AZ · Healthcare shortage profile
La Paz County, AZ
Designation volume is the standout signal for La Paz County: 30 active HPSA records, above 97% of real US counties. Population 16,557.
- Active HPSAs
- 30
- Population
- 16,557
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 31.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, La Paz County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 30 active HPSA designations, more than 97% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 30
- Active HPSA designations
- 10
- Dental shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 3%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for La Paz County, AZ 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 20.0 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 La Paz County's active designations would take about 6.1 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.6 primary care, 0.8 mental health, 1.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of La Paz County's 30 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 10 primary care, 10 mental health, 10 dental (denominator 30).
Few Census ZCTAs touch La Paz County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting La Paz 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, La Paz County carries 30 active designations, above 97% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. La Paz County falls in the lower half of AZ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 15. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 04012. Population: 16,557.
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 30 active (designated) HPSAs in La Paz County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Parker Hospital | dental | 20.0 |
| Colorado Indian Community Substance Abuse | dental | 19.0 |
| Colorado Indian Community Substance Abuse | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Parker Hospital | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LA Paz Medical Services Quartzsite | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LA Paz Medical Services Quartzsite | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Parker Medical Center, Ltd | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Bouse Medical Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Quartzsite | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Parker Walk IN Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Quartzsite | dental | 17.0 |
| LA Paz Medical Services Quartzsite | dental | 17.0 |
| Bouse Medical Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Tri-Valley Medical Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Parker Medical Center, Ltd | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Parker Walk IN Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Colorado River Indian Tribes | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Bouse Medical Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Tri-Valley Medical Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Parker Walk IN Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Parker Medical Center, Ltd | dental | 15.0 |
| Colorado River Indian Tribes | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Parker | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Tri-Valley Medical Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Quartzsite | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Colorado River Indian Tribes | dental | 14.0 |
| Parker | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Parker Hospital | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Colorado Indian Community Substance Abuse | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Parker | dental | 8.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for La Paz County
Designation volume is the standout signal for La Paz County: 30 active HPSA records, above 97% of real US counties. Dental care carries La Paz County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 18.0 of 25; Mental health reads 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 31.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places La Paz County above 97% of real US counties (30 active designations: 10 primary care, 10 mental health, 10 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 20.0. 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.
La Paz County falls in the lower half of AZ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 15. 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.
La Paz 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
10 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
10 designations
- Dental
Dental
10 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in La Paz County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for La Paz County's active designations: about 6.1 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 La Paz County, AZ · 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
La Paz County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- La Paz County's 30 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 AZ before you draw conclusions from a single score. AZ 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 Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to La Paz County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Snohomish County, WA and Marion County, FL.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of La Paz County (30 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 30 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does La Paz County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - La Paz County carries an MUA designation (index 31.1; 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 La Paz County's 30 active HPSA designations?
- 30 Designated rows (10 primary care, 10 mental health, 10 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "PARKER HOSPITAL" (score 20.0; dental; 4,244 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Also active: "Colorado Indian Community Substance Abuse", "Colorado Indian Community Substance Abuse", "PARKER HOSPITAL". Above 97% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for La Paz County?
- Peak active score 20.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 30 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind La Paz County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 6.1 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "PARKER HOSPITAL" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow La Paz County's designation volume?
- 30 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 La Paz County's volume compare inside AZ?
- 30 active HPSA rows · peak 20.0. La Paz County falls in the lower half of AZ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 15. Score-nearest counties on this release include Snohomish County, WA and Marion County, FL.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 04012. 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 04012 (La Paz County, AZ), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 30; peak score 20.0; signature 30 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.