OK · Healthcare shortage profile
Oklahoma County, OK
The clinician FTE gap is the sharpest number here: closing Oklahoma County's active designations would take about 153 additional FTEs on HRSA's providers_needed estimate. Population 796,292.
- Active HPSAs
- 21
- Population
- 796,292
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 35.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Oklahoma 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
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 5%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Oklahoma County, OK 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.
-
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.
-
Closing Oklahoma County's active designations would take about 153 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 78 primary care, 37 mental health, 38 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
38.1% of Oklahoma County's 21 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 8 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 dental (denominator 21).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Oklahoma County
Oklahoma County intersects 55 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
43 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.
Oklahoma 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. Oklahoma County sits among the top three county rank positions in OK, at rank 3 of 77. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 40109. Population: 796,292.
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 Oklahoma County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Variety Care, Inc. | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Oklahoma City Indian Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| LI-South Oklahoma County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Community Health Centers OF Oklahoma | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Variety Care, Inc. | primary_care | 19.0 |
| LI - Northwest 10th/Tulakes 2026 | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Ann Arbor | dental | 19.0 |
| Oklahoma City Indian Clinic | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Ann Arbor | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Okcic - SW Tower | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Oklahoma City Indian Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Ann Arbor | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Community Health Centers OF Oklahoma | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Community Health Centers OF Oklahoma | dental | 17.0 |
| Okcic - SW Tower | dental | 17.0 |
| Variety Care, Inc. | dental | 17.0 |
| Okcic - SW Tower | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Mcha - Oklahoma County | mental_health | 14.0 |
| FTC-Oklahoma City | mental_health | 12.0 |
| FTC-Oklahoma City | dental | 12.0 |
| FTC-Oklahoma City | primary_care | 6.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Oklahoma County
The clinician FTE gap is the sharpest number here: closing Oklahoma County's active designations would take about 153 additional FTEs on HRSA's providers_needed estimate. Oklahoma County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 20.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 19.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 35.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Oklahoma County above 95% of real US counties (21 active designations: 8 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 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.
Oklahoma County sits among the top three county rank positions in OK, at rank 3 of 77. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Oklahoma County
Signature reading: HRSA providers_needed sums to about 153 FTE across Oklahoma County's active designations (once per HPSA id), a federal gap estimate, not practising headcount.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Oklahoma County, OK · 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
Oklahoma County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Oklahoma 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 OK before you draw conclusions from a single score. OK 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 Oklahoma County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Cumberland County, NJ and Oakland County, MI.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties with a matching designation count to Oklahoma County's 21
One peer set for this FTE-led county: nearest active designation count to 21 - the inventory behind the ~153 FTE published need.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Oklahoma County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Oklahoma County carries an MUA designation (index 35.6; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- Where is the largest clinician FTE gap inside Oklahoma County?
- Id-de-duped providers_needed across active HPSAs totals ~153 FTE, with primary care the largest slice (78). "VARIETY CARE, INC." is the highest-scored active row (score 20.0; mental health; 230,529 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). This is HRSA's published gap, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
- Which named designations drive Oklahoma County's FTE reading?
- Active names on this release include "VARIETY CARE, INC.", "Oklahoma City Indian Clinic", "LI-South Oklahoma County" and "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF OKLAHOMA". Discipline counts: 8 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 dental across 21 designated rows.
- Do Oklahoma County's FTE gaps unlock federal programs?
- Yes where an ACTIVE designation exists, NHSC, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers follow the designated geography and provider type. A published FTE gap without an active row does not, by itself, open those pathways.
- How does Oklahoma County's FTE burden compare inside OK?
- 21 active designations and ~153 FTE published need. Oklahoma County sits among the top three county rank positions in OK, at rank 3 of 77. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cumberland County, NJ and Oakland County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 40109. 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 40109 (Oklahoma County, OK), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 21; peak score 20.0; signature 153 FTE gap. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.