Medically Underserved Area Designated · below priority line

MO · Healthcare shortage profile

Stone County, MO

Designation volume is the standout signal for Stone County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Population 31,076.

Active HPSAs
12
Population
31,076
Peak shortage score
16.0
MUA Index
49.3

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Stone 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
Primary-care shortages
16
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 15%
US counties by volume

Dense ZCTA lattice over Stone County

Stone County intersects 18 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

6 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 Stone 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.

  1. Closing Stone 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): 3.8 primary care, 13 mental health, 2.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  2. 33.3% of Stone 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).

  3. Peak HPSA score 16.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.

    Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.

Corpus placement

Designated volume without a high-priority score

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Stone County carries 12 active designations, above 85% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.

State peer position. Stone 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: 29209. Population: 31,076.

Below high-priority line

Stone County is designated, but no active score clears 17

12 active designations sit on this FIPS (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental), and the peak severity is 16.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 49.3

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 16.0
Mental Health 16.0
Dental 16.0

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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Stone County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Mercy Clinic-Branson West primary_care 16.0
Coxhealth Center Branson West primary_care 16.0
Coxhealth Center Crane primary_care 16.0
LI-Stone County primary_care 16.0
LI - Springfield mental_health 16.0
Coxhealth Center Crane mental_health 16.0
Coxhealth Center Branson West mental_health 16.0
Mercy Clinic-Branson West mental_health 16.0
LI - Stone County dental 16.0
Coxhealth Center Crane dental 15.0
Mercy Clinic-Branson West dental 15.0
Coxhealth Center Branson West dental 15.0

Heavy-burden reading for Stone County

Designation volume is the standout signal for Stone County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Stone County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health and dental care: both scored 16.0 by HRSA, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 49.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places Stone 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 16.0. 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.

Stone 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.

Heavy-volume FTE gap in Stone County

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

High-volume peers of Stone County (12 active)

One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 12 across the national corpus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Stone County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Stone County carries an MUA designation (index 49.3; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
What makes up Stone County's 12 active HPSA designations?
12 Designated rows (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "MERCY CLINIC-BRANSON WEST" (score 16.0; primary care; 52,136 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Also active: "COXHEALTH CENTER BRANSON WEST", "COXHEALTH CENTER CRANE", "LI-Stone County". Above 85% of real US counties by volume.
What does volume-plus-score look like for Stone County?
Peak active score 16.0 in primary care and mental health and dental care stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 12 rows.
What clinician need sits behind Stone County's designation volume?
Closing published gaps would take about 19 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "MERCY CLINIC-BRANSON WEST" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
Which federal programs follow Stone County's designation volume?
12 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
How does Stone County's volume compare inside MO?
12 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Stone County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 115. Score-nearest counties on this release include Madera County, CA and Hardin County, KY.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29209. 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 29209 (Stone County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 16.0; signature 12 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.