Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

LA · Healthcare shortage profile

Acadia County, LA

Peak severity leads this reading: Acadia County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 57,576.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
57,576
Peak shortage score
20.0
MUA Index
61.3

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Acadia County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

3
Active HPSA designations
1
Dental shortages
20
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume
C+
Healthcare Access Score
60/100
Acadia County, LA

Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.

Primary care C+
15.0 of 25
Primary care shortage severity (HPSA score)
Mental health F
19.0 of 25
Mental health shortage severity (HPSA score)
Dental F
20.0 of 26
Dental shortage severity (HPSA score)
Underserved status A+
IMU 61.3
Index of Medical Underservice (designated MUA)
Provider gap C+
1.9 per 10K
Unmet provider need (HRSA-estimated) per 10,000 residents

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Acadia County, LA 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. 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.

  2. Closing Acadia County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.3 primary care, 2.8 mental health, 4.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Acadia County's 3 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).

Acadia County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

15 Census ZCTAs intersect Acadia 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

7 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.

Acadia County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

3 Top 80% higher than 20% of 3,289 real US counties

This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Acadia County falls in the lower half of LA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 44 of 64. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 22001. Population: 57,576.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 61.3

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 15.0 Below priority line
Mental Health 19.0 High priority
Dental 20.0 High priority

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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Acadia County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Acadia Parish dental 20.0
Acadia Parish mental_health 19.0
LI - Acadia Parish primary_care 15.0

Light-burden reading for Acadia County

Peak severity leads this reading: Acadia County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Acadia 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 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 19.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Acadia County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.

Acadia County falls in the lower half of LA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 44 of 64. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Light-volume FTE gap for Acadia County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Acadia County's active designations: about 11 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 Acadia County, LA · 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 Acadia County's designations

Acadia County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Acadia County's 3 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 LA before you draw conclusions from a single score. LA 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 near Acadia 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 - Acadia Parish”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Acadia County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Acadia County carries an MUA designation (index 61.3; 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 Acadia County's peak score of 20.0?
"LI - Acadia Parish" leads the active set (score 20.0; dental; 5,844 people in the service area; ~4.9 FTE still needed on the record; designated 01/05/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Acadia County's severity reading?
After "LI - Acadia Parish", the next active names on this release are "LI - Acadia Parish" and "Acadia Parish". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 22001. 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 22001 (Acadia County, LA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.