MN · Healthcare shortage profile
Cook County, MN
Designation volume is the standout signal for Cook County: 8 active HPSA records, above 73% of real US counties. Population 5,600.
- Active HPSAs
- 8
- Population
- 5,600
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 57.7
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cook County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 8 active HPSA designations, more than 73% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 8
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 27%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Cook County, MN 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 Cook County's active designations would take about 5.9 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.6 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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37.5% of Cook County's 8 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 8).
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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.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Cook County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Cook County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
1 additional ZCTA 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, Cook County carries 8 active designations, above 73% 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. Cook County falls in the upper half of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 85. 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: 27031. Population: 5,600.
Below high-priority line
Cook County is designated, but no active score clears 17
8 active designations sit on this FIPS (2 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 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.
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 8 active (designated) HPSAs in Cook County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Region 3 Arrowhead | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Sawtooth Mountain Clinic | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Grand Portage Health Center | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Sawtooth Mountain Clinic | mental_health | 11.0 |
| Grand Portage Health Center | dental | 10.0 |
| Sawtooth Mountain Clinic | dental | 8.0 |
| Grand Portage | dental | 6.0 |
| Grand Portage Health Center | primary_care | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Cook County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Cook County: 8 active HPSA records, above 73% of real US counties. Cook County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 16.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 10.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Cook County above 73% of real US counties (8 active designations: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 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.
Cook County falls in the upper half of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 85. 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 Cook County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Cook County's active designations: about 5.9 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
High-volume peers of Cook County (8 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 8 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Cook County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Cook County carries an MUA designation (index 57.7; 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 Cook County's 8 active HPSA designations?
- 8 Designated rows (2 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LI-Region 3 Arrowhead" (score 16.0; mental health; 7,126 people in the service area; ~5.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/30/2020). Also active: "SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN CLINIC", "GRAND PORTAGE HEALTH CENTER", "SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN CLINIC". Above 73% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Cook County?
- Peak active score 16.0 in mental health stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 8 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Cook County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 5.9 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LI-Region 3 Arrowhead" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Cook County's designation volume?
- 8 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 Cook County's volume compare inside MN?
- 8 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Cook County falls in the upper half of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 85. Score-nearest counties on this release include Roanoke County, VA and Kent County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 27031. 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 27031 (Cook County, MN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 8; peak score 16.0; signature 8 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.