MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Pettis County, MO
Peak severity leads this reading: Pettis County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 42,980.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 42,980
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pettis County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pettis 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 25.0 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.
-
Closing Pettis County's active designations would take about 14 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.1 primary care, 7.4 mental health, 3.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of Pettis County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Pettis County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
15 Census ZCTAs intersect Pettis 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, Pettis County carries 12 active designations, above 85% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Pettis County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 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: 29159. Population: 42,980.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Pettis County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Pettis County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Health Care Clinic, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Regional Health Care Clinic, Inc. | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Regional Health Care Clinic, Inc. | mental_health | 21.0 |
| LI - Mhca 12 Columbia | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Bothwell Tlc Pediatrics | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Bothwell Ob/gyn Associates | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Bothwell Tlc Pediatrics | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Bothwell Ob/gyn Associates | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI-Pettis County | dental | 16.0 |
| Bothwell Tlc Pediatrics | dental | 15.0 |
| Bothwell Ob/gyn Associates | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Pettis County | primary_care | 14.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Pettis County
Peak severity leads this reading: Pettis County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Pettis County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Pettis County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Pettis County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 25.0. 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.
Pettis County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 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.
Pettis 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
4 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Pettis County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Pettis County's active designations: about 14 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 Pettis 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
Pettis County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Pettis County's 12 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 Pettis County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Pettis County's dental score of 25.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “REGIONAL HEALTH CARE CLINIC, INC.”).
Wayne County, MI
25.0 dental score · 1,793,561 pop.
Travis County, TX
25.0 dental score · 1,290,188 pop.
Wake County, NC
25.0 dental score · 1,129,410 pop.
Capitol County, CT
25.0 dental score · 977,165 pop.
Macomb County, MI
25.0 dental score · 881,217 pop.
San Diego County, CA
25.0 dental score · 3,298,634 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Pettis County's peak score of 25.0?
- "REGIONAL HEALTH CARE CLINIC, INC." leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 36,453 people in the service area; designated 02/28/2006). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 12 active rows: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental.
- Why is Pettis County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Pettis County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Pettis County's severity reading?
- After "REGIONAL HEALTH CARE CLINIC, INC.", the next active names on this release are "REGIONAL HEALTH CARE CLINIC, INC.", "REGIONAL HEALTH CARE CLINIC, INC.", "REGIONAL HEALTH CARE CLINIC, INC." and "LI - MHCA 12 Columbia". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~14 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Pettis County's high-severity geography?
- Pettis County's 12 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 "REGIONAL HEALTH CARE CLINIC, INC.".
- How does Pettis County's peak severity sit inside MO?
- Pettis County holds 12 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Pettis County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 115. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29159. 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 29159 (Pettis County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.