NE · Healthcare shortage profile
Saunders County, NE
MUA standing opens this profile: Saunders County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 49.5 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 22,278.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 22,278
- Peak shortage score
- 12.0
- MUA Index
- 49.5
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Saunders County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 12
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Saunders County
Saunders 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 Saunders County, NE 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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Closing Saunders 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): 12 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Saunders County's 4 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 4).
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Peak HPSA score 12.0 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, Saunders County carries 4 active designations, above 44% 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. Saunders County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 92. 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: 31155. Population: 22,278.
Below high-priority line
Saunders County is designated, but no active score clears 17
4 active designations sit on this FIPS (1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental), and the peak severity is 12.0. 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
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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Saunders County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saunders Medical Center - Clinic | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Mental Health Catchment Area 5 | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Saunders Medical Center - Clinic | dental | 12.0 |
| Saunders Medical Center - Clinic | mental_health | 10.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Saunders County
MUA standing opens this profile: Saunders County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 49.5 (lower index = greater measured need). Saunders County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health and dental care: both scored 12.0 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 49.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Saunders County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Saunders County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 92. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Score neighbours for Saunders County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (12.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Saunders County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Saunders County carries an MUA designation (index 49.5; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- How do Saunders County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 4 active HPSA designations (1 primary care / 2 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "SAUNDERS MEDICAL CENTER - CLINIC" (score 12.0; primary care; 86,811 people in the service area; designated 11/18/2003). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 12.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 12.0 sits below the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 49.5 remains a separate need measure.
- Which programs can Saunders County's dual standing open?
- Active HPSA geography can open NHSC/CHC/Medicare-bonus/J-1 routes by provider type; MUA standing can open additional underserved-area pathways. Eligibility is record-specific, read the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31155. 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 31155 (Saunders County, NE), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 12.0; signature MUA index 49.5. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.