WA · Healthcare shortage profile
Stevens County, WA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Stevens County: 21 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Population 46,445.
- Active HPSAs
- 21
- Population
- 46,445
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- 59.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Stevens County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 21 active HPSA designations, more than 95% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 21
- Active HPSA designations
- 7
- Mental-health shortages
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 5%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Stevens 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 19.0 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 Stevens County's active designations would take about 8.7 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.2 primary care, 2.4 mental health, 2.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Stevens County's 21 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental (denominator 21).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Stevens County
Stevens County intersects 21 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
9 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.
Stevens County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
21 Top 5% higher than 95% 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. Stevens County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 of 39. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 53065. Population: 46,445.
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 21 active (designated) HPSAs in Stevens County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| New Health Programs Association | mental_health | 19.0 |
| New Health Programs Association | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Stevens County | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Providence Family Medicine Chewelah | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Providence Northeast Washington Medical Group | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Spokane Tribe of Indians Behavorial Health | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI - Stevens County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Spokane Tribe of Indians Behavorial Health | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Providence Northeast Washington Medical Group | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Providence Family Medicine Chewelah | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Providence Northeast Washington Medical Group | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Providence Northeast Washington Medical Group | mental_health | 16.0 |
| New Health Programs Association | dental | 16.0 |
| Providence Northeast Washington Medical Group | dental | 15.0 |
| Spokane Tribe of Indians Behavorial Health | dental | 14.0 |
| Spokane Tribe of Indians Behavorial Health | dental | 14.0 |
| LI - Stevens County | dental | 14.0 |
| Spokane Tribe of Indians Behavorial Health | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Spokane Tribe of Indians Behavorial Health | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Providence Family Medicine Chewelah | dental | 13.0 |
| Providence Northeast Washington Medical Group | dental | 13.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Stevens County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Stevens County: 21 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Stevens County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 19.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 18.0 of 25; Dental care reads 16.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Stevens County above 95% of real US counties (21 active designations: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 19.0. 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.
Stevens County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 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.
Stevens 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
7 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
7 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Stevens County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Stevens County's active designations: about 8.7 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 Stevens 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
Stevens County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Stevens County's 21 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 Stevens County's 19.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Butte County, CA and Stearns County, MN.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Stevens County (21 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 21 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Stevens County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Stevens County carries an MUA designation (index 59.6; 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 Stevens County's 21 active HPSA designations?
- 21 Designated rows (7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "NEW HEALTH PROGRAMS ASSOCIATION" (score 19.0; mental health; 16,565 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Also active: "NEW HEALTH PROGRAMS ASSOCIATION", "Stevens County", "PROVIDENCE FAMILY MEDICINE CHEWELAH". Above 95% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Stevens County?
- Peak active score 19.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 21 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Stevens County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 8.7 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "NEW HEALTH PROGRAMS ASSOCIATION" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Stevens County's designation volume?
- 21 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 Stevens County's volume compare inside WA?
- 21 active HPSA rows · peak 19.0. Stevens County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 of 39. Score-nearest counties on this release include Butte County, CA and Stearns County, MN.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 53065. 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 53065 (Stevens County, WA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 21; peak score 19.0; signature 21 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.