OH · Healthcare shortage profile
Putnam County, OH
Peak severity leads this reading: Putnam County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 34,451.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 34,451
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 61.3
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Putnam County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Putnam County
Putnam County intersects 20 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
8 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 Putnam 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.
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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 Putnam County's active designations would take about 1.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.2 primary care, 1.3 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Putnam County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 2).
Putnam County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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 OH counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 88. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 39137. Population: 34,451.
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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Putnam County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Putnam County | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Putnam County | primary_care | 7.0 |
Light-burden reading for Putnam County
Peak severity leads this reading: Putnam County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Putnam County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 7.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Putnam County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% 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 OH counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 88. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Light-volume FTE gap for Putnam County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Putnam County's active designations: about 1.5 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Putnam County's high-priority mental health
Putnam County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Putnam County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of OH before drawing conclusions from a single score. OH 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 mental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “Putnam County”).
Lafourche County, LA
17.0 mental score · 97,557 pop.
Dane County, WI
17.0 mental score · 561,504 pop.
McHenry County, IL
17.0 mental score · 310,229 pop.
Clay County, MO
17.0 mental score · 253,335 pop.
Dorchester County, SC
17.0 mental score · 161,540 pop.
Flagler County, FL
17.0 mental score · 115,378 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Putnam County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Putnam County carries an MUA designation (index 61.3; 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 17.0?
- "Putnam County" leads the active set (score 17.0; mental health; 11,250 people in the service area; ~1.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/09/2010). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Putnam County's severity reading?
- After "Putnam County", the next active names on this release are "Putnam County" and "Putnam County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~1.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 39137. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 39137 (Putnam County, OH), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.