CO · Healthcare shortage profile
Baca County, CO
Peak severity leads this reading: Baca County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 3,506.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 3,506
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Baca 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
- Primary-care shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Baca County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Baca 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 Baca 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.
-
Peak HPSA score 21.0 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.
-
Closing Baca County's active designations would take about 3.8 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 primary care, 2.9 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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40% of Baca County's 5 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 5).
Baca 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. Baca County falls in the upper half of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 64. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 08009. Population: 3,506.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Baca 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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Baca County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Baca County | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Southeast Colorado Physicians Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Southeast Colorado Physicians Clinic | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Southeast Colorado Physicians Clinic | dental | 13.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Baca County
Peak severity leads this reading: Baca County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Baca County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health: both scored 21.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Dental care reads 13.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Baca County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Baca 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 (2/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Baca County falls in the upper half of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 64. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Baca 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 Baca County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Baca County's active designations: about 3.8 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 Baca County, CO · 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 Baca County's designations
Baca County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Baca County's 5 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 CO before you draw conclusions from a single score. CO 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 Baca County's 21.0. Open Brazoria County, TX or Forsyth County, GA next.
Showing 3 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Baca County's primary score of 21.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 21.0 (severity lead on this page is “Baca County”).
Brazoria County, TX
21.0 primary score · 372,031 pop.
Forsyth County, GA
21.0 primary score · 251,283 pop.
Sumner County, TN
21.0 primary score · 196,281 pop.
Maricopa County, AZ
21.0 primary score · 4,420,568 pop.
Hillsborough County, FL
21.0 primary score · 1,459,762 pop.
Kern County, CA
21.0 primary score · 909,235 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Baca County's peak score of 21.0?
- "Baca County" leads the active set (score 21.0; primary care; 3,364 people in the service area; ~1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 07/18/2022). 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, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Baca County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Baca 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 Baca County's severity reading?
- After "Baca County", the next active names on this release are "Baca County", "Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area", "SOUTHEAST COLORADO PHYSICIANS CLINIC" and "SOUTHEAST COLORADO PHYSICIANS CLINIC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Baca County's high-severity geography?
- Baca 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 "Baca County".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 08009. 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 08009 (Baca County, CO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 21.0; signature peak score 21.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.