MD · Healthcare shortage profile
Dorchester County, MD
Peak severity leads this reading: Dorchester County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 32,531.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 32,531
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- 53.4
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Dorchester County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 3
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Dorchester County
Dorchester County intersects 19 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
7 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 Dorchester County, MD 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 19.0 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 Dorchester County's active designations would take about 9.5 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.8 primary care, 0.6 mental health, 5.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Dorchester County's 3 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).
Dorchester County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
3 Top 80% higher than 20% 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. Dorchester County falls in the lower half of MD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 23. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 24019. Population: 32,531.
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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Dorchester County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Dorchester County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Dorchester County | dental | 17.0 |
| ME - Dorchester County | mental_health | 14.0 |
Light-burden reading for Dorchester County
Peak severity leads this reading: Dorchester County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Dorchester County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 19.0 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 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 53.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Dorchester County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.
Dorchester County falls in the lower half of MD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 23. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Light-volume FTE gap for Dorchester County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Dorchester County's active designations: about 9.5 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Dorchester County, MD · 2026 HRSA designation data updated quarterly; HPSA scores 0-25 (primary/mental) and 0-26 (dental); higher = greater shortage severity. Coverage tiers from U.S. Census ACS PUMS + KFF state tracker.
Acting on Dorchester County's designations
Dorchester County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Dorchester County's 3 active designations make providers here eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of MD before you draw conclusions from a single score. MD overview
- Check whether an area clears HRSA's 3,500:1 population-to-provider threshold with the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score. 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 near Dorchester County's primary score of 19.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Dorchester County”).
Kane County, IL
19.0 primary score · 516,522 pop.
Solano County, CA
19.0 primary score · 453,491 pop.
Cumberland County, NC
19.0 primary score · 334,728 pop.
Queens County, NY
19.0 primary score · 2,405,464 pop.
Oakland County, MI
19.0 primary score · 1,274,395 pop.
Suffolk County, MA
19.0 primary score · 797,936 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Dorchester County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Dorchester County carries an MUA designation (index 53.4; 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 Dorchester County's peak score of 19.0?
- "LI-Dorchester County" leads the active set (score 19.0; primary care; 11,255 people in the service area; ~3.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 01/21/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Dorchester County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Dorchester County", the next active names on this release are "LI-Dorchester County", "Dorchester County" and "ME - Dorchester County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~9.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 24019. 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 24019 (Dorchester County, MD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.