AZ · Healthcare shortage profile
Graham County, AZ
Designation volume is the standout signal for Graham County: 27 active HPSA records, above 97% of real US counties. Population 38,533.
- Active HPSAs
- 27
- Population
- 38,533
- Peak shortage score
- 24.0
- MUA Index
- 61.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Graham County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 27 active HPSA designations, more than 97% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 27
- Active HPSA designations
- 9
- Dental shortages
- 24
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 3%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Graham County, AZ 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.
-
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.
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Closing Graham 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): 9 primary care, 3.7 mental health, 6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Graham County's 27 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 9 primary care, 9 mental health, 9 dental (denominator 27).
Graham County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
11 Census ZCTAs intersect Graham County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
3 additional ZCTAs intersect this county in the crosswalk (ordered by land share).
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Graham County carries 27 active designations, above 97% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Graham County falls in the lower half of AZ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 11 of 15. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 04009. Population: 38,533.
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 27 active (designated) HPSAs in Graham County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| San Carlos Apache Health Corp | dental | 24.0 |
| Clarence Wesley Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| CF-Arizona State Prison-Safford | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Fci - Safford | mental_health | 21.0 |
| San Carlos Apache Health Corp | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Clarence Wesley Health Center | primary_care | 20.0 |
| San Carlos Apache Tribe | dental | 20.0 |
| San Carlos Apache Tribe | mental_health | 19.0 |
| San Carlos Apache Health Corp | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Clarence Wesley Health Center | mental_health | 19.0 |
| San Carlos Apache Tribe | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Gila Valley Clinic | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Family Medical Center PLLC | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Copper Mountain Clinic | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Safford | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Family Medical Center PLLC | dental | 17.0 |
| Gila Valley Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Copper Mountain Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Family Medical Center PLLC | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Safford | dental | 15.0 |
| Safford | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Gila Valley Clinic | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Copper Mountain Clinic | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Fci - Safford | primary_care | 12.0 |
| CF-Arizona State Prison-Safford | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Fci - Safford | dental | 12.0 |
| CF-Arizona State Prison-Safford | dental | 12.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Graham County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Graham County: 27 active HPSA records, above 97% of real US counties. Dental care carries Graham 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. Primary care reads 21.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Graham County above 97% of real US counties (27 active designations: 9 primary care, 9 mental health, 9 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 24.0. 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.
Graham County falls in the lower half of AZ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 11 of 15. 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.
Graham County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
9 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
9 designations
- Dental
Dental
9 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Graham County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Graham 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 Graham County, AZ · 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
Graham County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Graham County's 27 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 AZ before you draw conclusions from a single score. AZ 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 Graham County's 24.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with El Paso County, CO and Jackson County, OR.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Graham County (27 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 27 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Graham County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Graham County carries an MUA designation (index 61.5; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Graham County's 27 active HPSA designations?
- 27 Designated rows (9 primary care, 9 mental health, 9 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "San Carlos Apache Health Corp" (score 24.0; dental; 11,992 people in the service area; designated 10/02/2002). Also active: "Clarence Wesley Health Center", "CF-Arizona State Prison-Safford", "FCI - Safford". Above 97% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Graham County?
- Peak active score 24.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 27 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Graham County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 19 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "San Carlos Apache Health Corp" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Graham County's designation volume?
- 27 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Graham County's volume compare inside AZ?
- 27 active HPSA rows · peak 24.0. Graham County falls in the lower half of AZ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 11 of 15. Score-nearest counties on this release include El Paso County, CO and Jackson County, OR.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 04009. 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 04009 (Graham County, AZ), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 27; peak score 24.0; signature 27 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.