Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

WA · Healthcare shortage profile

Lewis County, WA

Designation volume is the standout signal for Lewis County: 33 active HPSA records, above 98% of real US counties. Population 82,149.

Active HPSAs
33
Population
82,149
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
MUA

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lewis County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 33 active HPSA designations, more than 98% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

33
Active HPSA designations
11
Mental-health shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 2%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Lewis County, WA 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 Lewis County's active designations would take about 9.4 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.7 primary care, 3.7 mental health, 2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Lewis County's 33 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 dental (denominator 33).

Dense ZCTA lattice over Lewis County

Lewis County intersects 24 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.

Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county

12 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.

Lewis County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

33 Top 2% higher than 98% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). Below this entry. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). This entry sits in this band. 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. Lewis County falls in the upper quarter of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 4 of 39. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 53041. Population: 82,149.

Single high-priority discipline

Lewis County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health

Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 11 active mental health designations to Lewis 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

MUA Designated

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 15.0
Mental Health 18.0
Dental 15.0

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 33 active (designated) HPSAs in Lewis County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Lewis County Community Health Services mental_health 18.0
Arbor Health Morton Clinic mental_health 16.0
Lewis County Community Health Services primary_care 15.0
Lewis County mental_health 15.0
Centralia Specialty Center mental_health 15.0
Providence Medical Group Southwest Washington mental_health 15.0
Northwest Pediatric Center Inc PS mental_health 15.0
Arbor Health Randle Clinic mental_health 15.0
NW Pediatric Center Inc PS mental_health 15.0
Arbor Health Packwood Clinic dental 15.0
Arbor Health Morton Clinic dental 15.0
Lewis County Community Health Services dental 15.0
Arbor Health Randle Clinic dental 15.0
Steck Medical Center mental_health 14.0
Steck Medical Center primary_care 13.0
Arbor Health Morton Clinic primary_care 13.0
Arbor Health Randle Clinic primary_care 13.0
Arbor Health Packwood Clinic primary_care 13.0
Arbor Health Mossyrock Clinic mental_health 13.0
Arbor Health Packwood Clinic mental_health 12.0
NW Pediatric Center Inc PS primary_care 11.0
Providence Medical Group Southwest Washington primary_care 11.0
Centralia Specialty Center primary_care 11.0
Northwest Pediatric Center Inc PS primary_care 11.0
Arbor Health Mossyrock Clinic dental 11.0
Lewis County primary_care 10.0
LI - Lewis County dental 10.0
NW Pediatric Center Inc PS dental 9.0
Northwest Pediatric Center Inc PS dental 9.0
Centralia Specialty Center dental 9.0
Steck Medical Center dental 7.0
Providence Medical Group Southwest Washington dental 7.0
Arbor Health Mossyrock Clinic primary_care 5.0

Heavy-burden reading for Lewis County

Designation volume is the standout signal for Lewis County: 33 active HPSA records, above 98% of real US counties. Lewis 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, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.

Volume places Lewis County above 98% of real US counties (33 active designations: 11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 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.

Lewis County falls in the upper quarter of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 4 of 39. 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 Lewis County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lewis County's active designations: about 9.4 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Lewis County's high-priority mental health

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

  • Lewis 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 WA before drawing conclusions from a single score. WA 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 Lewis 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 Lewis County (33 active)

One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 33 across the national corpus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lewis County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Lewis County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
What makes up Lewis County's 33 active HPSA designations?
33 Designated rows (11 primary care, 11 mental health, 11 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LEWIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES" (score 18.0; mental health; 38,516 people in the service area; designated 09/30/2004). Also active: "ARBOR HEALTH MORTON CLINIC", "LEWIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES", "Lewis County". Above 98% of real US counties by volume.
What does volume-plus-score look like for Lewis County?
Peak active score 18.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 33 rows.
What clinician need sits behind Lewis County's designation volume?
Closing published gaps would take about 9.4 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LEWIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
Which federal programs follow Lewis County's designation volume?
33 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 Lewis County's volume compare inside WA?
33 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Lewis County falls in the upper quarter of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 4 of 39. Score-nearest counties on this release include Hendricks County, IN and Berrien County, MI.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 53041. 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 53041 (Lewis County, WA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 33; peak score 18.0; signature 33 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.