WV · Healthcare shortage profile
Lewis County, WV
Peak severity leads this reading: Lewis County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 17,033.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 17,033
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 33.9
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lewis County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Lewis 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 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 Lewis County's active designations would take about 3.1 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.8 primary care, 1.4 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Lewis County's 4 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 4).
Lewis County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
11 Census ZCTAs intersect Lewis County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
3 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.
Lewis County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
4 Top 56% higher than 44% 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. Lewis County falls in the lower half of WV counties by active-designation volume, at rank 39 of 55. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 54041. Population: 17,033.
Single high-priority discipline
Lewis County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 1 active dental care designation to Lewis 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 dental care records.
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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Lewis County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Lewis County | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Lewis County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-Lewis County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital | mental_health | 12.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Lewis County
Peak severity leads this reading: Lewis County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Lewis County's deepest shortage reading, 17.0 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 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 16.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 33.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Lewis County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Lewis County falls in the lower half of WV counties by active-designation volume, at rank 39 of 55. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Lewis County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lewis County's active designations: about 3.1 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Lewis County's high-priority dental care
Lewis County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lewis County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of WV before drawing conclusions from a single score. WV 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Lewis County's 17.0. Open Wayne County, NY or Talladega County, AL next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Lewis County's dental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Lewis County”).
Wayne County, NY
17.0 dental score · 91,283 pop.
Talladega County, AL
17.0 dental score · 82,149 pop.
Christian County, KY
17.0 dental score · 72,748 pop.
Pitt County, NC
17.0 dental score · 170,243 pop.
Rowan County, NC
17.0 dental score · 146,875 pop.
Jasper County, MO
17.0 dental score · 122,761 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Lewis County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Lewis County carries an MUA designation (index 33.9; 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 Lewis County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI-Lewis County" leads the active set (score 17.0; dental; 2,240 people in the service area; ~1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/01/2017). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 4 active rows: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Lewis County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Lewis County", the next active names on this release are "LI-Lewis County", "LI-Lewis County", "LI-Lewis County" and "William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Lewis County's high-severity geography?
- Lewis County's 4 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 "LI-Lewis County".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 54041. 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 54041 (Lewis County, WV), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.