PR · Healthcare shortage profile
Patillas County, PR
MUA standing opens this profile: Patillas County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 15,985.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 15,985
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Patillas County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Patillas County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 2 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Patillas 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 Patillas 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.
-
Peak HPSA score 22.0 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 Patillas County's active designations would take about 7 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.2 primary care, 0.9 mental health, 0.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Patillas County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Patillas County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Patillas County sits among the top three county rank positions in PR, at rank 3 of 78. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 72109. Population: 15,985.
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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Patillas County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Centro DE Servicios Primarios DE Salud DE Patillas Inc | mental_health | 22.0 |
| LI - Patillas Municipio | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Centro DE Servicios Primarios DE Salud DE Patillas Inc | dental | 21.0 |
| LI - Patillas Municipio | dental | 20.0 |
| LI-Patillas Municipio | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Centro DE Servicios Primarios DE Salud DE Patillas Inc | primary_care | 13.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Patillas County
MUA standing opens this profile: Patillas County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Patillas County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 22.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 21.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Patillas County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Patillas County sits among the top three county rank positions in PR, at rank 3 of 78. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Patillas 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 Patillas County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Patillas County's active designations: about 7 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 Patillas 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 Patillas County's designations
Patillas County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Patillas County's 6 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 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 mental-health score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Patillas County's 22.0. Open Collier County, FL or Cook County, IL next.
Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Score neighbours for Patillas County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (15.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Patillas County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Patillas 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.
- How do Patillas County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 6 active HPSA designations (2 primary care / 2 mental health / 2 dental); highest-scored active name is "CENTRO DE SERVICIOS PRIMARIOS DE SALUD DE PATILLAS INC" (score 22.0; mental health; 48,126 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 22.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 22.0 clears the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 0.0 remains a separate need measure.
- Which programs can Patillas County's dual standing open?
- Active HPSA geography can open NHSC/CHC/Medicare-bonus/J-1 routes by provider type; MUA standing can open additional underserved-area pathways. Eligibility is record-specific, read the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72109. 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 72109 (Patillas County, PR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 22.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.