OR · Healthcare shortage profile
Wasco County, OR
Designation volume is the standout signal for Wasco County: 15 active HPSA records, above 91% of real US counties. Population 26,670.
- Active HPSAs
- 15
- Population
- 26,670
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 59.3
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wasco County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 15 active HPSA designations, more than 91% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 15
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 9%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wasco County, OR 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 Wasco County's active designations would take about 4.8 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.2 primary care, 1.1 mental health, 1.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Wasco County's 15 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 15).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Wasco County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Wasco County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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.
Wasco County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
15 Top 9% higher than 91% 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. Wasco County falls in the upper quarter of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 36. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 41065. Population: 26,670.
Single high-priority discipline
Wasco County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 5 active mental health designations to Wasco 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.
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 15 active (designated) HPSAs in Wasco County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Mid Columbia Catchment Area | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Water's Edge Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Columbia River Women's Center | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Mcmc Family Medicine | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Columbia Crest Medical Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-Wasco County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| LI - Wasco County | dental | 15.0 |
| Water's Edge Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Columbia River Women's Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Mcmc Family Medicine | dental | 15.0 |
| Columbia Crest Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Mcmc Family Medicine | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Columbia River Women's Center | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Columbia Crest Medical Clinic | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Water's Edge Medical Clinic | primary_care | 13.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Wasco County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Wasco County: 15 active HPSA records, above 91% of real US counties. Wasco 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 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Wasco County above 91% of real US counties (15 active designations: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 18.0. 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.
Wasco County falls in the upper quarter of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 36. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Wasco County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wasco County's active designations: about 4.8 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Wasco County's high-priority mental health
Wasco County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wasco 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 OR before drawing conclusions from a single score. OR 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 With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Wasco County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Caguas County, PR and Cuyahoga County, OH.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Wasco County (15 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 15 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Wasco County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Wasco County carries an MUA designation (index 59.3; 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 Wasco County's 15 active HPSA designations?
- 15 Designated rows (5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LI-Mid Columbia Catchment Area" (score 18.0; mental health; 15,715 people in the service area; ~1.1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/25/2026). Also active: "WATER'S EDGE MEDICAL CLINIC", "COLUMBIA RIVER WOMEN'S CENTER", "MCMC FAMILY MEDICINE". Above 91% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Wasco County?
- Peak active score 18.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 15 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Wasco County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 4.8 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LI-Mid Columbia Catchment Area" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Wasco County's designation volume?
- 15 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 Wasco County's volume compare inside OR?
- 15 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Wasco County falls in the upper quarter of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 36. Score-nearest counties on this release include Caguas County, PR and Cuyahoga County, OH.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 41065. 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 41065 (Wasco County, OR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 15; peak score 18.0; signature 15 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.