Medically Underserved Area Designated · below priority line

ND · Healthcare shortage profile

Sheridan County, ND

MUA standing opens this profile: Sheridan County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 24.7 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 1,265.

Active HPSAs
2
Population
1,265
Peak shortage score
11.0
MUA Index
24.7

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sheridan County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.

2
Active HPSA designations
1
Mental-health shortages
11
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 90%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Sheridan County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Sheridan County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

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.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Sheridan County, ND 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 Sheridan County's active designations would take about 3.2 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  2. 50% of Sheridan County's 2 active designations are mental health.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).

  3. Peak HPSA score 11.0 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, Sheridan 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. Sheridan County falls in the lower half of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 37 of 53. 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: 38083. Population: 1,265.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 24.7

Active HPSA scores

Mental Health 11.0
Dental 7.0

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 Sheridan County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Region VII West Central Human Service Center mental_health 11.0
Sheridan County dental 7.0

Light-burden reading for Sheridan County

MUA standing opens this profile: Sheridan County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 24.7 (lower index = greater measured need). Sheridan County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 11.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Dental care reads 7.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 24.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Sheridan 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.

Sheridan County falls in the lower half of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 37 of 53. 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 Sheridan County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Sheridan County's active designations: about 3.2 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Score neighbours for Sheridan County's MUA-led profile

One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sheridan County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Sheridan County carries an MUA designation (index 24.7; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
How do Sheridan County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
2 active HPSA designations (0 primary care / 1 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "Region VII West Central Human Service Center" (score 11.0; mental health; 150,750 people in the service area; ~3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 09/04/2025). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
What does the 11.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
11.0 sits below the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 24.7 remains a separate need measure.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 38083. This county’s designations come from 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 38083 (Sheridan County, ND), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 11.0; signature MUA index 24.7. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.