IA · Healthcare shortage profile
Mitchell County, IA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Mitchell County: 11 active HPSA records, above 84% of real US counties. Population 10,565.
- Active HPSAs
- 11
- Population
- 10,565
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Mitchell County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 11 active HPSA designations, more than 84% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 11
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 16%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Mitchell County, IA 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 Mitchell County's active designations would take about 2.9 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.9 primary care, 1.9 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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36.4% of Mitchell County's 11 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 11).
Mitchell County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
12 Census ZCTAs intersect Mitchell 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
4 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.
Mitchell County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
11 Top 16% higher than 84% 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. Mitchell County falls in the upper quarter of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 99. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 19131. Population: 10,565.
Single high-priority discipline
Mitchell County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 4 active mental health designations to Mitchell 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 mental health records.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Mitchell 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 11 active (designated) HPSAs in Mitchell County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Riceville Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Osage Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| St Ansgar Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI Mitchell County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| St Ansgar Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Osage Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Riceville Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| St Ansgar Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Riceville Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Osage Clinic | dental | 13.0 |
| Northcentral Iowa | mental_health | 11.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Mitchell County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Mitchell County: 11 active HPSA records, above 84% of real US counties. Mitchell 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 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Mitchell County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Mitchell County above 84% of real US counties (11 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 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.
Mitchell County falls in the upper quarter of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 99. 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 Mitchell County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Mitchell County's active designations: about 2.9 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Mitchell County's high-priority mental health
Mitchell County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Mitchell 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 IA before drawing conclusions from a single score. IA 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Mitchell County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Kendall County, IL and Matanuska-Susitna County, AK.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Mitchell County (11 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 11 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes up Mitchell County's 11 active HPSA designations?
- 11 Designated rows (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "RICEVILLE CLINIC" (score 17.0; mental health; 22,925 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Also active: "OSAGE CLINIC", "ST ANSGAR CLINIC", "LI Mitchell County". Above 84% of real US counties by volume.
- Why is Mitchell County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Mitchell 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 Mitchell County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 11 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Mitchell County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 2.9 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "RICEVILLE CLINIC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Mitchell County's designation volume?
- 11 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 Mitchell County's volume compare inside IA?
- 11 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Mitchell County falls in the upper quarter of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 99. Score-nearest counties on this release include Kendall County, IL and Matanuska-Susitna County, AK.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19131. 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 19131 (Mitchell County, IA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 11; peak score 17.0; signature 11 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.