Medically Underserved Area High-priority · primary care only

IL · Healthcare shortage profile

Pulaski County, IL

Peak severity leads this reading: Pulaski County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 5,193.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
5,193
Peak shortage score
20.0
MUA Index
25.1

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pulaski County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

3
Active HPSA designations
1
Primary-care shortages
20
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pulaski County, IL 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. 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.

  2. Closing Pulaski County's active designations would take about 19 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.4 primary care, 17 mental health, 0.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Pulaski County's 3 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).

Pulaski County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

10 Census ZCTAs intersect Pulaski 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

2 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.

Pulaski County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

3 Top 80% higher than 20% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Pulaski County falls in the lower half of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 65 of 102. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 17153. Population: 5,193.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 25.1

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 20.0
Mental Health 16.0
Dental 15.0

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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Pulaski County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Pulaski County primary_care 20.0
Southern IL Mhca mental_health 16.0
LI-Pulaski County dental 15.0

Light-burden reading for Pulaski County

Peak severity leads this reading: Pulaski County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Pulaski County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 20.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 25.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Pulaski County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% 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.

Pulaski County falls in the lower half of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 65 of 102. 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 Pulaski County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Pulaski County's active designations: about 19 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Pulaski County's high-priority primary care

Pulaski County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Pulaski County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
  • See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of IL before drawing conclusions from a single score. IL overview
  • Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 near Pulaski County's primary score of 20.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “Pulaski County”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Pulaski County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Pulaski County carries an MUA designation (index 25.1; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
Which record sets Pulaski County's peak score of 20.0?
"Pulaski County" leads the active set (score 20.0; primary care; 4,921 people in the service area; ~1.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 06/10/2025). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Pulaski County's severity reading?
After "Pulaski County", the next active names on this release are "Pulaski County", "Southern IL MHCA" and "LI-Pulaski County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~19 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 17153. 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 17153 (Pulaski County, IL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.