AK · Healthcare shortage profile
Ketchikan Gateway County, AK
Designation volume is the standout signal for Ketchikan Gateway County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Population 13,948.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 13,948
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 60.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Ketchikan Gateway County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Ketchikan Gateway County, AK 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 20.0 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 Ketchikan Gateway County's active designations would take about 5.4 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.3 primary care, 1.3 mental health, 2.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Ketchikan Gateway County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Ketchikan Gateway County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 1 ZIP Code Tabulation Area intersecting Ketchikan Gateway 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.
Ketchikan Gateway County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
12 Top 15% higher than 85% 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. Ketchikan Gateway County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 24 of 31. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 02130. Population: 13,948.
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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Ketchikan Gateway County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Searhc Aics Edna Bay | dental | 20.0 |
| Kic Tribal Health Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| Searhc Comprehensive Addiction Services - Ketchikan | dental | 19.0 |
| Kic Tribal Health Clinic | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Searhc Aics Edna Bay | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Searhc Comprehensive Addiction Services - Ketchikan | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Kic Tribal Health Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Searhc Aics Edna Bay | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Southeast Alaska MH Catchment Area | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Searhc Comprehensive Addiction Services - Ketchikan | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Southern Southeast Alaska | dental | 12.0 |
| ME-Southern Southeast Alaska | primary_care | 11.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Ketchikan Gateway County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Ketchikan Gateway County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Dental care carries Ketchikan Gateway County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 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 18.0 of 25; Mental health reads 16.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 60.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Ketchikan Gateway County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 20.0. 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.
Ketchikan Gateway County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 24 of 31. 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.
Ketchikan Gateway 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
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Ketchikan Gateway County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Ketchikan Gateway County's active designations: about 5.4 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 Ketchikan Gateway County, AK · 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
Ketchikan Gateway County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Ketchikan Gateway County's 12 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 AK before you draw conclusions from a single score. AK 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 Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Ketchikan Gateway County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Allegan County, MI and Umatilla County, OR.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Ketchikan Gateway County (12 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 12 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Ketchikan Gateway County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Ketchikan Gateway County carries an MUA designation (index 60.4; 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 Ketchikan Gateway County's 12 active HPSA designations?
- 12 Designated rows (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "SEARHC AICS Edna Bay" (score 20.0; dental; 3,002 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Also active: "KIC Tribal Health Clinic", "SEARHC Comprehensive Addiction Services - Ketchikan", "KIC Tribal Health Clinic". Above 85% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Ketchikan Gateway County?
- Peak active score 20.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 12 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Ketchikan Gateway County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 5.4 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "SEARHC AICS Edna Bay" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Ketchikan Gateway County's designation volume?
- 12 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 Ketchikan Gateway County's volume compare inside AK?
- 12 active HPSA rows · peak 20.0. Ketchikan Gateway County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 24 of 31. Score-nearest counties on this release include Allegan County, MI and Umatilla County, OR.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 02130. 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 02130 (Ketchikan Gateway County, AK), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 20.0; signature 12 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.