MT · Healthcare shortage profile
Glacier County, MT
Designation volume is the standout signal for Glacier County: 18 active HPSA records, above 94% of real US counties. Population 13,778.
- Active HPSAs
- 18
- Population
- 13,778
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 43.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Glacier 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
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 6%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Glacier 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.
-
Peak HPSA score 23.0 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 Glacier County's active designations would take about 7.6 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.6 primary care, 4 mental health, 1.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Glacier 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).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Glacier County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Glacier County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Glacier County carries 18 active designations, above 94% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Glacier County sits among the top three county rank positions in MT, at rank 2 of 56. 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: 30035. Population: 13,778.
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 Glacier County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier Community Health Center Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Blackfeet Community Hospital (Formerly Browning Hospital) | dental | 22.0 |
| Glacier Community Health Center Inc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| North-Central Montana | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Babb Health Location (school) | dental | 21.0 |
| Southern Peigan Diabetes Project | dental | 21.0 |
| Glacier County | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Northern Rockies Medical Clinic | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Blackfeet Community Hospital (Formerly Browning Hospital) | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Southern Peigan Diabetes Project | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Babb Health Location (school) | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Blackfeet Community Hospital (Formerly Browning Hospital) | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Glacier Community Health Center Inc | mental_health | 20.0 |
| LI - Glacier County | dental | 20.0 |
| Northern Rockies Medical Clinic | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Babb Health Location (school) | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Northern Rockies Medical Clinic | dental | 19.0 |
| Southern Peigan Diabetes Project | mental_health | 18.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Glacier County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Glacier County: 18 active HPSA records, above 94% of real US counties. Dental care carries Glacier County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 21.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 43.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Glacier 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 23.0. 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.
Glacier 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.
Glacier County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
6 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
6 designations
- Dental
Dental
6 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Glacier County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Glacier County's active designations: about 7.6 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 Glacier 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
Glacier County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Glacier 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 Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Glacier County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Spartanburg County, SC and McLennan County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Glacier 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 Glacier County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Glacier County carries an MUA designation (index 43.6; 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 Glacier County's 18 active HPSA designations?
- 18 Designated rows (6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "GLACIER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC" (score 23.0; dental; 7,378 people in the service area; designated 09/30/2003). Also active: "Blackfeet Community Hospital (Formerly Browning Hospital)", "GLACIER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC", "North-Central Montana". Above 94% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Glacier County?
- Peak active score 23.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 18 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Glacier County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 7.6 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "GLACIER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Glacier 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 Glacier County's volume compare inside MT?
- 18 active HPSA rows · peak 23.0. Glacier County sits among the top three county rank positions in MT, at rank 2 of 56. Score-nearest counties on this release include Spartanburg County, SC and McLennan County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 30035. 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 30035 (Glacier County, MT), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 18; peak score 23.0; signature 18 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.