OR · Healthcare shortage profile
Morrow County, OR
Designation volume is the standout signal for Morrow County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Population 12,186.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 12,186
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 56.0
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Morrow County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Primary-care shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Morrow 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 Morrow County's active designations would take about 7.4 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.2 primary care, 5 mental health, 0.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Morrow County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Morrow County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Morrow County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
2 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.
Morrow County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
12 Top 15% higher than 85% 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. Morrow County falls in the upper half of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 of 36. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 41049. Population: 12,186.
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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Morrow County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia River Health | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Irrigon Medical Clinic | mental_health | 18.0 |
| East Columbia | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Pioneer Memorial Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Irrigon Medical Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Pioneer Memorial Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Columbia River Health | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Irrigon Medical Clinic | dental | 14.0 |
| Morrow County | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Columbia River Health | dental | 12.0 |
| Pioneer Memorial Clinic | dental | 10.0 |
| LI-Morrow County | dental | 8.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Morrow County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Morrow County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Morrow County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health: both scored 18.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Dental care reads 14.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Morrow County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 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.
Morrow County falls in the upper half of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 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.
Morrow 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
4 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Morrow County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Morrow County's active designations: about 7.4 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 Morrow County, OR · 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
Morrow County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Morrow County's 12 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 OR before you draw conclusions from a single score. OR 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 Primary Care Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to Morrow County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Placer County, CA and Boulder County, CO.
Showing 6 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Morrow County (12 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 12 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Morrow County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Morrow County carries an MUA designation (index 56.0; 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 Morrow County's 12 active HPSA designations?
- 12 Designated rows (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "COLUMBIA RIVER HEALTH" (score 18.0; primary care; 3,943 people in the service area; designated 09/30/2004). Also active: "IRRIGON MEDICAL CLINIC", "East Columbia", "PIONEER MEMORIAL CLINIC". Above 85% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Morrow County?
- Peak active score 18.0 in primary care and mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 12 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Morrow County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 7.4 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "COLUMBIA RIVER HEALTH" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Morrow County's designation volume?
- 12 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 Morrow County's volume compare inside OR?
- 12 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Morrow County falls in the upper half of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 of 36. Score-nearest counties on this release include Placer County, CA and Boulder County, CO.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 41049. 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 41049 (Morrow County, OR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 18.0; signature 12 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.