Where are Vermont's doctor shortages?
6 Vermont counties have at least one federal shortage designation for primary care, mental health or dental care. Look up a hospital to see whether its area has a shortage.
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Primary care shortage
6 counties
43% of Vermont's 14 counties, against 88% nationally. 3 are designated as a whole county. 6 Vermont hospitals are in these counties.
Mental health shortage
0 counties
0% of Vermont's counties, against 93% nationally. 2 counties have a dental shortage designation.
Vermont's highest-need counties for primary care
Counties with the highest primary care shortage score (0 to 25; higher means greater need).
Grand Isle
Whole county · 1 designation
Score 12
No mental health designation
Bennington
Part of county · 1 designation
Score 10
No mental health designation
Windham
Part of county · 1 designation
Score 10
No mental health designation
Essex
Whole county · 2 designations
Score 9
No mental health designation
Orange
Whole county · 1 designation
Score 8
No mental health designation
Orleans
Part of county · 1 designation
Score 4
No mental health designation
Every Vermont county with a shortage designation
Click a column to sort, or filter by county name. "Whole county" means the entire county is designated; "Part" means one or more areas within it (such as census tracts) or a population group (such as low-income residents) is designated. The number is the highest shortage score in the county.
| County | Primary care | Mental health | Dental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennington Southwestern Vermont Medical Center | – | ||
| Essex | – | ||
| Grand Isle | – | – | |
| Orange Gifford Medical Center | – | – | |
| Orleans North Country Hospital and Health Center | – | – | |
| Windham Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Brattleboro Retreat, Grace Cottage Hospital | – | – |
No Vermont county with a shortage designation matches that name.
Only counties with at least one active area-based designation (geographic or population) are listed; Vermont has 14 counties in all. Scores run from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health and 0 to 26 for dental care; higher means greater need. Bars show each score against the maximum. Source: Health Resources and Services Administration (data.hrsa.gov).
Questions about shortage areas in Vermont
Which Vermont counties are primary care shortage areas?
6 Vermont counties have all or part of the county designated as short of primary care providers (43% of 14). 3 are designated as a whole county: Essex, Grand Isle, Orange. In the other 3, part of the county or a population group (such as low-income residents) is designated.
Which Vermont county has the greatest need for primary care?
Grand Isle has the highest primary care shortage score in Vermont: 12 on a scale of 0 to 25, where higher means greater need. Next highest: Bennington (10), Windham (10), Essex (9), Orange (8).
Is there a mental health care shortage in Vermont?
No Vermont county has an active mental health shortage designation in the latest HRSA data.
How does Vermont compare with the rest of the U.S.?
43% of Vermont's counties have a primary care shortage designation, lower than the national figure of 88% (2,759 of 3,143 counties). Many designations cover only part of a county or a population group, so a county being listed doesn't mean every resident lacks care.
What do the shortage scores mean?
HRSA scores each shortage area on how severe the need is, using things like the ratio of people to providers, poverty and travel time to care. Scores run from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health, and from 0 to 26 for dental care. Higher scores mean greater need, and the highest-scoring areas get priority for National Health Service Corps clinicians.
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Shortage areas in every state
HRSA designates Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) where there are too few providers for the population: for primary care, generally fewer than one doctor for every 3,500 people (or 3,000 in high-need areas). Designations unlock federal programs such as National Health Service Corps clinicians and Medicare bonus payments. About the data.
Shortage areas in other states
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