GA · Healthcare shortage profile
Putnam County, GA
Peak severity leads this reading: Putnam County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 22,047.
- Active HPSAs
- 1
- Population
- 22,047
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 57.1
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Putnam County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 1
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 98%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Putnam County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Putnam County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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 Putnam County, GA 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 18.0 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 Putnam County's active designations would take about 2.4 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.4 primary care. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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100% of Putnam County's 1 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 1).
Putnam County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
1 Top 98% higher than 2% 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. Putnam County falls in the lower half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 102 of 159. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 13237. Population: 22,047.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only · primary care only on this FIPS. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Putnam County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Putnam County | primary_care | 18.0 |
Light-burden reading for Putnam County
Peak severity leads this reading: Putnam County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Putnam County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 18.0 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Putnam County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.
Putnam County falls in the lower half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 102 of 159. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Acting on Putnam County's high-priority primary care
Putnam County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Putnam County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of GA before drawing conclusions from a single score. GA 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.
Counties near Putnam County's primary score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Putnam County”).
Whatcom County, WA
18.0 primary score · 226,847 pop.
Pitt County, NC
18.0 primary score · 170,243 pop.
Rock Island County, IL
18.0 primary score · 144,672 pop.
Ventura County, CA
18.0 primary score · 843,843 pop.
Douglas County, NE
18.0 primary score · 584,526 pop.
Lane County, OR
18.0 primary score · 382,971 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Putnam County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Putnam 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 Putnam County's peak score of 18.0?
- "LI-Putnam County" leads the active set (score 18.0; primary care; 1,004 people in the service area; ~2.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 07/18/2018). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 0 dental.
- What provider types does Putnam County's severity cover?
- Active rows break down 1 primary care / 0 mental health / 0 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 2.4 additional clinician FTEs on this release.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 13237. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) — 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 13237 (Putnam County, GA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.