CO · Healthcare shortage profile
Lake County, CO
Peak severity leads this reading: Lake County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 7,436.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 7,436
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lake 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
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.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Lake County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 2 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Lake County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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 Lake County, CO 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 Lake County's active designations would take about 4 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.1 primary care, 2.6 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Lake 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).
Lake 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. Lake County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 64. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 08065. Population: 7,436.
Single high-priority discipline
Lake County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active mental health designations to Lake County , with a peak score of 18.0. 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 mental health records.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Lake County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. 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 Lake County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| West Central Mental Health Catchment Area | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Lake County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| St Vincent Family Health Center And Urgent Care | primary_care | 15.0 |
| St Vincent Family Health Center And Urgent Care | dental | 15.0 |
| St Vincent Family Health Center And Urgent Care | mental_health | 9.0 |
| Lake County | dental | 9.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Lake County
Peak severity leads this reading: Lake County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Lake County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Lake County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Lake 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.
Lake County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 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 Lake County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lake County's active designations: about 4 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Lake County's high-priority mental health
Lake County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lake County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of CO before drawing conclusions from a single score. CO 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 mental-health score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Lake County's 18.0. Open Hendricks County, IN or Berrien County, MI next.
Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Lake County's mental score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “West Central Mental Health Catchment Area”).
Hendricks County, IN
18.0 mental score · 174,788 pop.
Berrien County, MI
18.0 mental score · 154,316 pop.
Skagit County, WA
18.0 mental score · 129,523 pop.
Northwest Hills County, CT
18.0 mental score · 112,696 pop.
Will County, IL
18.0 mental score · 696,355 pop.
Galveston County, TX
18.0 mental score · 350,682 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Lake County's peak score of 18.0?
- "West Central Mental Health Catchment Area" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 30,000 people in the service area; ~2.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/09/2021). 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.
- Why is Lake County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Lake County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Lake County's severity reading?
- After "West Central Mental Health Catchment Area", the next active names on this release are "West Central Mental Health Catchment Area", "Lake County", "ST VINCENT FAMILY HEALTH CENTER AND URGENT CARE" and "ST VINCENT FAMILY HEALTH CENTER AND URGENT CARE". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Lake County's high-severity geography?
- Lake 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 "West Central Mental Health Catchment Area".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 08065. 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 08065 (Lake County, CO), 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.