MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Ozark County, MO
Peak severity leads this reading: Ozark County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 8,553.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 8,553
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 49.6
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Ozark County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Ozark County
Ozark County intersects 21 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
9 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Ozark 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 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 Ozark County's active designations would take about 6 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, 3.6 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Ozark County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Ozark County carries 6 active designations, above 54% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Ozark County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 58 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: 29153. Population: 8,553.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Ozark County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Ozark County | dental | 20.0 |
| LI-Ozark County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| LI - Region 18 Mhca | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Ozarks Healthcare Gainesville | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Ozarks Healthcare Gainesville | dental | 17.0 |
| Ozarks Healthcare Gainesville | primary_care | 15.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Ozark County
Peak severity leads this reading: Ozark County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Ozark County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 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 19.0 of 25; Mental health reads 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 49.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Ozark County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Ozark County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 58 of 115. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Ozark 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
2 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Ozark County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Ozark County's active designations: about 6 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 Ozark 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 Ozark County's designations
Ozark County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Ozark County's 6 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Ozark County's 20.0. Open Allegan County, MI or Umatilla County, OR next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Ozark County's dental score of 20.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Ozark County”).
Allegan County, MI
20.0 dental score · 120,502 pop.
Umatilla County, OR
20.0 dental score · 80,075 pop.
Toa Alta County, PR
20.0 dental score · 66,852 pop.
Oxford County, ME
20.0 dental score · 57,777 pop.
Cortland County, NY
20.0 dental score · 46,809 pop.
Ocean County, NJ
20.0 dental score · 637,229 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Ozark County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Ozark County carries an MUA designation (index 49.6; 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 Ozark County's peak score of 20.0?
- "LI - Ozark County" leads the active set (score 20.0; dental; 4,042 people in the service area; ~1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/25/2026). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Ozark County's severity reading?
- After "LI - Ozark County", the next active names on this release are "LI - Ozark County", "LI-Ozark County", "LI - Region 18 MHCA" and "OZARKS HEALTHCARE GAINESVILLE". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Ozark County's high-severity geography?
- Ozark County's 6 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 "LI - Ozark County".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29153. 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 29153 (Ozark County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.