MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Pulaski County, MO
Peak severity leads this reading: Pulaski County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 53,955.
- Active HPSAs
- 15
- Population
- 53,955
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 58.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pulaski County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 15 active HPSA designations, more than 91% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 15
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 9%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pulaski 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.
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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.
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Closing Pulaski County's active designations would take about 12 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4 primary care, 4.7 mental health, 3.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Pulaski County's 15 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 15).
Pulaski County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
11 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
3 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, Pulaski County carries 15 active designations, above 91% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Pulaski County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 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: 29169. Population: 53,955.
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 15 active (designated) HPSAs in Pulaski County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Richland Medical Center Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Richland Medical Center Inc. | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Richland Medical Center Inc. | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Family Medicine St Robert | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Richland | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Family Medicine St Robert | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Phelps Health Medical Group Waynesville | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Phelps Health Medical Group Waynesville | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Richland | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Phelps Health Medical Group Waynesville | dental | 17.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Richland | dental | 17.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Family Medicine St Robert | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Pulaski County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI - Mhca 11 Cole Catchment Area | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Pulaski County | dental | 15.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Pulaski County
Peak severity leads this reading: Pulaski County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Pulaski 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 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Pulaski County above 91% of real US counties (15 active designations: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 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.
Pulaski County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 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.
Pulaski 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
5 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
5 designations
- Dental
Dental
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Pulaski County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Pulaski County's active designations: about 12 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 Pulaski 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
Pulaski County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Pulaski County's 15 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 Pulaski County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Pulaski 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 “RICHLAND MEDICAL CENTER INC.”).
Cook County, IL
25.0 dental score · 5,275,541 pop.
Riverside County, CA
25.0 dental score · 2,418,185 pop.
Broward County, FL
25.0 dental score · 1,944,375 pop.
Bronx County, NY
25.0 dental score · 1,472,654 pop.
Salt Lake County, UT
25.0 dental score · 1,185,238 pop.
Fresno County, CA
25.0 dental score · 1,008,654 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Pulaski County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Pulaski County carries an MUA designation (index 58.1; 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 25.0?
- "RICHLAND MEDICAL CENTER INC." leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 38,716 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 15 active rows: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Pulaski County's severity reading?
- After "RICHLAND MEDICAL CENTER INC.", the next active names on this release are "RICHLAND MEDICAL CENTER INC.", "RICHLAND MEDICAL CENTER INC.", "RICHLAND MEDICAL CENTER INC." and "MERCY CLINIC FAMILY MEDICINE ST ROBERT". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~12 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Pulaski County's high-severity geography?
- Pulaski County's 15 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 "RICHLAND MEDICAL CENTER INC.".
- How does Pulaski County's peak severity sit inside MO?
- Pulaski County holds 15 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Pulaski County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 115. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29169. 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 29169 (Pulaski County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 15; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.