Population: 180,279.
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 19 active (designated) HPSAs in Washington County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest Utah Community Health Center, Inc. | dental | 22.0 |
| FourPoints Health - St. George | dental | 19.0 |
| Shivwits Clinic | dental | 19.0 |
| Southwest Utah Community Health Center, Inc. | mental_health | 18.0 |
| FourPoints Health - St. George | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Shivwits Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Main Street Family Medicine, PLLC | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Enterprise Valley Medical Clinic, Inc | dental | 16.0 |
| Main Street Family Medicine, PLLC | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Enterprise Valley Medical Clinic, Inc | mental_health | 14.0 |
| LI-Washington County | dental | 14.0 |
| Enterprise Valley Medical Clinic, Inc | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Southwest Utah Community Health Center, Inc. | primary_care | 12.0 |
| FourPoints Health - St. George | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Washington County Youth Crisis Center | mental_health | 12.0 |
| LI-Washington County | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Five County (Southwest) Mhca | mental_health | 11.0 |
| Shivwits Clinic | mental_health | 11.0 |
| Main Street Family Medicine, PLLC | dental | 7.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Washington County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Washington County: 19 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Dental care carries Washington County's deepest shortage reading, 22.0 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 17.0 of 25; Mental health reads 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 54.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Washington County above 95% of real US counties (19 active designations: 6 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 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.
Washington County sits among the top three county rank positions in UT, at rank 2 of 29. 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.
Washington 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
7 designations
- Primary care
Primary care
6 designations
- Dental
Dental
6 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Washington County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Washington County's active designations: about 19 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 Washington County, UT · 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
Washington County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Washington County's 19 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of UT before you draw conclusions from a single score. UT 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 Washington County's 22.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Washington County, OR and Anchorage County, AK.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Washington County (19 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 19 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Washington County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Washington County carries an MUA designation (index 54.7; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Washington County's 19 active HPSA designations?
- 19 Designated rows (6 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Southwest Utah Community Health Center, Inc." (score 22.0; dental; 50,963 people in the service area; designated 10/31/2006). Also active: "FourPoints Health - St. George", "Shivwits Clinic", "Southwest Utah Community Health Center, Inc.". Above 95% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Washington County?
- Peak active score 22.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 19 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Washington County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 19 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Southwest Utah Community Health Center, Inc." is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Washington County's designation volume?
- 19 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Washington County's volume compare inside UT?
- 19 active HPSA rows · peak 22.0. Washington County sits among the top three county rank positions in UT, at rank 2 of 29. Score-nearest counties on this release include Washington County, OR and Anchorage County, AK.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 49053. 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 49053 (Washington County, UT), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 19; peak score 22.0; signature 19 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.