MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Buchanan County, MO
Peak severity leads this reading: Buchanan County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 84,793.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 84,793
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 49.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Buchanan County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Buchanan County, MO 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 Buchanan County's active designations would take about 21 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 8.6 primary care, 3.7 mental health, 8.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Buchanan County's 7 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 7).
Buchanan County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
15 Census ZCTAs intersect Buchanan 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Buchanan County carries 7 active designations, above 70% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Buchanan County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 57 of 115. 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: 29021. Population: 84,793.
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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Buchanan County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Health Services Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Northwest Health Services Inc | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Northwest Health Services Inc | mental_health | 20.0 |
| LI-Buchanan County | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI - St. Joseph Mhca #1 | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI - Clinton/Buchanan Counties | dental | 17.0 |
| Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center | primary_care | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Buchanan County
Peak severity leads this reading: Buchanan County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Buchanan 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 20.0 of 25; Mental health reads 20.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 49.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Buchanan County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 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.
Buchanan County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 57 of 115. 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.
Buchanan 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
3 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Buchanan County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Buchanan County's active designations: about 21 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 Buchanan County, MO · 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
Buchanan County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Buchanan County's 7 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 MO before you draw conclusions from a single score. MO 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 Buchanan County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Medina County, OH and Fairfield County, OH.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Buchanan County's dental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “NORTHWEST HEALTH SERVICES INC”).
Medina County, OH
23.0 dental score · 182,470 pop.
Fairfield County, OH
23.0 dental score · 158,921 pop.
Douglas County, KS
23.0 dental score · 118,785 pop.
Adams County, CO
23.0 dental score · 519,572 pop.
Horry County, SC
23.0 dental score · 351,029 pop.
Lexington County, SC
23.0 dental score · 293,991 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Buchanan County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Buchanan County carries an MUA designation (index 49.5; 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 Buchanan County's peak score of 23.0?
- "NORTHWEST HEALTH SERVICES INC" leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 43,258 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 7 active rows: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Buchanan County's severity reading?
- After "NORTHWEST HEALTH SERVICES INC", the next active names on this release are "NORTHWEST HEALTH SERVICES INC", "NORTHWEST HEALTH SERVICES INC", "NORTHWEST HEALTH SERVICES INC" and "LI-Buchanan County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~21 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Buchanan County's high-severity geography?
- Buchanan County's 7 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "NORTHWEST HEALTH SERVICES INC".
- How does Buchanan County's peak severity sit inside MO?
- Buchanan County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 23.0. Buchanan County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 57 of 115. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Medina County, OH and Fairfield County, OH.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29021. 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 29021 (Buchanan County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.