Medically Underserved Area High-priority · dental care only

VA · Healthcare shortage profile

Bath County, VA

Peak severity leads this reading: Bath County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 4,209.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
4,209
Peak shortage score
17.0
MUA Index
50.0
VA state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bath County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

3
Active HPSA designations
1
Dental shortages
17
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Bath County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Bath 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.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Bath County, VA 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Closing Bath County's active designations would take about 2 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.1 primary care, 0.8 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Bath County's 3 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).

Bath County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

3 Top 80% higher than 20% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Bath County falls in the upper half of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 55 of 133. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 51017. Population: 4,209.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 50.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 11.0
Mental Health 16.0
Dental 17.0

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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Bath County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Bath County dental 17.0
LI - Rockbridge Service Area mental_health 16.0
Bath County primary_care 11.0

Light-burden reading for Bath County

Peak severity leads this reading: Bath County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Bath County's deepest shortage reading, 17.0 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 11.0 of 25; Mental health reads 16.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 50.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Bath County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.

Bath County falls in the upper half of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 55 of 133. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Light-volume FTE gap for Bath County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Bath County's active designations: about 2 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Bath County's high-priority dental care

Bath County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Bath County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
  • See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of VA before drawing conclusions from a single score. VA 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 near Bath County's dental score of 17.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “Bath County”).

Bossier County, LA

17.0 dental score · 128,746 pop.

Woodbury County, IA

17.0 dental score · 105,941 pop.

Ashtabula County, OH

17.0 dental score · 97,574 pop.

Rockingham County, VA

17.0 dental score · 83,757 pop.

Lea County, NM

17.0 dental score · 74,455 pop.

Washington County, PA

17.0 dental score · 209,349 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bath County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Bath County carries an MUA designation (index 50.0; 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 Bath County's peak score of 17.0?
"Bath County" leads the active set (score 17.0; dental; 3,987 people in the service area; ~1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 06/07/1978). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Bath County's severity reading?
After "Bath County", the next active names on this release are "Bath County", "LI - Rockbridge Service Area" and "Bath County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~2 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 51017. 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 51017 (Bath County, VA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.