Medically Underserved Area Designated · below priority line

IA · Healthcare shortage profile

Poweshiek County, IA

Peak severity leads this reading: Poweshiek County's highest active HPSA score is 13.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 18,662.

Active HPSAs
2
Population
18,662
Peak shortage score
13.0
MUA Index
61.0

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Poweshiek 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
13
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 90%
US counties by volume

Dense ZCTA lattice over Poweshiek County

Poweshiek County intersects 17 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

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.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Poweshiek 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.

  1. Closing Poweshiek County's active designations would take about 1.8 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, 1.6 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  2. 50% of Poweshiek 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).

  3. Peak HPSA score 13.0 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.

Corpus placement

Designated volume without a high-priority score

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Poweshiek County carries 2 active designations, above 10% 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. Poweshiek County falls in the lower half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 66 of 99. 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: 19157. Population: 18,662.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 61.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 7.0
Mental Health 13.0

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 Poweshiek County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Jasper/Poweshiek Counties mental_health 13.0
Poweshiek County primary_care 7.0

Light-burden reading for Poweshiek County

Peak severity leads this reading: Poweshiek County's highest active HPSA score is 13.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Poweshiek County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 13.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 7.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Poweshiek 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.

Poweshiek County falls in the lower half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 66 of 99. 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 Poweshiek County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Poweshiek County's active designations: about 1.8 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Counties near Poweshiek County's mental score of 13.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 13.0 (severity lead on this page is “Jasper/Poweshiek Counties”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Poweshiek County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Poweshiek County carries an MUA designation (index 61.0; 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 Poweshiek County's peak score of 13.0?
"Jasper/Poweshiek Counties" leads the active set (score 13.0; mental health; 33,000 people in the service area; ~1.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/10/2023). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Poweshiek County's severity reading?
After "Jasper/Poweshiek Counties", the next active names on this release are "Jasper/Poweshiek Counties" and "Poweshiek County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~1.8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19157. 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 19157 (Poweshiek County, IA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 13.0; signature peak score 13.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.