WA · Healthcare shortage profile
Chelan County, WA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Chelan County: 15 active HPSA records, above 91% of real US counties. Population 79,074.
- Active HPSAs
- 15
- Population
- 79,074
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Chelan 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
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 9%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Chelan 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.
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Peak HPSA score 21.0 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 Chelan County's active designations would take about 7.2 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.5 primary care, 4.6 mental health, 2.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Chelan 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).
Chelan County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
14 Census ZCTAs intersect Chelan County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
6 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.
Chelan 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. Chelan County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 39. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 53007. Population: 79,074.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Chelan County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. 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 Chelan County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Valley Community Health | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Chelan/Douglas Counties | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Cascade Medical Center | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Confluence Health Wenatchee Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Columbia Valley Community Health | dental | 17.0 |
| Lake Chelan Clinic, PC | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Lake Chelan Clinic, PC | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Cascade Medical Center | dental | 13.0 |
| Confluence Health Wenatchee Clinic | dental | 13.0 |
| Lake Chelan Clinic, PC | dental | 11.0 |
| Columbia Valley Community Health | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Chelan-Douglas Counties | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Chelan-Douglas Counties | dental | 8.0 |
| Cascade Medical Center | primary_care | 7.0 |
| Confluence Health Wenatchee Clinic | primary_care | 5.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Chelan County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Chelan County: 15 active HPSA records, above 91% of real US counties. Chelan County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 21.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 13.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Chelan County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Chelan 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 21.0. 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.
Chelan County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 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.
Chelan County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
5 designations
- Dental
Dental
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Chelan County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Chelan County's active designations: about 7.2 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 Chelan County, WA · 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
Chelan County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Chelan County's 15 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 WA before you draw conclusions from a single score. WA 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Chelan County's 21.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Pinellas County, FL and Ocean County, NJ.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Chelan County (15 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 15 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes up Chelan County's 15 active HPSA designations?
- 15 Designated rows (5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "COLUMBIA VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTH" (score 21.0; mental health; 26,052 people in the service area; designated 12/02/2003). Also active: "Chelan/Douglas Counties", "CASCADE MEDICAL CENTER", "CONFLUENCE HEALTH WENATCHEE CLINIC". Above 91% of real US counties by volume.
- Why is Chelan County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Chelan County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Chelan County?
- Peak active score 21.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 15 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Chelan County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 7.2 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "COLUMBIA VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTH" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Chelan 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 Chelan County's volume compare inside WA?
- 15 active HPSA rows · peak 21.0. Chelan County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 39. Score-nearest counties on this release include Pinellas County, FL and Ocean County, NJ.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 53007. 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 53007 (Chelan County, WA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 15; peak score 21.0; signature 15 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.