AR · Healthcare shortage profile
Independence County, AR
Peak severity leads this reading: Independence County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 37,938.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 37,938
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 46.8
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Independence County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Primary-care shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Independence County
Independence County intersects 20 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
8 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 Independence County, AR 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 18.0 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 Independence County's active designations would take about 11 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 primary care, 5.5 mental health, 1.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Independence County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Independence County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Independence County falls in the upper half of AR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 23 of 75. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 05063. Population: 37,938.
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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Independence County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Access Medical Clinic Arkansas LLC | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Mhca- Batesville | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Access Medical Clinic Arkansas LLC | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI - Independence County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Access Medical Clinic Arkansas LLC | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Independence County | dental | 14.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Independence County
Peak severity leads this reading: Independence County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Independence County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health: both scored 18.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 46.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Independence County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Independence County falls in the upper half of AR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 23 of 75. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Independence County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
2 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Independence County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Independence 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 Independence County, AR · 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 Independence County's designations
Independence County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Independence County's 6 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 AR before you draw conclusions from a single score. AR 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.
Nearby primary-care score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active primary-care HPSA score to Independence County's 18.0. Open Rapides County, LA or Kent County, MI next.
Showing 3 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Independence County's primary score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “ACCESS MEDICAL CLINIC ARKANSAS LLC”).
Rapides County, LA
18.0 primary score · 130,023 pop.
Kent County, MI
18.0 primary score · 657,974 pop.
Richmond County, NY
18.0 primary score · 495,747 pop.
Collier County, FL
18.0 primary score · 375,752 pop.
Brown County, WI
18.0 primary score · 268,740 pop.
Minnehaha County, SD
18.0 primary score · 197,214 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Independence County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Independence County carries an MUA designation (index 46.8; 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 Independence County's peak score of 18.0?
- "ACCESS MEDICAL CLINIC ARKANSAS LLC" leads the active set (score 18.0; primary care; 32,381 people in the service area; designated 11/05/2024). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Independence County's severity reading?
- After "ACCESS MEDICAL CLINIC ARKANSAS LLC", the next active names on this release are "ACCESS MEDICAL CLINIC ARKANSAS LLC", "MHCA- Batesville", "ACCESS MEDICAL CLINIC ARKANSAS LLC" and "LI - Independence County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Independence County's high-severity geography?
- Independence County's 6 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 "ACCESS MEDICAL CLINIC ARKANSAS LLC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 05063. 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 05063 (Independence County, AR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.