MT · Healthcare shortage profile
Big Horn County, MT
Designation volume is the standout signal for Big Horn County: 18 active HPSA records, above 94% of real US counties. Population 13,124.
- Active HPSAs
- 18
- Population
- 13,124
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 45.7
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Big Horn County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 18 active HPSA designations, more than 94% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 18
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Mental-health shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 6%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Big Horn County, MT 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 22.0 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 Big Horn County's active designations would take about 4.4 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.2 primary care, 0.8 mental health, 1.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Big Horn County's 18 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental (denominator 18).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Big Horn County
Big Horn County intersects 18 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
6 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.
Big Horn County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
18 Top 6% higher than 94% 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. Big Horn County sits among the top three county rank positions in MT, at rank 2 of 56. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 30003. Population: 13,124.
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 18 active (designated) HPSAs in Big Horn County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bighorn Valley Health Center Inc | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Lodge Grass Health Center | dental | 22.0 |
| Pryor Health Station | dental | 22.0 |
| Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital | dental | 22.0 |
| Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Bighorn Valley Health Center Inc | dental | 21.0 |
| Crow Health Location | dental | 21.0 |
| Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Crow Health Location | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Big Horn County | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Lodge Grass Health Center | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Bighorn Valley Health Center Inc | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Lodge Grass Health Center | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Crow Health Location | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Big Horn County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| LI - Big Horn County | dental | 19.0 |
| Pryor Health Station | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Pryor Health Station | mental_health | 13.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Big Horn County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Big Horn County: 18 active HPSA records, above 94% of real US counties. Big Horn County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 22.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 20.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 45.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Big Horn County above 94% of real US counties (18 active designations: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 22.0. 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.
Big Horn County sits among the top three county rank positions in MT, at rank 2 of 56. 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 Big Horn County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Big Horn County's active designations: about 4.4 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Big Horn County, MT · 2026 HRSA designation data updated quarterly; HPSA scores 0-25 (primary/mental) and 0-26 (dental); higher = greater shortage severity. Coverage tiers from U.S. Census ACS PUMS + KFF state tracker.
Acting on a heavy-burden county
Big Horn County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Big Horn County's 18 active designations make providers here eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of MT before you draw conclusions from a single score. MT overview
- Check whether an area clears HRSA's 3,500:1 population-to-provider threshold with the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score. 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 Big Horn County's 22.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Collier County, FL and Cook County, IL.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Big Horn County (18 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 18 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Big Horn County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Big Horn County carries an MUA designation (index 45.7; 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 Big Horn County's 18 active HPSA designations?
- 18 Designated rows (6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "BIGHORN VALLEY HEALTH CENTER INC" (score 22.0; mental health; 12,030 people in the service area; designated 06/01/2012). Also active: "Lodge Grass Health Center", "Pryor Health Station", "Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital". Above 94% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Big Horn County?
- Peak active score 22.0 in mental health and dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 18 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Big Horn County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 4.4 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "BIGHORN VALLEY HEALTH CENTER INC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Big Horn County's designation volume?
- 18 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 Big Horn County's volume compare inside MT?
- 18 active HPSA rows · peak 22.0. Big Horn County sits among the top three county rank positions in MT, at rank 2 of 56. Score-nearest counties on this release include Collier County, FL and Cook County, IL.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 30003. 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 30003 (Big Horn County, MT), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 18; peak score 22.0; signature 18 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.