MI · Healthcare shortage profile
Mason County, MI
Designation volume is the standout signal for Mason County: 15 active HPSA records, above 91% of real US counties. Population 29,052.
- Active HPSAs
- 15
- Population
- 29,052
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Mason County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 15 active HPSA designations, more than 91% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 15
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Primary-care shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 9%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Mason 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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Closing Mason County's active designations would take about 5.4 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2 primary care, 1.4 mental health, 2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Mason County's 15 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 15).
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Peak HPSA score 16.0 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.
Mason County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
10 Census ZCTAs intersect Mason County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
2 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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Mason County carries 15 active designations, above 91% 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. Mason County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 83. 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: 26105. Population: 29,052.
Below high-priority line
Mason County is designated, but no active score clears 17
15 active designations sit on this FIPS (5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental), and the peak severity is 16.0. 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.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Mason County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 15 active (designated) HPSAs in Mason County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Pediatrics | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Multispecialty Center - Atkinson | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Primary Care - Lawndale | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Mercy Health Physicians Partners-Sable Point Famil | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Pediatrics | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Multispecialty Center - Atkinson | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Primary Care - Lawndale | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Mercy Health Physicians Partners-Sable Point Famil | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Mason County | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Pediatrics | dental | 15.0 |
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Multispecialty Center - Atkinson | dental | 15.0 |
| Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Primary Care - Lawndale | dental | 15.0 |
| Mercy Health Physicians Partners-Sable Point Famil | dental | 15.0 |
| LI-Mason County | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Mason County | primary_care | 13.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Mason County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Mason County: 15 active HPSA records, above 91% of real US counties. Mason County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health: both scored 16.0 by HRSA, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Mason County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Mason County above 91% of real US counties (15 active designations: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 16.0. 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.
Mason County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 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 Mason County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Mason County's active designations: about 5.4 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
High-volume peers of Mason County (15 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 15 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes up Mason County's 15 active HPSA designations?
- 15 Designated rows (5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Pediatrics" (score 16.0; primary care; 22,232 people in the service area; designated 11/20/2017). Also active: "Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Multispecialty Center - Atkinson", "Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Primary Care - Lawndale", "MERCY HEALTH PHYSICIANS PARTNERS-SABLE POINT FAMIL". Above 91% of real US counties by volume.
- Why is Mason County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Mason County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Mason County?
- Peak active score 16.0 in primary care and mental health stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 15 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Mason County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 5.4 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Corewell Health Ludington Hospital Pediatrics" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Mason County's designation volume?
- 15 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 Mason County's volume compare inside MI?
- 15 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Mason County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 83. Score-nearest counties on this release include Dubuque County, IA and Dane County, WI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26105. 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 26105 (Mason County, MI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 15; peak score 16.0; signature 15 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.