Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

WY · Healthcare shortage profile

Sheridan County, WY

Peak severity leads this reading: Sheridan County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 30,921.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
30,921
Peak shortage score
19.0
MUA Index
57.5

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sheridan County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

3
Active HPSA designations
1
Mental-health shortages
19
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Sheridan County, WY 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 19.0 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.

  2. Closing Sheridan County's active designations would take about 6.8 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, 4 mental health, 1.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Sheridan County's 3 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).

Sheridan County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

12 Census ZCTAs intersect Sheridan County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.

Largest land-share ZCTAs

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.

Sheridan County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

3 Top 80% higher than 20% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Sheridan County falls in the lower half of WY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 14 of 23. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 56033. Population: 30,921.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 57.5

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 14.0
Mental Health 19.0
Dental 12.0

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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Sheridan County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Northeast Wyoming Mhca mental_health 19.0
Eastern Sheridan primary_care 14.0
West Sheridan County dental 12.0

Light-burden reading for Sheridan County

Peak severity leads this reading: Sheridan County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Sheridan County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 19.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 12.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Sheridan County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.

Sheridan County falls in the lower half of WY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 14 of 23. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Light-volume FTE gap for Sheridan County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Sheridan County's active designations: about 6.8 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Sheridan County's high-priority mental health

Sheridan County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Sheridan 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 WY before drawing conclusions from a single score. WY 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.

Counties near Sheridan County's mental score of 19.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “Northeast Wyoming MHCA”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sheridan County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Sheridan County carries an MUA designation (index 57.5; 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 Sheridan County's peak score of 19.0?
"Northeast Wyoming MHCA" leads the active set (score 19.0; mental health; 30,000 people in the service area; ~4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 09/04/2025). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Sheridan County's severity reading?
After "Northeast Wyoming MHCA", the next active names on this release are "Northeast Wyoming MHCA", "Eastern Sheridan" and "West Sheridan County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6.8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 56033. 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 56033 (Sheridan County, WY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.