AK · Healthcare shortage profile
Sitka County, AK
Designation volume is the standout signal for Sitka County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Population 8,458.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 8,458
- Peak shortage score
- 14.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sitka County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Mental-health shortages
- 14
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Sitka 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.
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Closing Sitka County's active designations would take about 2 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.2 primary care, 1.3 mental health, 0.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Sitka County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
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Peak HPSA score 14.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Sitka County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 1 ZIP Code Tabulation Area intersecting Sitka 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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sitka County carries 12 active designations, above 85% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Sitka County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 24 of 31. 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: 02220. Population: 8,458.
Below high-priority line
Sitka County is designated, but no active score clears 17
12 active designations sit on this FIPS (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental), and the peak severity is 14.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Sitka County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Sitka County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Alaska MH Catchment Area | mental_health | 14.0 |
| ME-Northern Southeast Alaska | dental | 12.0 |
| Mt. Edgecumbe High School | dental | 10.0 |
| Searhc Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital | dental | 10.0 |
| Northern Southeast Region | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Searhc Mountainside Family Clinic | dental | 9.0 |
| Searhc Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital | mental_health | 8.0 |
| Searhc Mountainside Family Clinic | mental_health | 8.0 |
| Mt. Edgecumbe High School | mental_health | 8.0 |
| Mt. Edgecumbe High School | primary_care | 2.0 |
| Searhc Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital | primary_care | 2.0 |
| Searhc Mountainside Family Clinic | primary_care | 2.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Sitka County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Sitka County: 12 active HPSA records, above 85% of real US counties. Sitka County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 14.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 9.0 of 25; Dental care reads 12.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Sitka County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Sitka County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 14.0. 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.
Sitka County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 24 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 Sitka County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Sitka County's active designations: about 2 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
High-volume peers of Sitka County (12 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 12 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes up Sitka County's 12 active HPSA designations?
- 12 Designated rows (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Southeast Alaska MH Catchment Area" (score 14.0; mental health; 26,000 people in the service area; ~1.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/15/2026). Also active: "ME-Northern Southeast Alaska", "Mt. Edgecumbe High School", "SEARHC Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital". Above 85% of real US counties by volume.
- Why is Sitka County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Sitka County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Sitka County?
- Peak active score 14.0 in mental health stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 12 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Sitka County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 2 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Southeast Alaska MH Catchment Area" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Sitka County's designation volume?
- 12 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 Sitka County's volume compare inside AK?
- 12 active HPSA rows · peak 14.0. Sitka County falls in the lower half of AK counties by active-designation volume, at rank 24 of 31. Score-nearest counties on this release include Knox County, ME and Morris County, NJ.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 02220. 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 02220 (Sitka County, AK), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 14.0; signature 12 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.