WI · Healthcare shortage profile
La Crosse County, WI
Home to 120,784 residents, with 4 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 120,784
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, La Crosse County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for La Crosse County, WI 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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50% of La Crosse County's 4 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 4).
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Closing La Crosse County's active designations would take about 2.1 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.1 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.
La Crosse County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
4 Top 56% higher than 44% 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. La Crosse County falls in the lower half of WI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 71. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 55063. Population: 120,784.
Single high-priority discipline
La Crosse County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active dental care designations to La Crosse County , with a peak score of 21.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the dental care records.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers La Crosse 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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in La Crosse County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-La Crosse | dental | 21.0 |
| LaCrosse Health Location | dental | 15.0 |
| LaCrosse Health Location | primary_care | 12.0 |
| LaCrosse Health Location | mental_health | 10.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for La Crosse County
Dental care carries La Crosse County's deepest shortage reading, 21.0 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 12.0 of 25; Mental health reads 10.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers La Crosse County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
La Crosse County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/1/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
La Crosse County falls in the lower half of WI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 71. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Acting on La Crosse County's high-priority dental care
La Crosse County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- La Crosse 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 WI before drawing conclusions from a single score. WI 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to La Crosse County's 21.0. Open Forrest County, MS or Bonner County, ID next.
Showing 3 of 2746 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for La Crosse County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (4 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (12.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does La Crosse County have?
La Crosse County, WI has 4 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 1 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is La Crosse County a Medically Underserved Area?
La Crosse 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 La Crosse County's HPSA score of 21.0 mean?
21.0 in 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 La Crosse County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, La Crosse 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: 55063. 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.