Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

PR · Healthcare shortage profile

Penuelas County, PR

Peak severity leads this reading: Penuelas County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 20,399.

Active HPSAs
2
Population
20,399
Peak shortage score
26.0
MUA Index
0.0
PR state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Penuelas 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 Penuelas County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 1 ZIP Code Tabulation Area intersecting Penuelas 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 Penuelas 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Closing Penuelas County's active designations would take about 4.9 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.1 mental health, 3.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 50% of Penuelas 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).

Penuelas 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

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Penuelas 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: 72111. Population: 20,399.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 0.0

Active HPSA scores

Mental Health 23.0
Dental 26.0

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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Penuelas County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Peñuelas Municipio dental 26.0
LI-Peñuelas Municipio mental_health 23.0

Light-burden reading for Penuelas County

Peak severity leads this reading: Penuelas County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Penuelas 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Penuelas 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.

Penuelas 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 Penuelas County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Penuelas County's active designations: about 4.9 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 Penuelas 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 Penuelas County's designations

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

  • Penuelas 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 Penuelas 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 - Peñuelas 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 Penuelas County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Penuelas 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 Penuelas County's peak score of 26.0?
"LI - Peñuelas Municipio" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 973 people in the service area; ~3.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 11/24/2023). 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.
Which other active designations sit under Penuelas County's severity reading?
After "LI - Peñuelas Municipio", the next active names on this release are "LI - Peñuelas Municipio" and "LI-Peñuelas Municipio". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.9 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72111. 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 72111 (Penuelas 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.