PR · Healthcare shortage profile
Rio Grande County, PR
MUA standing opens this profile: Rio Grande County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 47,060.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 47,060
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Rio Grande County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Rio Grande County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 1 ZIP Code Tabulation Area intersecting Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande 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 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 Rio Grande County's active designations would take about 19 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 12 primary care, 7.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Rio Grande County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
Rio Grande 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. Rio Grande 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: 72119. Population: 47,060.
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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Rio Grande County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Río Grande Municipio | dental | 22.0 |
| LI - Rio Grande Municipio | primary_care | 21.0 |
Light-burden reading for Rio Grande County
MUA standing opens this profile: Rio Grande County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Dental care carries Rio Grande County's deepest shortage reading, 22.0 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 21.0 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.
Rio Grande 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.
Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Rio Grande County's active designations: about 19 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 Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande County's designations
Rio Grande County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Rio Grande 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 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.
Score neighbours for Rio Grande County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (21.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Rio Grande County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 2 active HPSA designations (1 primary care / 0 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "LI - Río Grande Municipio" (score 22.0; dental; 4,000 people in the service area; ~7.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 11/07/2023). 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.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72119. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) 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 72119 (Rio Grande County, PR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 22.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.