PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Somerset County, PA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Somerset County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 74,129.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 74,129
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 55.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Somerset 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Somerset County
Somerset County intersects 41 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
29 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 Somerset County, PA 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.
-
Closing Somerset County's active designations would take about 7.3 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.7 primary care, 1.9 mental health, 3.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of Somerset 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).
-
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, Somerset 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. Somerset County falls in the upper quarter of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 67. 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: 42111. Population: 74,129.
Below high-priority line
Somerset 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 Somerset County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Family Health Care Meyersdale Rhc | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Family Health Care Meyersdale Rhc | primary_care | 14.0 |
| LI-Somerset County | dental | 12.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Somerset | dental | 12.0 |
| Family Health Care Meyersdale Rhc | dental | 11.0 |
| LI-Confluence Service Area | primary_care | 10.0 |
| Somerset County | mental_health | 8.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Somerset | primary_care | 6.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Somerset | mental_health | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Somerset County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Somerset County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Somerset County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 16.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 12.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Somerset 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.
Somerset County falls in the upper quarter of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 67. 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 Somerset County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Somerset County's active designations: about 7.3 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
High-volume peers of Somerset 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 Somerset County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Somerset County carries an MUA designation (index 55.5; 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 Somerset County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "FAMILY HEALTH CARE MEYERSDALE RHC" (score 16.0; mental health; 73,291 people in the service area; designated 12/29/2017). Also active: "FAMILY HEALTH CARE MEYERSDALE RHC", "LI-Somerset County", "CF-State Correctional Institution - Somerset". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Somerset County?
- Peak active score 16.0 in mental health stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Somerset County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 7.3 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "FAMILY HEALTH CARE MEYERSDALE RHC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Somerset 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 Somerset County's volume compare inside PA?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Somerset County falls in the upper quarter of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 67. Score-nearest counties on this release include Jefferson County, MO and Carroll County, MD.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42111. 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 42111 (Somerset County, PA), 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.