Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

UT · Healthcare shortage profile

San Juan County, UT

Home to 14,518 residents, with 29 active HRSA shortage designations.

Active HPSAs
29
Population
14,518
Peak shortage score
24.0
MUA Index
41.0

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, San Juan County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 29 active HPSA designations, more than 97% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

29
Active HPSA designations
9
Dental shortages
24
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 3%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for San Juan County, UT on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-03. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.

  1. 34.5% of San Juan County's 29 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 10 primary care, 10 mental health, 9 dental (denominator 29).

  2. Closing San Juan County's active designations would take about 1.1 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.1 primary care, 0.9 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. Peak HPSA score 24.0 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.

Corpus placement

Active-designation volume placement

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, San Juan County carries 29 active designations, above 97% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.

State peer position. San Juan County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 29 real counties in UT. 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: 49037. Population: 14,518.

9
Dental HPSAs
10
Primary Care HPSAs
10
Mental Health HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 41.0

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 20.0
Mental Health 21.0
Dental 24.0

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 29 active (designated) HPSAs in San Juan County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Blanding Family Health Center dental 24.0
Montezuma Creek Clinic dental 24.0
San Juan Family Dental dental 24.0
Monument Valley Health Center dental 24.0
Navajo Mountain Health Center dental 22.0
Utah Navajo Health System Inc mental_health 21.0
Monument Valley Health Center primary_care 20.0
Monument Valley Health Center mental_health 20.0
Montezuma Creek Clinic mental_health 20.0
Blanding Family Health Center primary_care 19.0
Montezuma Creek Clinic primary_care 19.0
Navajo Mountain Health Center primary_care 18.0
San Juan County mental_health 18.0
Navajo Mountain Health Center mental_health 18.0
Blanding Family Health Center mental_health 17.0
Monument Valley Health Center mental_health 17.0
San Juan Family Dental mental_health 16.0
San Juan Clinic Blanding mental_health 15.0
San Juan Family Dental primary_care 14.0
San Juan Clinic mental_health 13.0
Utah Navajo Health System Inc dental 13.0
Monument Valley Health Center dental 9.0
Monument Valley Health Center primary_care 8.0
Utah Navajo Health System Inc primary_care 7.0
LI-Monticello/ Blanding PC primary_care 7.0
San Juan Clinic primary_care 3.0
San Juan Clinic Blanding dental 3.0
San Juan Clinic dental 1.0
San Juan Clinic Blanding primary_care 0.0

Heavy-burden reading for San Juan County

Dental care carries San Juan County's deepest shortage reading, 24.0 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 20.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 41.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places San Juan County above 97% of real US counties (29 active designations: 10 primary care, 10 mental health, 9 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 24.0. 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.

San Juan County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 29 real counties in UT. 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.

San Juan County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for San Juan County, UT · 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

San Juan County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • San Juan County's 29 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 UT before you draw conclusions from a single score. UT 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 San Juan County's 24.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with McKinley County, NM and lsabela County, PR.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is San Juan County a Medically Underserved Area?

Yes, San Juan County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 41.0. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.

How many healthcare shortage areas does San Juan County have?

San Juan County, UT has 29 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 10 in primary care, 10 in mental health, and 9 in dental care, according to HRSA data.

What does San Juan County's HPSA score of 24.0 mean?

24.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.

What healthcare providers are needed in San Juan County?

Based on HRSA shortage designations, San Juan County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers), and dental care (dentists, dental hygienists). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.

Which federal programs do San Juan County's designations unlock?

San Juan County's 29 active designations open NHSC placement, Community Health Center grants, the Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, but eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not the county line.

How does San Juan County compare to other counties in UT?

San Juan County has 29 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 24.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in UT on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where San Juan County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include McKinley County, NM and lsabela County, PR.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 49037. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 49037 (San Juan County, UT) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-03.