VA · Healthcare shortage profile
Nelson County, VA
Peak severity leads this reading: Nelson County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 14,775.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 14,775
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 57.1
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Nelson County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Nelson County
Nelson County intersects 18 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
6 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 Nelson County, VA 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 23.0 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 Nelson County's active designations would take about 7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.5 primary care, 3.2 mental health, 2.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Nelson County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Nelson County carries 6 active designations, above 54% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Nelson County falls in the upper quarter of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 133. 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: 51125. Population: 14,775.
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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Nelson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Health Center Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Blue Ridge Health Center Inc. | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Blue Ridge Health Center Inc. | mental_health | 20.0 |
| LI-Region 10 Mhca | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Nelson County | dental | 15.0 |
| Nelson County-GEO | primary_care | 11.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Nelson County
Peak severity leads this reading: Nelson County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Nelson County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 20.0 of 25; Mental health reads 20.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Nelson County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Nelson County falls in the upper quarter of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 133. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Nelson County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
2 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Nelson County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Nelson County's active designations: about 7 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 Nelson County, VA · 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 Nelson County's designations
Nelson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Nelson County's 6 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 VA before you draw conclusions from a single score. VA 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Nelson County's 23.0. Open Kern County, CA or Prince William County, VA next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Nelson County's dental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “BLUE RIDGE HEALTH CENTER INC.”).
Kern County, CA
23.0 dental score · 909,235 pop.
Prince William County, VA
23.0 dental score · 482,204 pop.
Rutherford County, TN
23.0 dental score · 341,486 pop.
San Luis Obispo County, CA
23.0 dental score · 282,424 pop.
Calcasieu County, LA
23.0 dental score · 216,785 pop.
Kootenai County, ID
23.0 dental score · 171,362 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Nelson County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Nelson 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.
- Which record sets Nelson County's peak score of 23.0?
- "BLUE RIDGE HEALTH CENTER INC." leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 11,411 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Nelson County's severity reading?
- After "BLUE RIDGE HEALTH CENTER INC.", the next active names on this release are "BLUE RIDGE HEALTH CENTER INC.", "BLUE RIDGE HEALTH CENTER INC.", "BLUE RIDGE HEALTH CENTER INC." and "LI-Region 10 MHCA". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Nelson County's high-severity geography?
- Nelson County's 6 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 "BLUE RIDGE HEALTH CENTER INC.".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 51125. 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 51125 (Nelson County, VA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.