NY · Healthcare shortage profile
Lewis County, NY
Designation volume is the standout signal for Lewis County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 26,582.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 26,582
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 61.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lewis County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Primary-care shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Lewis County
Lewis County intersects 23 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
11 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 Lewis County, NY 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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Closing Lewis County's active designations would take about 4.1 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.6 primary care, 0.6 mental health, 2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Lewis County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
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Peak HPSA score 16.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lewis County carries 9 active designations, above 75% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Lewis County falls in the upper half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 62. 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: 36049. Population: 26,582.
Below high-priority line
Lewis County is designated, but no active score clears 17
9 active designations sit on this FIPS (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental), and the peak severity is 16.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Lewis County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| South Lewis Health Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Beaver River Health Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| South Lewis Health Center | mental_health | 16.0 |
| ME - Lewis County | dental | 16.0 |
| LI - Lewis County | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Beaver River Health Center | mental_health | 15.0 |
| South Lewis Health Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Beaver River Health Center | dental | 15.0 |
| ME - Lewis County | primary_care | 14.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Lewis County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Lewis County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Lewis County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health and dental care: both scored 16.0 by HRSA, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Lewis County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 16.0. 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.
Lewis County falls in the upper half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 62. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Lewis County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lewis County's active designations: about 4.1 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
High-volume peers of Lewis County (9 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 9 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Lewis County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Lewis County carries an MUA designation (index 61.8; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Lewis County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "SOUTH LEWIS HEALTH CENTER" (score 16.0; primary care; 15,798 people in the service area; designated 02/05/2024). Also active: "BEAVER RIVER HEALTH CENTER", "SOUTH LEWIS HEALTH CENTER", "ME - Lewis County". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Lewis County?
- Peak active score 16.0 in primary care and mental health and dental care stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Lewis County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 4.1 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "SOUTH LEWIS HEALTH CENTER" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Lewis County's designation volume?
- 9 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Lewis County's volume compare inside NY?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Lewis County falls in the upper half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 62. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cumberland County, ME and Deschutes County, OR.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 36049. 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 36049 (Lewis County, NY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 16.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.