OR · Healthcare shortage profile
Wallowa County, OR
Designation volume is the standout signal for Wallowa County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 7,391.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 7,391
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 57.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wallowa County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wallowa 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 Wallowa County's active designations would take about 2.7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.1 primary care, 2.4 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Wallowa County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Wallowa County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Wallowa County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Wallowa County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
9 Top 25% higher than 75% 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. Wallowa County falls in the upper half of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 36. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 41063. Population: 7,391.
Single high-priority discipline
Wallowa County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active mental health designations to Wallowa 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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Wallowa County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast Oregon Service Area Mhca High Needs | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Winding Waters Medical Clinic | mental_health | 12.0 |
| ME-Wallowa County | dental | 12.0 |
| Wallowa Memorial Medical Clinic - Enterprise | mental_health | 11.0 |
| Wallowa Memorial Medical Clinic - Enterprise | dental | 11.0 |
| Winding Waters Medical Clinic | dental | 10.0 |
| ME-Wallowa County | primary_care | 7.0 |
| Winding Waters Medical Clinic | primary_care | 6.0 |
| Wallowa Memorial Medical Clinic - Enterprise | primary_care | 5.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Wallowa County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Wallowa County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Wallowa 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 7.0 of 25; Dental care reads 12.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Wallowa County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 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.
Wallowa County falls in the upper half of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 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 Wallowa County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wallowa County's active designations: about 2.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Wallowa County's high-priority mental health
Wallowa County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wallowa 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 Wallowa County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Hendricks County, IN and Berrien County, MI.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Wallowa County (9 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 9 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Wallowa County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Wallowa County carries an MUA designation (index 57.1; 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 Wallowa County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Northeast Oregon Service Area MHCA High Needs" (score 18.0; mental health; 18,000 people in the service area; ~2.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/13/2026). Also active: "WINDING WATERS MEDICAL CLINIC", "ME-Wallowa County", "WALLOWA MEMORIAL MEDICAL CLINIC - ENTERPRISE". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Wallowa County?
- Peak active score 18.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Wallowa County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 2.7 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Northeast Oregon Service Area MHCA High Needs" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Wallowa County's designation volume?
- 9 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 Wallowa County's volume compare inside OR?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Wallowa County falls in the upper half of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 36. Score-nearest counties on this release include Hendricks County, IN and Berrien County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 41063. 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 41063 (Wallowa County, OR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 18.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.