AK · Healthcare shortage profile
Fairbanks North Star County, AK
Designation volume is the standout signal for Fairbanks North Star County: 21 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Population 95,655.
- Active HPSAs
- 21
- Population
- 95,655
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- MUA
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Fairbanks North Star County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 21 active HPSA designations, more than 95% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 21
- Active HPSA designations
- 7
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 5%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Fairbanks North Star County, AK 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 17.0 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.
-
Closing Fairbanks North Star County's active designations would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 6 primary care, 4.1 mental health, 3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of Fairbanks North Star County's 21 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental (denominator 21).
Fairbanks North Star County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
11 Census ZCTAs intersect Fairbanks North Star 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.
Fairbanks North Star County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
21 Top 5% higher than 95% 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. Fairbanks North Star County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 18 of 31. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 02090. Population: 95,655.
Single high-priority discipline
Fairbanks North Star County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 7 active mental health designations to Fairbanks North Star County , with a peak score of 17.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the mental health records.
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 21 active (designated) HPSAs in Fairbanks North Star County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Dena Nena Henash | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Fairbanks-North Star Borough | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Dena Nena Henash | dental | 16.0 |
| ME - Fairbanks North Star Borough | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Healy Lake Village Clinic | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Interior Community Health Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Interior Community Health Center | dental | 14.0 |
| Dena Nena Henash | primary_care | 10.0 |
| Interior Community Health Center | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Fairbanks-North Star Borough | dental | 8.0 |
| Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center | mental_health | 7.0 |
| Healy Lake Village Clinic | mental_health | 7.0 |
| Allakaket Counseling Center | mental_health | 5.0 |
| Tanana Chiefs Paul Williams House | mental_health | 5.0 |
| Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center | dental | 5.0 |
| Healy Lake Village Clinic | dental | 3.0 |
| Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center | primary_care | 2.0 |
| Allakaket Counseling Center | dental | 1.0 |
| Tanana Chiefs Paul Williams House | dental | 1.0 |
| Tanana Chiefs Paul Williams House | primary_care | 0.0 |
| Allakaket Counseling Center | primary_care | 0.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Fairbanks North Star County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Fairbanks North Star County: 21 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Fairbanks North Star County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 16.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.
Volume places Fairbanks North Star County above 95% of real US counties (21 active designations: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 17.0. 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.
Fairbanks North Star County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 18 of 31. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Fairbanks North Star County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Fairbanks North Star County's active designations: about 13 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Fairbanks North Star County's high-priority mental health
Fairbanks North Star County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Fairbanks North Star County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of AK before drawing conclusions from a single score. AK 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.
Counties With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Fairbanks North Star County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Lafourche County, LA and Dane County, WI.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Fairbanks North Star County (21 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 21 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Fairbanks North Star County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Fairbanks North Star County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Fairbanks North Star County's 21 active HPSA designations?
- 21 Designated rows (7 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Dena Nena Henash" (score 17.0; mental health; 48,153 people in the service area; designated 07/14/2003). Also active: "Fairbanks-North Star Borough", "Dena Nena Henash", "ME - Fairbanks North Star Borough". Above 95% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Fairbanks North Star County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 21 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Fairbanks North Star County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Dena Nena Henash" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Fairbanks North Star County's designation volume?
- 21 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 Fairbanks North Star County's volume compare inside AK?
- 21 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Fairbanks North Star County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 18 of 31. Score-nearest counties on this release include Lafourche County, LA and Dane County, WI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 02090. 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 02090 (Fairbanks North Star County, AK), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 21; peak score 17.0; signature 21 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.