PR · Healthcare shortage profile
Vega Alta County, PR
Home to 35,395 residents, with 1 active HRSA shortage designation.
- Active HPSAs
- 1
- Population
- 35,395
- Peak shortage score
- 24.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Vega Alta County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 1
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 24
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 98%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Vega Alta 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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100% of Vega Alta County's 1 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 1).
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Closing Vega Alta County's active designations would take about 4.4 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 24.0 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.
Vega Alta County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
1 Top 98% higher than 2% 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. Vega Alta County falls in the lower half of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 78. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 72143. Population: 35,395.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only · dental care only on this FIPS. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Vega Alta County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Vega Alta Municipio | dental | 24.0 |
Light-burden reading for Vega Alta County
Dental care carries Vega Alta County's deepest shortage reading, 24.0 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Vega Alta County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.
Vega Alta County falls in the lower half of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 78. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Acting on Vega Alta County's high-priority dental care
Vega Alta County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Vega Alta County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of PR before drawing conclusions from a single score. PR overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Vega Alta County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (1 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vega Alta County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Vega Alta County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 0.0. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Vega Alta County have?
Vega Alta County, PR has 1 Health Professional Shortage Area designation: 0 in primary care, 0 in mental health, and 1 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Vega Alta County's HPSA score of 24.0 mean?
24.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72143. This county’s designations come from 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.