IA · Healthcare shortage profile
Washington County, IA
Peak severity leads this reading: Washington County's highest active HPSA score is 15.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 22,565.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 22,565
- Peak shortage score
- 15.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Washington 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
- Primary-care shortages
- 15
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Washington 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.
-
Closing Washington County's active designations would take about 5.7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.5 primary care, 4.2 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Washington 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).
-
Peak HPSA score 15.0 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.
Washington County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
13 Census ZCTAs intersect Washington 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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Washington 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. Washington 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: 19183. Population: 22,565.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Washington 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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Washington County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI Washington County Area | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Southeast Counties | mental_health | 14.0 |
Light-burden reading for Washington County
Peak severity leads this reading: Washington County's highest active HPSA score is 15.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Washington County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 15.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Mental health reads 14.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Washington County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Washington 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.
Washington 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 Washington County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Washington County's active designations: about 5.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Counties near Washington County's primary score of 15.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 15.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI Washington County Area”).
Hampshire County, MA
15.0 primary score · 162,308 pop.
Ascension County, LA
15.0 primary score · 126,500 pop.
Ashtabula County, OH
15.0 primary score · 97,574 pop.
Monroe County, FL
15.0 primary score · 82,874 pop.
Chippewa County, WI
15.0 primary score · 66,297 pop.
Essex County, NJ
15.0 primary score · 863,728 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Washington County's peak score of 15.0?
- "LI Washington County Area" leads the active set (score 15.0; primary care; 4,498 people in the service area; ~1.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 07/16/2025). 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.
- Why is Washington County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Washington County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Washington County's severity reading?
- After "LI Washington County Area", the next active names on this release are "LI Washington County Area" and "Southeast Counties". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~5.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19183. 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 19183 (Washington County, IA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 15.0; signature peak score 15.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.