PR · Healthcare shortage profile
Ciales County, PR
Peak severity leads this reading: Ciales County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 16,984.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 16,984
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Ciales County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 5
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Ciales County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 2 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Ciales 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Ciales County, PR 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 26.0 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 Ciales County's active designations would take about 3.4 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.9 mental health, 2.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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40% of Ciales County's 5 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 5).
Ciales County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
5 Top 53% higher than 47% 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. Ciales County falls in the upper quarter of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 5 of 78. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 72039. Population: 16,984.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Ciales County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Ciales Municipio | dental | 26.0 |
| Prymed Medical Care Inc. | mental_health | 22.0 |
| LI-Ciales Municipio | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Prymed Medical Care Inc. | dental | 19.0 |
| Prymed Medical Care Inc. | primary_care | 12.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Ciales County
Peak severity leads this reading: Ciales County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Ciales County's deepest shortage reading, 26.0 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 12.0 of 25; Mental health reads 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Ciales County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Ciales County falls in the upper quarter of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 5 of 78. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Ciales County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Ciales County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Ciales County's active designations: about 3.4 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 Ciales County, PR · 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 Ciales County's designations
Ciales County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Ciales County's 5 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of PR before you draw conclusions from a single score. PR 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Ciales County's 26.0. Open Indian River County, FL or Allen County, OH next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Ciales County's dental score of 26.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 26.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Ciales Municipio”).
Indian River County, FL
26.0 dental score · 159,788 pop.
Allen County, OH
26.0 dental score · 102,206 pop.
Carson City County, NV
26.0 dental score · 58,639 pop.
Pinellas County, FL
26.0 dental score · 959,107 pop.
Volusia County, FL
26.0 dental score · 553,543 pop.
Orange County, NY
26.0 dental score · 401,310 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Ciales County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Ciales County carries an MUA designation (index 0.0; 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 Ciales County's peak score of 26.0?
- "LI - Ciales Municipio" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 4,109 people in the service area; ~2.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 11/07/2023). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Ciales County's severity reading?
- After "LI - Ciales Municipio", the next active names on this release are "LI - Ciales Municipio", "PRYMED MEDICAL CARE INC.", "LI-Ciales Municipio" and "PRYMED MEDICAL CARE INC.". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.4 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Ciales County's high-severity geography?
- Ciales County's 5 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 "LI - Ciales Municipio".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72039. 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 72039 (Ciales County, PR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.