VA · Healthcare shortage profile
Rockbridge County, VA
Home to 22,650 residents, with 6 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 22,650
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Rockbridge 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
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Rockbridge 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.
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33.3% of Rockbridge 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).
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Closing Rockbridge County's active designations would take about 4.5 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.1 primary care, 0.8 mental health, 1.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 21.0 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.
Rockbridge 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. Rockbridge County falls in the upper quarter of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 133. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 51163. Population: 22,650.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Rockbridge County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. 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 Rockbridge County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge Area Free Clinic | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Rockbridge Area Free Clinic | dental | 21.0 |
| Rockbridge Area Free Clinic | primary_care | 20.0 |
| LI - Rockbridge Service Area | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Rockbridge County/Lexington City/BuenaVista City | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Rockbridge Area | primary_care | 13.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Rockbridge County
Rockbridge County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 21.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 20.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Rockbridge County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Rockbridge 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.
Rockbridge County falls in the upper quarter of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 133. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Rockbridge County's active designations: 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 Rockbridge County, VA · 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 Rockbridge County's designations
Rockbridge County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Rockbridge 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 VA before you draw conclusions from a single score. VA 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 Rockbridge County's 21.0. Open Lake County, IL or Guilford County, NC next.
Showing 3 of 3083 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Rockbridge County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (6 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (20.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Rockbridge County have?
Rockbridge County, VA has 6 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 2 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Rockbridge County a Medically Underserved Area?
Rockbridge County does not currently have a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designation from HRSA. However, the county may still have individual HPSA designations for specific provider types.
What does Rockbridge County's HPSA score of 21.0 mean?
21.0 in mental health and dental 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 Rockbridge County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Rockbridge 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.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 51163. 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.