LA · Healthcare shortage profile
Avoyelles County, LA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Avoyelles County: 33 active HPSA records, above 98% of real US counties. Population 39,693.
- Active HPSAs
- 33
- Population
- 39,693
- Peak shortage score
- 24.0
- MUA Index
- 58.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Avoyelles County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 33 active HPSA designations, more than 98% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 33
- Active HPSA designations
- 11
- Mental-health shortages
- 24
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 2%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Avoyelles 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 24.0 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 Avoyelles County's active designations would take about 22 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 8.2 primary care, 6.3 mental health, 7.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Avoyelles County's 33 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 dental (denominator 33).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Avoyelles County
Avoyelles County intersects 16 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
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.
Avoyelles County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
33 Top 2% higher than 98% 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. Avoyelles County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 64 real counties in LA. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 22009. Population: 39,693.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity 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 33 active (designated) HPSAs in Avoyelles County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| CF-Raymond Laborde Correctional Center | mental_health | 24.0 |
| Tunica Biloxi Rural Health Clinic | primary_care | 22.0 |
| Tunica-Biloxi Health Department | dental | 22.0 |
| Community Family Medical Clinic | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Mansura Family Clinic | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Marksville Family Clinic | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Cottonport Family Clinic | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Avoyelles Pediatrics | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Simmesport Family Clinic | primary_care | 21.0 |
| CF-Raymond Laborde | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Tunica-Biloxi Health Department | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Avoyelles Parish | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Avoyelles Pediatrics | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Mansura Family Clinic | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Marksville Family Clinic | mental_health | 20.0 |
| LI-Avoyelles Parish | dental | 20.0 |
| Simmesport Family Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| Marksville Family Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| Mansura Family Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| Avoyelles Pediatrics | dental | 20.0 |
| Simmesport Family Clinic | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Community Family Medical Clinic | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Cottonport Family Clinic | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Cottonport Family Clinic | dental | 19.0 |
| Avoyelles Parish | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Tunica Biloxi Rural Health Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Community Family Medical Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| CF-Raymond Laborde Correctional Center | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Tunica-Biloxi Health Department | mental_health | 15.0 |
| CF-Raymond Laborde | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Tunica Biloxi Rural Health Clinic | mental_health | 11.0 |
| CF-Raymond Laborde Correctional Center | dental | 6.0 |
| CF-Raymond Laborde | dental | 6.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Avoyelles County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Avoyelles County: 33 active HPSA records, above 98% of real US counties. Avoyelles County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 24.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 22.0 of 25; Dental care reads 22.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Avoyelles County above 98% of real US counties (33 active designations: 11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 24.0. 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.
Avoyelles County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 64 real counties in LA. 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 Avoyelles County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Avoyelles County's active designations: about 22 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 Avoyelles 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 a heavy-burden county
Avoyelles County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Avoyelles County's 33 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 With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Avoyelles County's 24.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Providence County, RI and Fresno County, CA.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Avoyelles County (33 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 33 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Avoyelles County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Avoyelles County carries an MUA designation (index 58.8; 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 Avoyelles County's 33 active HPSA designations?
- 33 Designated rows (11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "CF-RAYMOND LABORDE CORRECTIONAL CENTER" (score 24.0; mental health; 3,427 people in the service area; ~1.7 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/07/2026). Also active: "Tunica Biloxi Rural Health Clinic", "Tunica-Biloxi Health Department", "COMMUNITY FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC". Above 98% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Avoyelles County?
- Peak active score 24.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 33 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Avoyelles County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 22 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "CF-RAYMOND LABORDE CORRECTIONAL CENTER" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Avoyelles County's designation volume?
- 33 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 Avoyelles County's volume compare inside LA?
- 33 active HPSA rows · peak 24.0. Avoyelles County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 64 real counties in LA. Score-nearest counties on this release include Providence County, RI and Fresno County, CA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 22009. 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 22009 (Avoyelles County, LA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 33; peak score 24.0; signature 33 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.