HRSA Counties Indexed
79
with HPSA / MUA coverage
State healthcare shortage profile
Oklahoma Healthcare Shortage Areas
460 active HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations and 97 Medically Underserved Areas across Oklahoma.
- Total HPSAs
- 460
- Primary care
- 173
- Mental health
- 125
- Dental
- 162
Medically Underserved Areas
97
Residents in Geographic Shortage Areas
202,506
% Residents in Geographic Shortage
5.0%
Discipline Mix
173 / 125 / 162 PC/MH/D
Primary care · Mental health · Dental
Data Source
HRSA
Bureau of Health Workforce — HPSA Find
Reporting Year
2024
HRSA quarterly snapshot
% Residents in Geographic Shortage-Designated Counties 5.0%
Oklahoma Shortage Designations by Care Type
How Oklahoma's 460 active HRSA designations split across the three provider categories. Oklahoma has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion, which broadens coverage but does not change provider-supply shortages.
Oklahoma HPSA designations by type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations, by provider category.
- Primary care
Primary care
173 designations
- Dental
Dental
162 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
125 designations
Counties in Oklahoma
| County | Primary Care | Mental Health |
|---|---|---|
| Adair | 1 | 1 |
| Alfalfa | 1 | 1 |
| Atoka | 1 | 1 |
| Beaver | 1 | 1 |
| Beckham | 1 | 1 |
| Blaine | 1 | 1 |
| Bryan | 1 | 1 |
| Caddo | 1 | 1 |
| Canadian | 1 | 1 |
| Carter | 1 | 1 |
| Cherokee | 1 | 1 |
| Choctaw | 1 | 1 |
| Cimarron | 1 | 1 |
| Cleveland | 1 | 1 |
| Coal | 1 | 1 |
| Comanche | 1 | 1 |
| Cotton | 1 | 1 |
| Craig | 1 | 1 |
| Creek | 1 | 1 |
| Custer | 1 | 1 |
| Delaware | 1 | 1 |
| Dewey | 1 | 1 |
| Ellis | 1 | 1 |
| Garfield | 1 | 1 |
| Garvin | 1 | 1 |
| Grady | 1 | 1 |
| Grant | 1 | 1 |
| Greer | 1 | 1 |
| Harmon | 1 | 1 |
| Harper | 1 | 1 |
| Haskell | 1 | 1 |
| Hughes | 1 | 1 |
| Jackson | 1 | 1 |
| Jefferson | 1 | 1 |
| Johnston | 1 | 1 |
| Kay | 1 | 1 |
| Kingfisher | 1 | 1 |
| Kiowa | 1 | 1 |
| Latimer | 1 | 1 |
| Le Flore | 1 | 1 |
| Lincoln | 1 | 1 |
| Logan | 1 | 1 |
| Love | 1 | 1 |
| Major | 1 | 1 |
| Marshall | 1 | 1 |
| Mayes | 1 | 1 |
| McClain | 1 | 1 |
| McCurtain | 1 | 1 |
| McIntosh | 1 | 1 |
| Murray | 1 | 1 |
| Muskogee | 1 | 1 |
| Newton | 1 | 1 |
| Noble | 1 | 1 |
| Nowata | 1 | 1 |
| Okfuskee | 1 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 1 |
| Okmulgee | 1 | 1 |
| Osage | 1 | 1 |
| Ottawa | 1 | 1 |
| Pawnee | 1 | 1 |
| Payne | 1 | 1 |
| Pittsburg | 1 | 1 |
| Pontotoc | 1 | 1 |
| Pottawatomie | 1 | 1 |
| Pushmataha | 1 | 1 |
| Roger Mills | 1 | 1 |
| Rogers | 1 | 1 |
| Seminole | 1 | 1 |
| Sequoyah | 1 | 1 |
| Stephens | 1 | 1 |
| Sumner | 1 | 1 |
| Texas | 1 | 1 |
| Tillman | 1 | 1 |
| Tulsa | 1 | 1 |
| Wagoner | 1 | 1 |
| Washington | 1 | 1 |
| Washita | 1 | 1 |
| Woods | 1 | 1 |
| Woodward | 1 | 1 |
Medically Underserved Areas in Oklahoma
Showing 30 of 97 MUA designations (lowest MUA Index first, i.e. most underserved).
| Name | MUA Index |
|---|---|
| Pawnee Service Area | 0.0 |
| Oklahoma Governor Service Area | 0.0 |
| JOHNSTON SERVICE AREA | 28.5 |
| DELAWARE SERVICE AREA | 33.8 |
| CHOCTAW SERVICE AREA | 34.6 |
| Northeast 23rd South | 35.6 |
| LATIMER SERVICE AREA | 42.2 |
| Jefferson Service Area | 42.8 |
| OKFUSKEE SERVICE AREA | 43.6 |
| Osage Service Area | 43.7 |
| Harmon County | 44.2 |
| WOODS SERVICE AREA | 46.0 |
| TILLMAN SERVICE AREA | 46.0 |
| HUGHES SERVICE AREA | 47.6 |
| KIOWA SERVICE AREA | 47.9 |
| OKMULGEE SERVICE AREA | 48.2 |
| COAL SERVICE AREA | 48.4 |
| W. Central Blaine County | 49.7 |
| MCCURTAIN SERVICE AREA | 50.1 |
| ATOKA SERVICE AREA | 50.5 |
| NW Blaine County | 50.5 |
| Central Oklahoma City | 51.3 |
| PUSHMATAHA SERVICE AREA | 51.5 |
| Tulsa Service Area | 51.7 |
| ALFALFA SERVICE AREA | 52.0 |
| HASKELL SERVICE AREA | 52.6 |
| Tulsa Riverside Service Area | 52.7 |
| Comanche Service Area | 52.8 |
| Ellis | 53.2 |
| Northern Cherokee Service Area | 54.3 |
What the HRSA Data Shows for Oklahoma
Oklahoma currently carries 460 active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the HRSA Data Warehouse, split across 173 primary-care HPSAs, 125 mental-health HPSAs, and 162 dental HPSAs. Roughly 5.0% of the state's population — about 202,506 residents — lives in a county that HRSA has designated as a geographic (whole-community) shortage area. Population-group and facility designations (rural health clinics, FQHCs, low-income groups) cover additional residents and are counted separately, since a single county can hold several designation types without their service populations overlapping cleanly.
Beyond the HPSA counts, Oklahoma shows 97 Medically Underserved Areas, a separate HRSA classification that weights four population-level factors: the primary-care provider ratio, the infant mortality rate, the percent of residents below poverty, and the percent of residents aged 65 and over. Counties can appear on the HPSA list, the MUA list, or both — the designations serve different federal-program eligibility purposes. The 79 counties listed above show where these shortages land geographically inside Oklahoma, with mental-health gaps typically running the highest in severity scores because HRSA's mental-health provider-to-population ratio threshold (30,000:1) is roughly ten times wider than primary care (3,500:1).
These designations are the gating criterion for more than thirty federal programs that target underserved communities in Oklahoma: National Health Service Corps scholarships and loan-repayment awards (up to $50,000 per year), Community Health Center (FQHC) operating grants, a 10% Medicare bonus for physicians practicing inside a HPSA, Rural Health Clinic certification, and J-1 visa waivers for international medical graduates who commit to serving in designated areas. HRSA reviews designations quarterly, so the counts shown above shift as new areas qualify and previously designated areas fall off. The data here describes the structural supply of providers only; it does not evaluate the quality of care offered or substitute for medical advice, and residents seeking a specific appointment should contact a provider directly or use their insurance network.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
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plainmedicare.comFrequently Asked Questions
Are there doctor shortages in Oklahoma? ▼
Yes. Oklahoma has 460 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), including 173 in primary care, 125 in mental health, and 162 in dental care. About 5.0% of Oklahoma residents live in a county that HRSA has designated as a geographic (whole-community) shortage area; additional residents are covered by population-group and facility designations counted separately.
What are HPSAs? ▼
Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) are federal designations by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) identifying communities with insufficient healthcare providers. HPSAs are categorized into three types: primary care, mental health, and dental. In Oklahoma, there are 460 designated HPSAs and 97 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs).
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Oklahoma? ▼
Oklahoma has 97 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). About 202,506 residents (5.0% of the state) live in a county with a geographic HRSA shortage designation. MUA-designated areas qualify for enhanced federal funding and Community Health Center grants.
What federal programs address healthcare shortages in Oklahoma? ▼
HRSA shortage designations in Oklahoma unlock eligibility for over 30 federal programs, including National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment and scholarships, Community Health Center (FQHC) funding, Medicare bonus payments (10% for physicians in HPSAs), J-1 visa waiver programs for international medical graduates, and Rural Health Clinic certification. These programs direct billions of dollars annually toward underserved communities.
How does Oklahoma compare to other states in healthcare access? ▼
Oklahoma has 460 total HPSA designations and 97 Medically Underserved Areas. With 5.0% of residents in counties carrying a geographic shortage designation, you can compare this to other states on our national shortage rankings pages for primary care, mental health, and dental care.
How often is Oklahoma HPSA data updated? ▼
HRSA reviews and updates HPSA designations quarterly. New designations and score changes are published through the HRSA Data Warehouse. PlainHealthAccess refreshes its data regularly to reflect the latest HRSA releases.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse HRSA Data Warehouse Not affiliated with HRSA
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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