FL · Healthcare shortage profile
Sarasota County, FL
Peak severity leads this reading: Sarasota County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 434,006.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 434,006
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 48.8
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sarasota 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
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.
Dense ZCTA lattice over Sarasota County
Sarasota County intersects 28 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
16 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 Sarasota County, FL 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.
-
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 Sarasota County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 11 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Sarasota 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).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sarasota County carries 4 active designations, above 44% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Sarasota County falls in the lower half of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 57 of 67. 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: 12115. Population: 434,006.
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 Sarasota County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Centerplace Health, Inc | dental | 26.0 |
| Centerplace Health, Inc | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Centerplace Health, Inc | primary_care | 19.0 |
| LI-Central FL Behavioral HealthNetwork-Circuit12-MHCA | mental_health | 16.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Sarasota County
Peak severity leads this reading: Sarasota County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Sarasota 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 19.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 48.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Sarasota 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.
Sarasota County falls in the lower half of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 57 of 67. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Sarasota County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Primary care
Primary care
1 designations
- Dental
Dental
1 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Sarasota County, FL · 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 Sarasota County's designations
Sarasota County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Sarasota County's 4 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of FL before you draw conclusions from a single score. FL 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 Sarasota County's 26.0. Open Tulare County, CA or Clermont County, OH next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Sarasota County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Sarasota County carries an MUA designation (index 48.8; 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 Sarasota County's peak score of 26.0?
- "CENTERPLACE HEALTH, INC" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 84,720 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). 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 Sarasota County's severity reading?
- After "CENTERPLACE HEALTH, INC", the next active names on this release are "CENTERPLACE HEALTH, INC" and "LI-Central FL Behavioral HealthNetwork-Circuit12-MHCA". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Sarasota County's high-severity geography?
- Sarasota 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 "CENTERPLACE HEALTH, INC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 12115. 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 12115 (Sarasota County, FL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.