PR · Healthcare shortage profile
Caguas County, PR
MUA standing opens this profile: Caguas County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 127,244.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 127,244
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Caguas County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- 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 Caguas County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 2 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Caguas 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 Caguas 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 23.0 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 Caguas County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 11 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Caguas County's 7 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 7).
Caguas County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
7 Top 30% higher than 70% 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. Caguas County sits among the top three county rank positions in PR, at rank 2 of 78. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 72025. Population: 127,244.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity 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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Caguas County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Sanos Corp | dental | 23.0 |
| Neomed Center, Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| LI - Caguas Municipio | dental | 20.0 |
| Sanos Corp | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Neomed Center, Inc | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Sanos Corp | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Neomed Center, Inc | primary_care | 13.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Caguas County
MUA standing opens this profile: Caguas County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Dental care carries Caguas County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 13.0 of 25; Mental health reads 18.0 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.
Volume places Caguas County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 23.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Caguas County sits among the top three county rank positions in PR, at rank 2 of 78. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Caguas County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Caguas 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 a heavy-burden county
Caguas County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Caguas County's 7 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 dental 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 With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Caguas County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Spartanburg County, SC and McLennan County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Score neighbours for Caguas County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (13.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Caguas County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Caguas 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 Caguas County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 7 active HPSA designations (2 primary care / 2 mental health / 3 dental); highest-scored active name is "Sanos Corp" (score 23.0; dental; 1,762,049 people in the service area; designated 08/01/2011). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 23.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 23.0 clears the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 0.0 remains a separate need measure.
- Which programs can Caguas 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.
- How does Caguas County compare across PR?
- 7 active HPSA rows, peak 23.0. Caguas County sits among the top three county rank positions in PR, at rank 2 of 78. Score-nearest counties on this release include Spartanburg County, SC and McLennan County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72025. 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 72025 (Caguas County, PR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 23.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.