LA · Healthcare shortage profile
Ascension County, LA
Peak severity leads this reading: Ascension County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 126,500.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 126,500
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 56.7
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Ascension County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 5
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Ascension County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Ascension County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
3 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 Ascension 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.
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Peak HPSA score 22.0 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 Ascension County's active designations would take about 1.4 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.7 primary care, 0.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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40% of Ascension County's 5 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 5).
Ascension County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
5 Top 53% higher than 47% 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. Ascension County falls in the lower half of LA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 64. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 22005. Population: 126,500.
Single high-priority discipline
Ascension County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active dental care designations to Ascension County , with a peak score of 22.0. 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 dental care records.
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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Ascension County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Ascension Parish-Donaldsonville SA | dental | 22.0 |
| Reddy Family Medical Clinic Donaldsonville | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Reddy Family Medical Clinic Donaldsonville | dental | 14.0 |
| Ascension Parish-Donaldsonville Cut-Out Area | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Reddy Family Medical Clinic Donaldsonville | mental_health | 11.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Ascension County
Peak severity leads this reading: Ascension County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Ascension County's deepest shortage reading, 22.0 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 11.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Ascension County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/1/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Ascension County falls in the lower half of LA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 64. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Ascension County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Ascension County's active designations: about 1.4 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Ascension County's high-priority dental care
Ascension County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Ascension County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of LA before drawing conclusions from a single score. LA 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Ascension County's 22.0. Open Rio Grande County, PR or Carlton County, MN next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Ascension County's dental score of 22.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 22.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-ASCENSION PARISH-DONALDSONVILLE SA”).
Rio Grande County, PR
22.0 dental score · 47,060 pop.
Carlton County, MN
22.0 dental score · 36,207 pop.
Barranquitas County, PR
22.0 dental score · 28,983 pop.
Manatee County, FL
22.0 dental score · 399,710 pop.
Madera County, CA
22.0 dental score · 156,255 pop.
Ross County, OH
22.0 dental score · 77,093 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Ascension County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Ascension County carries an MUA designation (index 56.7; 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 Ascension County's peak score of 22.0?
- "LI-ASCENSION PARISH-DONALDSONVILLE SA" leads the active set (score 22.0; dental; 1,700 people in the service area; ~0.7 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/20/2026). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Ascension County's severity reading?
- After "LI-ASCENSION PARISH-DONALDSONVILLE SA", the next active names on this release are "LI-ASCENSION PARISH-DONALDSONVILLE SA", "REDDY FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC DONALDSONVILLE", "REDDY FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC DONALDSONVILLE" and "ASCENSION PARISH-DONALDSONVILLE CUT-OUT AREA". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~1.4 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Ascension County's high-severity geography?
- Ascension County's 5 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-ASCENSION PARISH-DONALDSONVILLE SA".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 22005. 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 22005 (Ascension County, LA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 22.0; signature peak score 22.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.