PR · Healthcare shortage profile
Guanica County, PR
Peak severity leads this reading: Guanica County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 13,787.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 13,787
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Guanica County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Guanica County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 2 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Guanica 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 Guanica 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 Guanica County's active designations would take about 4.5 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 mental health, 3.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Guanica County's 2 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
Guanica County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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. Guanica County falls in the upper half of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 34 of 78. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 72055. Population: 13,787.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Guanica County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Guanica County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Guánica Municipio | dental | 26.0 |
| LI - Guánica Municipio | mental_health | 23.0 |
Light-burden reading for Guanica County
Peak severity leads this reading: Guanica County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Guanica 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. Mental health reads 23.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Guanica County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Guanica County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.
Guanica County falls in the upper half of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 34 of 78. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Light-volume FTE gap for Guanica County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Guanica County's active designations: about 4.5 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 Guanica 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 Guanica County's designations
Guanica County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Guanica County's 2 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.
Counties near Guanica 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 - Guánica Municipio”).
Tulare County, CA
26.0 dental score · 473,117 pop.
Frederick County, MD
26.0 dental score · 271,717 pop.
Hampshire County, MA
26.0 dental score · 162,308 pop.
Berkeley County, WV
26.0 dental score · 122,076 pop.
Klamath County, OR
26.0 dental score · 69,413 pop.
Marion County, IN
26.0 dental score · 977,203 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Guanica County's peak score of 26.0?
- "LI - Guánica Municipio" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 14,004 people in the service area; ~3.5 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 2 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Guanica County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Guanica County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Guanica County's severity reading?
- After "LI - Guánica Municipio", the next active names on this release are "LI - Guánica Municipio" and "LI - Guánica Municipio". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72055. This county’s designations come from 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 72055 (Guanica County, PR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.