OH · Healthcare shortage profile
Union County, OH
Designation volume is the standout signal for Union County: 4 active HPSA records, above 44% of real US counties. Population 62,784.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 62,784
- Peak shortage score
- 9.0
- MUA Index
- MUA
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Union 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
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 9
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Union County
Union County intersects 21 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
9 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 Union County, OH 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.
-
Closing Union County's active designations would take about 3.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 primary care, 1.6 mental health, 0.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Union 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).
-
Peak HPSA score 9.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Union County carries 4 active designations, above 44% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Union County falls in the upper half of OH counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 88. 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: 39159. Population: 62,784.
Below high-priority line
Union County is designated, but no active score clears 17
4 active designations sit on this FIPS (1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental), and the peak severity is 9.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
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 Union County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio Reformatory for Women | mental_health | 9.0 |
| Union County Mhca | mental_health | 8.0 |
| Ohio Reformatory for Women | primary_care | 3.0 |
| Ohio Reformatory for Women | dental | 3.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Union County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Union County: 4 active HPSA records, above 44% of real US counties. Union County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 9.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 3.0 of 25; Dental care reads 3.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.
Union 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.
Union County falls in the upper half of OH counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 88. 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 Union County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Union County's active designations: about 3.5 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Volume peers of Union County across the national corpus
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 4 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Union County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Union County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Union County's 4 active HPSA designations?
- 4 Designated rows (1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Ohio Reformatory for Women" (score 9.0; mental health; 4,335 people in the service area; ~0.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 11/22/2016). Also active: "Union County MHCA", "Ohio Reformatory for Women", "Ohio Reformatory for Women". Above 44% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Union County?
- Peak active score 9.0 in mental health stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 4 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Union County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 3.5 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Ohio Reformatory for Women" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 39159. 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 39159 (Union County, OH), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 9.0; signature 4 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.