MI · Healthcare shortage profile
Delta County, MI
Designation volume is the standout signal for Delta County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Population 36,903.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 36,903
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 50.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Delta County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Delta 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 18.0 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 Delta County's active designations would take about 7.2 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3 primary care, 1.6 mental health, 2.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Delta County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Delta County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
13 Census ZCTAs intersect Delta 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
5 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.
Delta County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
12 Top 15% higher than 85% 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. Delta County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 83. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 26041. Population: 36,903.
Single high-priority discipline
Delta County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 4 active dental care designations to Delta County , with a peak score of 18.0. 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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Delta County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Escanaba Chn HL | dental | 18.0 |
| Delta County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Osf Healthcare Medical Group-Escanaba | mental_health | 16.0 |
| St Francis Hospital | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Delta County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Osf Healthcare Medical Group-Escanaba | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Escanaba Chn HL | primary_care | 15.0 |
| St Francis Hospital | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Osf Healthcare Medical Group-Escanaba | dental | 15.0 |
| LI-Delta County | dental | 15.0 |
| St Francis Hospital | dental | 15.0 |
| Escanaba Chn HL | mental_health | 12.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Delta County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Delta County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Dental care carries Delta County's deepest shortage reading, 18.0 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 50.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Delta County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 18.0. 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.
Delta County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 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 Delta County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Delta County's active designations: about 7.2 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Delta County's high-priority dental care
Delta County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Delta 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 Delta County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with St. Francois County, MO and Cherokee County, SC.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Delta County (12 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 12 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Delta County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Delta County carries an MUA designation (index 50.6; 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 Delta County's 12 active HPSA designations?
- 12 Designated rows (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "ESCANABA CHN HL" (score 18.0; dental; 2,925 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Also active: "Delta County", "OSF HEALTHCARE MEDICAL GROUP-ESCANABA", "ST FRANCIS HOSPITAL". Above 85% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Delta County?
- Peak active score 18.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 12 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Delta County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 7.2 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "ESCANABA CHN HL" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Delta County's designation volume?
- 12 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 Delta County's volume compare inside MI?
- 12 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Delta County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 83. Score-nearest counties on this release include St. Francois County, MO and Cherokee County, SC.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26041. 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 26041 (Delta County, MI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 18.0; signature 12 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.