The Far West's Primary Care Shortage

A population group, geographic area, or facility where residents have limited access to basic medical care because it has too few primary care physicians relative to the size of its population can be designated a health professional shortage area (HPSA) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of December 31, 2021, the HRSA reported that more than 86.4 million Americans lived in areas or settings designated as primary care HPSAs.  The six-state Far West region accounted for just over 16.6% of Americans who lived in primary care shortage areas.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate the shortage Far West region HPSAs would need almost 2,700 additional primary care physicians.  As such, the Far West accounted for about 17.7% of the national deficit of primary care physicians.  A closer review of 12/31/21 HRSA data reveals the following about the Far West's primary care shortage:

The Far West's Primary Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
AK	310	214,710	58
CA	646	7,800,963	1,398
HI	32	519,059	87
NV	71	931,149	171
OR	159	1,390,299	176
WA	215	3,531,130	793
Region	1,433	14,387,310	2,683
U.S.	7,613	86,473,101	15,184

(1) Designated Geographic, Population Group and Facility HPSAs with a primary care shortage

(2) Population of designated HPSAs

(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 12/31/21 (HRSA)