Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

OR · Healthcare shortage profile

Wheeler County, OR

Peak severity leads this reading: Wheeler County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 1,451.

Active HPSAs
5
Population
1,451
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
55.3
OR state overview → About this data

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wheeler County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

5
Active HPSA designations
1
Dental shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 53%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Wheeler County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Wheeler 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.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wheeler 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Closing Wheeler County's active designations would take about 6 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, 5 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 40% of Wheeler County's 5 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 5).

Wheeler County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

5 Top 53% higher than 47% 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. Wheeler County falls in the lower half of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 35 of 36. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 41069. Population: 1,451.

1
Dental HPSAs
2
Mental Health HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 55.3

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 15.0
Mental Health 17.0
Dental 18.0

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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Wheeler County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Asher Community Health Center dental 18.0
East Columbia mental_health 17.0
Asher Community Health Center mental_health 16.0
Gilliam/Wheeler Counties primary_care 15.0
Asher Community Health Center primary_care 13.0

Moderate-burden reading for Wheeler County

Peak severity leads this reading: Wheeler County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Wheeler County's deepest shortage reading, 18.0 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 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 17.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Wheeler County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Wheeler County falls in the lower half of OR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 35 of 36. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Wheeler County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Wheeler County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wheeler County's active designations: about 6 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 Wheeler 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 Wheeler County's designations

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

  • Wheeler County's 5 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.

Nearby dental score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Wheeler County's 18.0. Open Cleveland County, OK or Arecibo County, PR next.

Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Cleveland County, OK

18.0 score 295,528 pop.

Arecibo County, PR

18.0 score 87,754 pop.

Allegany County, MD

18.0 score 68,106 pop.

Counties near Wheeler County's dental score of 18.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER”).

Cleveland County, OK

18.0 dental score · 295,528 pop.

Arecibo County, PR

18.0 dental score · 87,754 pop.

Allegany County, MD

18.0 dental score · 68,106 pop.

Vermilion County, LA

18.0 dental score · 57,359 pop.

Humacao County, PR

18.0 dental score · 50,896 pop.

Hancock County, MS

18.0 dental score · 46,053 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Wheeler County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Wheeler County carries an MUA designation (index 55.3; 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 Wheeler County's peak score of 18.0?
"ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER" leads the active set (score 18.0; dental; 605 people in the service area; designated 09/30/2004). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Wheeler County's severity reading?
After "ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER", the next active names on this release are "ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER", "East Columbia", "ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER" and "Gilliam/Wheeler Counties". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Wheeler County's high-severity geography?
Wheeler County's 5 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 41069. 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 41069 (Wheeler County, OR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.