RI · Healthcare shortage profile
Newport County, RI
Peak severity leads this reading: Newport County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 85,643.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 85,643
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 60.4
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Newport County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 5
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Newport County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Newport County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
3 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 Newport County, RI 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 25.0 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 Newport County's active designations would take about 3 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.8 mental health, 1.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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40% of Newport County's 5 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 5).
Newport County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
5 Top 53% higher than 47% 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. Newport County sits among the top three county rank positions in RI, at rank 3 of 5. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 44005. Population: 85,643.
Single high-priority discipline
Newport County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active dental care designations to Newport County , with a peak score of 25.0. 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.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Newport County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| East Bay Community Action Program | dental | 25.0 |
| East Bay Community Action Program | mental_health | 16.0 |
| ME - Newport/Middletown | dental | 15.0 |
| East Bay Community Action Program | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Newport County | mental_health | 8.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Newport County
Peak severity leads this reading: Newport County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Newport County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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 60.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Newport County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Newport County sits among the top three county rank positions in RI, at rank 3 of 5. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Newport County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Newport County's active designations: about 3 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Newport County's high-priority dental care
Newport County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Newport 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 RI before drawing conclusions from a single score. RI 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 Newport County's 25.0. Open Cook County, IL or Riverside County, CA next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Newport County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Newport County carries an MUA designation (index 60.4; 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 Newport County's peak score of 25.0?
- "EAST BAY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 24,500 people in the service area; designated 09/30/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Newport County's severity reading?
- After "EAST BAY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM", the next active names on this release are "EAST BAY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM", "ME - Newport/Middletown" and "Newport County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Newport County's high-severity geography?
- Newport County's 5 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "EAST BAY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 44005. 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 44005 (Newport County, RI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.