MT · Healthcare shortage profile
Lake County, MT
MUA standing opens this profile: Lake County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 31,134.
- Active HPSAs
- 39
- Population
- 31,134
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lake County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 39 active HPSA designations, more than 98% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 39
- Active HPSA designations
- 13
- Mental-health shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 2%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Lake 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 20.0 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 Lake County's active designations would take about 5.7 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4 primary care, 0.5 mental health, 1.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Lake County's 39 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 13 primary care, 13 mental health, 13 dental (denominator 39).
Lake County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
15 Census ZCTAs intersect Lake 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
7 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.
Lake County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
39 Top 2% higher than 98% 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. Lake County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 56 real counties in MT. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 30047. Population: 31,134.
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 39 active (designated) HPSAs in Lake County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Arlee Health Center | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Flathead Tribal Clinic | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Flathead Tribal Clinic | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Ronan Health Center | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Polson Health Center | mental_health | 19.0 |
| LI - Lake County | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Elmo Health Center | mental_health | 19.0 |
| St. Ignatius Health Center | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Salish Kootenai College Health Center | mental_health | 18.0 |
| St. Ignatius Health Center | mental_health | 18.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Ronan | mental_health | 18.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Polson | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Providence St Joseph Medical Center Polson | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI - Lake County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic St Ignatius | primary_care | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Ronan | primary_care | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Ridgewater | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Arlee Health Center | primary_care | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Ridgewater | mental_health | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Polson | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Providence St Joseph Medical Center Polson | mental_health | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Ronan | dental | 17.0 |
| Providence St Joseph Medical Center Polson | dental | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Polson | dental | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic Ridgewater | dental | 17.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic St Ignatius | mental_health | 16.0 |
| St Luke Community Clinic St Ignatius | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Lake County | dental | 13.0 |
| Arlee Health Center | dental | 12.0 |
| Salish Kootenai College Health Center | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Polson Health Center | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Ronan Health Center | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Ronan Health Center | dental | 11.0 |
| Polson Health Center | dental | 11.0 |
| Salish Kootenai College Health Center | dental | 10.0 |
| Elmo Health Center | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Flathead Tribal Clinic | dental | 9.0 |
| Elmo Health Center | dental | 9.0 |
| St. Ignatius Health Center | dental | 6.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Lake County
MUA standing opens this profile: Lake County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Lake County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 20.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 19.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Lake County above 98% of real US counties (39 active designations: 13 primary care, 13 mental health, 13 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 20.0. 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.
Lake County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 56 real counties in MT. 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 Lake County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lake County's active designations: about 5.7 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 Lake 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
Lake County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lake County's 39 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 Lake County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Bibb County, GA and Oakland County, MI.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Score neighbours for Lake County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (19.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Lake County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Lake County carries an MUA designation (index 0.0; 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 Lake County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 39 active HPSA designations (13 primary care / 13 mental health / 13 dental); highest-scored active name is "Arlee Health Center" (score 20.0; mental health; 13,955 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 20.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 20.0 clears the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 0.0 remains a separate need measure.
- Which programs can Lake County's dual standing open?
- Active HPSA geography can open NHSC/CHC/Medicare-bonus/J-1 routes by provider type; MUA standing can open additional underserved-area pathways. Eligibility is record-specific, read the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
- How does Lake County compare across MT?
- 39 active HPSA rows, peak 20.0. Lake County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 56 real counties in MT. Score-nearest counties on this release include Bibb County, GA and Oakland County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 30047. 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 30047 (Lake County, MT), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 39; peak score 20.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.