MI · Healthcare shortage profile
Gratiot County, MI
Designation volume is the standout signal for Gratiot County: 24 active HPSA records, above 96% of real US counties. Population 41,761.
- Active HPSAs
- 24
- Population
- 41,761
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 61.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Gratiot County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 24 active HPSA designations, more than 96% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 24
- Active HPSA designations
- 8
- Dental shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 4%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Gratiot County, MI 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 Gratiot County's active designations would take about 7 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.6 primary care, 0.9 mental health, 3.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Gratiot County's 24 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 8 primary care, 8 mental health, 8 dental (denominator 24).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Gratiot County
Gratiot 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.
Gratiot County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
24 Top 4% higher than 96% 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. Gratiot County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 83. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 26057. Population: 41,761.
Single high-priority discipline
Gratiot County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 8 active dental care designations to Gratiot 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
Peak severity 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 24 active (designated) HPSAs in Gratiot County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Family Medical Care Ithaca | dental | 17.0 |
| Family Medical Care - Breckenridge | dental | 17.0 |
| Sparrow Medical Group- Ithaca | dental | 17.0 |
| Family Medical Care - Breckenridge | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Sparrow Medical Group- Ithaca | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Midmichigan Health Family Practice Center-Alma | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Alma Internal Medicine | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Center For Obstetrics & Gynecology | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Family Medical Care Ithaca | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Family Medical Care - Breckenridge | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Alma Internal Medicine | dental | 15.0 |
| Center For Obstetrics & Gynecology | dental | 15.0 |
| Midmichigan Health Family Practice Center-Alma | dental | 15.0 |
| LI-Gratiot County | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Gratiot County | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Midmichigan Health Family Practice Center-Alma | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Alma Internal Medicine | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Center For Obstetrics & Gynecology | mental_health | 13.0 |
| St. Louis Correctional Facility | mental_health | 12.0 |
| LI - Gratiot County | mental_health | 12.0 |
| CF - St. Louis | dental | 12.0 |
| Family Medical Care Ithaca | mental_health | 10.0 |
| Sparrow Medical Group- Ithaca | mental_health | 10.0 |
| CF - St. Louis | primary_care | 6.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Gratiot County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Gratiot County: 24 active HPSA records, above 96% of real US counties. Dental care carries Gratiot 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 61.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Gratiot County above 96% of real US counties (24 active designations: 8 primary care, 8 mental health, 8 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 17.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Gratiot County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 83. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Gratiot County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Gratiot County's active designations: about 7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Gratiot County's high-priority dental care
Gratiot County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Gratiot 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 MI before drawing conclusions from a single score. MI 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 With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Gratiot County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Will County, IL and Jackson County, MI.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Gratiot County (24 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 24 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Gratiot County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Gratiot County carries an MUA designation (index 61.1; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Gratiot County's 24 active HPSA designations?
- 24 Designated rows (8 primary care, 8 mental health, 8 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "FAMILY MEDICAL CARE ITHACA" (score 17.0; dental; 147,469 people in the service area; designated 11/01/2013). Also active: "FAMILY MEDICAL CARE - BRECKENRIDGE", "SPARROW MEDICAL GROUP- ITHACA", "FAMILY MEDICAL CARE - BRECKENRIDGE". Above 96% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Gratiot County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 24 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Gratiot County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 7 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "FAMILY MEDICAL CARE ITHACA" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Gratiot County's designation volume?
- 24 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Gratiot County's volume compare inside MI?
- 24 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Gratiot County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 83. Score-nearest counties on this release include Will County, IL and Jackson County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26057. 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 26057 (Gratiot County, MI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 24; peak score 17.0; signature 24 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.