NY · Healthcare shortage profile
Herkimer County, NY
Designation volume is the standout signal for Herkimer County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 60,139.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 60,139
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 57.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Herkimer 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
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Herkimer County
Herkimer County intersects 29 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
17 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 Herkimer 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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Peak HPSA score 17.0 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 Herkimer County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.8 primary care, 1.4 mental health, 4.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Herkimer 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).
Herkimer County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
9 Top 25% higher than 75% 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. Herkimer County falls in the upper half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 62. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 36043. Population: 60,139.
Single high-priority discipline
Herkimer County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is primary care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active primary care designations to Herkimer County , with a peak score of 17.0. 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 primary care records.
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 Herkimer County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bassett Healthcare Herkimer | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Little Falls Hospital West Winfield Health Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| ME - Herkimer County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Little Falls Hospital West Winfield Health Center | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Bassett Healthcare Herkimer | mental_health | 16.0 |
| ME-Herkimer County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-Herkimer County | dental | 16.0 |
| Bassett Healthcare Herkimer | dental | 15.0 |
| Little Falls Hospital West Winfield Health Center | dental | 15.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Herkimer County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Herkimer County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Primary care is where Herkimer County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 17.0 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 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 16.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Herkimer 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 17.0. 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.
Herkimer 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 Herkimer County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Herkimer County's active designations: about 11 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Herkimer County's high-priority primary care
Herkimer County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Herkimer County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of NY before drawing conclusions from a single score. NY 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.
Counties With a Similar Primary Care Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to Herkimer County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Bell County, TX and Dauphin County, PA.
Showing 6 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Herkimer 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 Herkimer County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Herkimer County carries an MUA designation (index 57.1; 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 Herkimer County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "BASSETT HEALTHCARE HERKIMER" (score 17.0; primary care; 72,353 people in the service area; designated 02/05/2024). Also active: "LITTLE FALLS HOSPITAL WEST WINFIELD HEALTH CENTER", "ME - Herkimer County", "LITTLE FALLS HOSPITAL WEST WINFIELD HEALTH CENTER". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Herkimer County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in primary care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Herkimer County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "BASSETT HEALTHCARE HERKIMER" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Herkimer 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 Herkimer County's volume compare inside NY?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Herkimer 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 Bell County, TX and Dauphin County, PA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 36043. 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 36043 (Herkimer County, NY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 17.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.