A primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) is a designation given by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to a population group, geographic area, or facility where residents have limited access to basic medical care because not enough primary care physicians serve the area relative to its population size. As of March 31, 2025, the HRSA reported that more than 77.2 million Americans lived in a community that had a primary care shortfall. Per HRSA data, the six-state Far Western U.S. was home to nearly 11.8 million Americans who lived in primary care shortfall areas. The HRSA estimates that to eliminate this shortfall, HPSAs in the Far Western U.S would need 1,922 additional primary care physicians. A closer review of 3/31/25 HRSA data reveals the following about the primary care shortfall in the Far Western U.S.:
|
The Primary Care Shortfall in the Far Western U.S. |
| State |
(1) HPSAs |
(2) Population |
(3) Shortfall |
| AK |
343 |
288,772 |
71 |
| CA |
630 |
6,549,786 |
971 |
| HI |
33 |
519,572 |
87 |
| NV |
74 |
952,427 |
183 |
| OR |
150 |
877,420 |
111 |
| WA |
214 |
2,606,632 |
499 |
|
|
|
|
| Region |
1,444 |
11,794,609 |
1.922 |
|
|
|
|
| U.S. |
7,749 |
77,253,848 |
13,364 |
(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a primary care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove the HPSA Designation
Source: Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)
