WV · Healthcare shortage profile
Roane County, WV
Home to 14,028 residents, with 18 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 18
- Population
- 14,028
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 60.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Roane County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 18 active HPSA designations, more than 94% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 18
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Primary-care shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 6%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Roane County, WV on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-03. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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33.3% of Roane County's 18 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental (denominator 18).
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Closing Roane County's active designations would take about 3.1 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.9 primary care, 0.4 mental health, 0.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 20.0 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Roane County carries 18 active designations, above 94% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Roane County sits among the top three county rank positions in WV, at rank 2 of 55. 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: 54087. Population: 14,028.
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 18 active (designated) HPSAs in Roane County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Roane County Family Health Care | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Walton Medical Clinic | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Roane County Family Health Care | dental | 19.0 |
| Roane General Medical Associates | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI - Roane County | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Roane General Medical Clinic | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Southern Roane Medical Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Roane General Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Roane General Medical Associates | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Walton Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Southern Roane Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Roane County Family Health Care | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Roane General Medical Associates | dental | 17.0 |
| Southern Roane Medical Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Roane General Medical Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Roane County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-Roane County | dental | 15.0 |
| Walton Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Roane County
Primary care is where Roane County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 20.0 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 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 19.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 60.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Roane County above 94% of real US counties (18 active designations: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 20.0. 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.
Roane County sits among the top three county rank positions in WV, at rank 2 of 55. 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.
Roane County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
6 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
6 designations
- Dental
Dental
6 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Roane County, WV · 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
Roane County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Roane County's 18 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 WV before you draw conclusions from a single score. WV 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 Primary Care Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to Roane County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Gaston County, NC and Newport News City County, VA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Roane County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Roane County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 60.4. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Roane County have?
Roane County, WV has 18 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 6 in primary care, 6 in mental health, and 6 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Roane County's HPSA score of 20.0 mean?
20.0 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 Roane County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Roane 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 Roane County's designations unlock?
Roane County's 18 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 Roane County compare to other counties in WV?
Roane County has 18 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 20.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in WV on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Roane County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Gaston County, NC and Newport News City County, VA.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Explore more WV shortage data
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 54087. 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 54087 (Roane County, WV) 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 2026-08-03.