KS · Healthcare shortage profile
Pottawatomie County, KS
Peak severity leads this reading: Pottawatomie County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 25,348.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 25,348
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pottawatomie 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 mental health the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pottawatomie County, KS 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 19.0 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 Pottawatomie County's active designations would take about 3.3 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.3 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Pottawatomie County's 7 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 7).
Pottawatomie County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
12 Census ZCTAs intersect Pottawatomie 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
4 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.
Pottawatomie County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
7 Top 30% higher than 70% of 3,289 real US counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more real US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs · 2026
State peer position. Pottawatomie County falls in the upper quarter of KS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 105. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 20149. Population: 25,348.
Single high-priority discipline
Pottawatomie County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active mental health designations to Pottawatomie County , with a peak score of 19.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the mental health records.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Pottawatomie 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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Pottawatomie County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Mhca 14 | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Onaga Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| St Marys Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Onaga Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| St Marys Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Onaga Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| St Marys Clinic | primary_care | 14.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Pottawatomie County
Peak severity leads this reading: Pottawatomie County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Pottawatomie County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 19.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Pottawatomie County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Pottawatomie County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 19.0. 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.
Pottawatomie County falls in the upper quarter of KS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 105. 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.
Acting on Pottawatomie County's high-priority mental health
Pottawatomie County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Pottawatomie County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of KS before drawing conclusions from a single score. KS overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Pottawatomie County's 19.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Etowah County, AL and Franklin County, OH.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Pottawatomie County's mental score of 19.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-MHCA 14”).
Etowah County, AL
19.0 mental score · 103,436 pop.
Franklin County, OH
19.0 mental score · 1,323,807 pop.
Douglas County, NE
19.0 mental score · 584,526 pop.
Stark County, OH
19.0 mental score · 374,853 pop.
Canyon County, ID
19.0 mental score · 231,105 pop.
Minnehaha County, SD
19.0 mental score · 197,214 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Pottawatomie County's peak score of 19.0?
- "LI-MHCA 14" leads the active set (score 19.0; mental health; 14,040 people in the service area; ~3.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/08/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 7 active rows: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental.
- Why is Pottawatomie County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Pottawatomie 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 Pottawatomie County's severity reading?
- After "LI-MHCA 14", the next active names on this release are "LI-MHCA 14", "ONAGA CLINIC", "ST MARYS CLINIC" and "ONAGA CLINIC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.3 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Pottawatomie County's high-severity geography?
- Pottawatomie 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 "LI-MHCA 14".
- How does Pottawatomie County's peak severity sit inside KS?
- Pottawatomie County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 19.0. Pottawatomie County falls in the upper quarter of KS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 105. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Etowah County, AL and Franklin County, OH.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 20149. 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 20149 (Pottawatomie County, KS), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.