WV · Healthcare shortage profile
McDowell County, WV
Peak severity leads this reading: McDowell County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 19,111.
- Active HPSAs
- 21
- Population
- 19,111
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 56.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McDowell County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 21 active HPSA designations, more than 95% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 21
- Active HPSA designations
- 7
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 5%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for McDowell County, WV 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 26.0 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 McDowell 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): 5.1 primary care, 1.8 mental health, 4.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of McDowell County's 21 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental (denominator 21).
Dense ZCTA lattice over McDowell County
McDowell County intersects 38 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
26 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McDowell County carries 21 active designations, above 95% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. McDowell County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 55 real counties in WV. 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: 54047. Population: 19,111.
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 21 active (designated) HPSAs in McDowell County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Tug River Health Association Inc | dental | 26.0 |
| Tug River Health Association Inc | mental_health | 24.0 |
| Fci - McDowell | dental | 24.0 |
| Tug River Health Association Inc | primary_care | 23.0 |
| McDowell County | primary_care | 22.0 |
| McDowell County | dental | 22.0 |
| Yukon Medical Clinic | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Family Healthcare Associates - Welch | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Fci - McDowell | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Welch Community Hospital Rhc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Fci - McDowell | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Bradshaw Medical Clinic | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Yukon Medical Clinic | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Bradshaw Medical Clinic | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Welch Community Hospital Rhc | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Welch Community Hospital Rhc | dental | 20.0 |
| Yukon Medical Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| Bradshaw Medical Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| McDowell County | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Family Healthcare Associates - Welch | dental | 19.0 |
| Family Healthcare Associates - Welch | mental_health | 18.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for McDowell County
Peak severity leads this reading: McDowell County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries McDowell County's deepest shortage reading, 26.0 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 23.0 of 25; Mental health reads 24.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places McDowell County above 95% of real US counties (21 active designations: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 26.0. 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.
McDowell County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 55 real counties in WV. 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.
McDowell 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
7 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
7 designations
- Dental
Dental
7 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in McDowell County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for McDowell County's active designations: about 11 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 McDowell County, WV · 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 a heavy-burden county
McDowell County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- McDowell County's 21 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 WV before you draw conclusions from a single score. WV 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 With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to McDowell County's 26.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Tulare County, CA and Frederick County, MD.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near McDowell County's dental score of 26.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 26.0 (severity lead on this page is “TUG RIVER HEALTH ASSOCIATION INC”).
Tulare County, CA
26.0 dental score · 473,117 pop.
Frederick County, MD
26.0 dental score · 271,717 pop.
Hampshire County, MA
26.0 dental score · 162,308 pop.
Berkeley County, WV
26.0 dental score · 122,076 pop.
Klamath County, OR
26.0 dental score · 69,413 pop.
Marion County, IN
26.0 dental score · 977,203 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does McDowell County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - McDowell County carries an MUA designation (index 56.8; 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 McDowell County's peak score of 26.0?
- "TUG RIVER HEALTH ASSOCIATION INC" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 18,457 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 21 active rows: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under McDowell County's severity reading?
- After "TUG RIVER HEALTH ASSOCIATION INC", the next active names on this release are "TUG RIVER HEALTH ASSOCIATION INC", "TUG RIVER HEALTH ASSOCIATION INC", "FCI - McDowell" and "TUG RIVER HEALTH ASSOCIATION INC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow McDowell County's high-severity geography?
- McDowell County's 21 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 "TUG RIVER HEALTH ASSOCIATION INC".
- How does McDowell County's peak severity sit inside WV?
- McDowell County holds 21 active HPSA rows with peak 26.0. McDowell County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 55 real counties in WV. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Tulare County, CA and Frederick County, MD.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 54047. 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 54047 (McDowell County, WV), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 21; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.