OH · Healthcare shortage profile
Cuyahoga County, OH
Peak severity leads this reading: Cuyahoga County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 1,264,817.
- Active HPSAs
- 32
- Population
- 1,264,817
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 28.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cuyahoga County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 32 active HPSA designations, more than 98% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 32
- Active HPSA designations
- 14
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 2%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Cuyahoga County, OH 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 25.0 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 Cuyahoga County's active designations would take about 101 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 59 primary care, 14 mental health, 28 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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43.8% of Cuyahoga County's 32 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 12 primary care, 6 mental health, 14 dental (denominator 32).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County intersects 52 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
40 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cuyahoga County carries 32 active designations, above 98% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Cuyahoga County sits among the top three county rank positions in OH, at rank 2 of 88. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 39035. Population: 1,264,817.
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 32 active (designated) HPSAs in Cuyahoga County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Care Alliance Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| Care Alliance Health Center | primary_care | 23.0 |
| Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services Inc | primary_care | 23.0 |
| Circle Health Services | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Neighborhood Health Care Incorporated | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Circle Health Services | dental | 21.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County-Buckeye Kinsman | dental | 21.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County-Tremont/Broadway | dental | 21.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County-Central Fairfax/University | dental | 21.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County-Goodrich/Glenville | dental | 21.0 |
| LI-Warrensville Height/North Randall/Highland Hill | primary_care | 20.0 |
| LI-Bedford Heights/Oakwood | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Metrohealth System, The | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Neighborhood Health Care Incorporated | dental | 19.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County-Mount Union Lee | dental | 19.0 |
| LI-Western Cleveland | dental | 19.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County-Northeast Cleveland | dental | 19.0 |
| LI-Cleveland | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI-Cleveland Heights | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI-Garfield Heights | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Neighborhood Health Care Incorporated | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services Inc | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Care Alliance Health Center | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Circle Health Services | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Metrohealth System, The | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Parma | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI-Olmsted/Brookpark | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County-Cleveland Heights | dental | 15.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County-Northern Cleveland | dental | 15.0 |
| LI-Cuyahoga County Mhca | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Metrohealth System, The | mental_health | 12.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Cuyahoga County
Peak severity leads this reading: Cuyahoga County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Cuyahoga County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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 23.0 of 25; Mental health reads 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 28.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Cuyahoga County above 98% of real US counties (32 active designations: 12 primary care, 6 mental health, 14 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 25.0. 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.
Cuyahoga County sits among the top three county rank positions in OH, at rank 2 of 88. 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.
Cuyahoga County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
14 designations
- Primary care
Primary care
12 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
6 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Cuyahoga County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Cuyahoga County's active designations: about 101 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 Cuyahoga County, OH · 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
Cuyahoga County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Cuyahoga County's 32 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 dental burden compares with the rest of OH before you draw conclusions from a single score. OH 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 Cuyahoga County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Montgomery County, MD and Milwaukee County, WI.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Cuyahoga County's dental score of 25.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “CARE ALLIANCE HEALTH CENTER”).
Montgomery County, MD
25.0 dental score · 1,062,061 pop.
Milwaukee County, WI
25.0 dental score · 939,489 pop.
Hamilton County, OH
25.0 dental score · 830,639 pop.
Miami-Dade County, FL
25.0 dental score · 2,701,767 pop.
Tarrant County, TX
25.0 dental score · 2,110,640 pop.
Philadelphia County, PA
25.0 dental score · 1,603,797 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Cuyahoga County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Cuyahoga County carries an MUA designation (index 28.5; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- Which record sets Cuyahoga County's peak score of 25.0?
- "CARE ALLIANCE HEALTH CENTER" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 184,765 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 32 active rows: 12 primary care, 6 mental health, 14 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Cuyahoga County's severity reading?
- After "CARE ALLIANCE HEALTH CENTER", the next active names on this release are "CARE ALLIANCE HEALTH CENTER", "NORTHEAST OHIO NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH SERVICES INC", "CARE ALLIANCE HEALTH CENTER" and "NORTHEAST OHIO NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH SERVICES INC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~101 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Cuyahoga County's high-severity geography?
- Cuyahoga County's 32 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "CARE ALLIANCE HEALTH CENTER".
- How does Cuyahoga County's peak severity sit inside OH?
- Cuyahoga County holds 32 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Cuyahoga County sits among the top three county rank positions in OH, at rank 2 of 88. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Montgomery County, MD and Milwaukee County, WI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 39035. 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 39035 (Cuyahoga County, OH), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 32; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.