As of December 31, 2022, more than 98.5 million Americans lived in a primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  A primary care HPSA is a population group, geographic area, or facility where residents have poor access to basic medical care because too few primary care physicians work in the area relative to the size of the population.  The HRSA estimates that HPSAs throughout the country would need over 17,000 more primary care physicians to eliminate the national primary care shortage.

Here is a summary look at America's primary care shortage by region (for state-level details, follow the "region" link):

America's Primary Care Shortage by Region

Region	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
Far West	1,515	15,434,587	2,765
Great Lakes	1,067	13,616,456	2,028
Great Plains	1,237	6,106,844	1,221
MidEast	491	9,606,286	2,029
New England	252	1,396,786	216
Rocky Mountain	504	3,652,236	586
Southeast	2,171	32,810,866	5,283
Southwest	988	13,630,751	2,266
U.S. Territories	69	2,282,445	671
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

A geographic area, population group, or facility where residents have substandard access to basic medical care because too few primary care physicians serve the community relative to the size of its population may be deemed a health professional shortage area (HPSA) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of December 31, 2022, the HRSA reported that more than 98.5 million Americans resided in areas or settings designated as primary care HPSAs.

With 51.3% of the U.S. population who live in primary care shortage areas, the following are the ten states with the most people living in primary care shortage areas as of December 31, 2022, according to HRSA data:

Ten States with the Most People Living in Primary Care Shortage Areas

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
CA	682	8,260,869	1,380
FL	306	7,688,768	1,745
TX	440	7,479,997	1,038
NY	194	6,449,663	1,348
IL	273	3,600,042	578
MI	285	3,565,754	583
WA	225	3,542,702	794
GA	247	3,369,911	683
AZ	248	3,344,046	667
NC	222	3,216,821	498
Top 10	3,122	50,518,573	9,314
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065
% of U.S.	37.6%	51.3%	54.6%

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

When residents of a geographic area, facility, or population group have poor access to basic medical care because too few primary care physicians are serving the area relative to its population size, the setting can be designated a primary care HPSA (health professional shortage area) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of December 31, 2022, the HRSA reported that more than 98.5 million Americans lived in designated primary care HPSAs.  The seven-state Great Plains region had 6.1 million residents who lived in a primary care shortage area as of 12/31/22.  This number represented about 6.2% of the U.S. population that was living in primary care shortage areas at that time.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate the shortage Great Plains region HPSAs would need 1,221 additional primary care physicians.  As such, the region accounted for about 7.2% of the national deficit of primary care physicians.  A closer review of 12/31/22 HRSA data reveals the following state-level details about the Great Plains' primary care shortage:

The Great Plains' Primary Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
IA	175	850,095	156
KS	190	823,846	133
MN	219	1,524,235	212
MO	363	2,294,436	600
NE	93	75,705	15
ND	93	229,048	49
SD	104	309,479	56
Region	1,237	6,106,844	1,221
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065
% of U.S.	14.9%	6.2%	7.2%

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

As designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) is a geographic area, population group, or facility where residents have inadequate access to basic medical care because too few primary care physicians service that population.  As of December 31, 2022, more than 98.5 million Americans lived in HRSA-designated primary care HPSAs.  With over 32.8 million residents living in primary care shortage areas, the twelve-state Southeast accounted for one-third of the U.S. population who lived in primary care HPSAs as of 12/31/22.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate this shortage, Southeast region HPSAs would need nearly 5,300 additional primary care physicians.  A deeper examination of 12/31/22 HRSA data reveals the following state-level view of the Southeast's primary care shortage:

The Southeast's Primary Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
AL	129	2,863,772	354
AR	127	1,105,866	144
FL	306	7,688,768	1,745
GA	247	3,369,911	683
KY	253	2,043,331	319
LA	183	2,590,723	298
MS	181	2,035,170	330
NC	222	3,216,821	498
SC	106	1,989,936	209
TN	148	2,582,889	304
VA	149	2,536,647	261
WV	120	787,032	138
Region	2,171	32,810,866	5,283
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065
% of U.S.	26.2%	33.3%	31.0%

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

A geographic area, population group, or facility where residents have substandard access to basic medical care due to a lack of primary care physicians can be designated a primary care HPSA (health professional shortage area) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of December 31, 2022, more than 98.5 million Americans lived in primary care HPSAs as designated by the HRSA.  More than 9.6 million residents of the MidEast region of the U.S., which includes the District of Columbia and five states, lived in a primary care HPSA.  The MidEast region thus accounted for just about 9.7% of the U.S. population who lived in primary care shortage areas.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate the region's primary care shortage, MidEast HPSAs would need more than 2,000 additional primary care physicians.  A closer examination of 12/31/22 HRSA data reveals the following about the MidEast region's primary care shortage:

The MidEast Region's Primary Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
DC	19	545,480	122
DE	11	253,696	75
MD	76	1,748,349	354
NJ	38	29,048	21
NY	194	6,449,663	1,348
PA	153	580,050	109
Region	491	9,606,286	2,029
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065
% of U.S.	5.9%	9.7%	11.9%

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

A population group, geographic area, or facility where residents have diminished access to basic medical care because there are too few primary care physicians relative to the population size of that setting can be designated a primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of December 31, 2022, HRSA data showed that more than 98.5 million Americans lived in primary care HPSAs.  The four-state Southwest region was home to over 13.6 million people who lived in a primary care HPSA.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate this primary care shortage, Southwest HPSAs would need over 2,260 more primary care physicians.  As such, the Southwestern U.S. accounted for about 13.3% of the national shortage of primary care physicians.  A closer review of 12/31/22 HRSA data reveals the following about the Southwest's primary care shortage:

The Southwest's Primary Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
AZ	248	3,344,046	667
NM	110	1,345,594	264
OK	190	1,461,114	297
TX	440	7,479,997	1,038
Region	988	13,630,751	2,266
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065
% of U.S.	11.9%	13.8%	13.3%

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

A geographic area, facility, or population group where residents have impaired access to basic medical care because the setting or area has too few primary care physicians relative to its population size can be designated a health professional shortage area (HPSA) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of December 31, 2022, more than 98.5 million Americans lived in areas or settings designated by the HRSA as primary care HPSAs.  The six New England states were home to nearly 1.4 million people who lived in a primary care HPSA, accounting for about 1.4% of Americans who lived in primary care shortage areas.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate this primary care shortage, New England HPSAs would need 216 more primary care physicians.  As such, New England accounted for about 1.3% of the national shortage of primary care physicians.  A closer study of 12/31/22 HRSA data reveals the following about New England's primary care shortage:

New England's Primary Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
CT	43	431,866	61
MA	68	528,050	99
ME	82	124,339	24
NH	30	161,596	17
RI	13	137,033	13
VT	16	13,902	2
Region	252	1,396,786	216
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065
% of U.S.	3.0%	1.4%	1.3%

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

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, 2022, the HRSA reported that more than 98.5 million Americans lived in areas or settings designated as primary care HPSAs.  The six-state Far West region accounted for about 15.7% of Americans who lived in primary care shortage areas.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate the shortage Far West region HPSAs would need 2,765 additional primary care physicians.  As such, the Far West accounted for about 16.2% of the national deficit of primary care physicians.  A closer review of 12/31/22 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	325	295,674	74
CA	682	8,260,869	1,380
HI	32	519,102	87
NV	77	1,238,467	236
OR	174	1,577,773	194
WA	225	3,542,702	794
Region	1,515	15,434,587	2,765
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065
% of U.S.	18.3%	15.7%	16.2%

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

A geographic area, population group, or facility that has poor access to basic medical care because it lacks a sufficient number of primary care physicians can be designated a primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of December 31, 2022, more than 98.5 million Americans lived in primary care HPSAs as designated by the HRSA.  The five-state Rocky Mountain region accounted for just over 3.7% of the U.S. population who lived in primary care shortage areas, and about 3.4% of the overall national shortage of primary care providers.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate the shortage Rocky Mountain region HPSAs would need 586 additional primary care physicians.  A closer examination of 12/31/22 HRSA data reveals the following about the Rocky Mountain region's primary care shortage:

The Rocky Mountain Region's Primary Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
CO	132	1,233,403	224
ID	105	573,749	100
MT	152	511,008	93
UT	71	1,147,454	145
WY	44	186,622	24
Region	504	3,652,236	586
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

As designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) is a geographic area, population group, or facility that has poor access to primary care services because it lacks a sufficient number of primary care providers, including Doctors of Medicine (MD) or Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) who provide services as general or family practitioners, general internal medicine physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians, and gynecologists.  As of December 31, 2022, primary care HPSAs in the five-state Great Lakes region accounted for just over 13.8% of the U.S. population who lived in primary care shortage areas, and about 11.9% of the nation's overall shortage of primary care providers.  To eliminate the shortage, the HRSA estimated that Great Lakes region HPSAs would need 2,028 additional primary care providers.  A further study of HRSA data reveals the following about the Great Lakes region's primary care shortage:

The Great Lakes Region's Primary Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
IL	273	3,600,042	578
IN	138	2,454,000	244
MI	285	3,565,754	583
OH	186	2,387,038	408
WI	185	1,609,622	215
Region	1,067	13,616,456	2,028
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065

(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, 12/31/22 (HRSA)

The Primary Care Shortage by Region

As of September 2020, an estimated 81 million Americans lived in more than 7,200 areas designated as a primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  A geographic area, population group, or facility, residents of primary care HPSAs have poor access to basic health services because the area lacks a sufficient number of Doctors of Medicine (MD) or Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) who provide services as general or family practitioners, general internal medicine physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians or gynecologists. HRSA designation criteria is based upon the population within the HPSA relative to the number of primary care providers that service the area. Although the population-to-provider ratio needed to qualify for designation varies by HPSA type (geographic, population or facility), all HPSAs with a primary care shortage designation have a population-to-provider ratio that meets or exceeds certain thresholds stipulated by federal regulations.  As of September 2020, the HRSA estimates that all primary care shortage areas in the U.S. would need just under 15,000 more providers to eliminate all such shortage designations.

Here is a summary look at the primary care shortage by region (for state-level details, follow the "region" link):

Region	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
Far West	1,374	13,240.8	2,654
Great Lakes	878	11,229.0	1,586
Great Plains	1,063	4,159.9	908
MidEast	416	6,733.0	1,558
New England	228	1,334.5	305
Rocky Mountain	466	2,971.0	540
Southeast	1,818	27,003.5	4,748
Southwest	898	12,595.8	1,983
U.S. Territories	62	2,248.8	663
U.S.	7,203	81,516.3	14,945

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

(2) Population of designated HPSAs, in thousands

(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 9/30/20 (HRSA)

The Primary Care Shortage in the Southeast

As of September 2020, about 81 million Americans lived in over 7,200 areas or settings that had been designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). A primary care HPSA is a geographic area, population group, or facility that has poor access to basic health services because it lacks a sufficient number of primary care providers, a category that includes Doctors of Medicine (MD) or Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) who provide services as general or family practitioners, general internal medicine physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians or gynecologists. With respect to primary care, HRSA designation criteria is based upon the population within the HPSA relative to the number of primary care providers that service the area. Although the population-to-provider ratio needed to qualify for designation varies by HPSA type (geographic, population or facility), all primary care shortage areas have a population-to-provider ratio that meets or exceeds certain thresholds stipulated by federal regulations. Areas with a designated primary care shortage can participate in various federal programs aimed at attracting more primary care providers to work in these medically underserved communities. The HRSA estimates that, as of September 2020, all primary care HPSAs in the U.S. would need about 15,000 more providers to eliminate all shortage designations.

HPSAs in the twelve-state Southeast region of the country account for just over 33% of the U.S. population who live in primary care shortage areas and approximately 32% of the national shortage of primary care providers. The HRSA estimates that the Southeast region would need over 4,700 more primary care providers to eliminate the shortage that exists in the region. Here is a summary look at the primary care shortage in the Southeast:

The Primary Care Shortage in the Southeast

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
AL	102	2,295.3	316
AR	88	647.7	93
FL	279	6,657.5	1,793
GA	234	3,202.8	636
KY	175	1,348.0	180
LA	154	2,251.2	248
MS	148	1,732.5	315
NC	189	2,028.1	323
SC	95	1,911.0	250
TN	136	2,440.5	263
VA	113	1,849.5	214
WV	105	639.4	117
Region	1,818	27,003.5	4,748
U.S.	7,203	81,516.3	14,945

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

(2) Population of designated HPSAs, in thousands

(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 9/30/20 (HRSA)

The Primary Care Shortage in the Rocky Mountain Region

As of September 2020, an estimated 81 million Americans lived in more than 7,200 areas or settings designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). A primary care HPSA is a geographic area, population group, or facility that has poor access to basic health services because it lacks a sufficient number of primary care providers. For HRSA purposes, primary care providers include Doctors of Medicine (MD) or Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) who provide services as general or family practitioners, general internal medicine physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians or gynecologists. With respect to primary care, HRSA designation criteria is based upon the population within the HPSA relative to the number of primary care providers that service the area. Although the population-to-provider ratio needed to qualify for designation varies by HPSA type (geographic, population or facility), all HPSAs with a primary care shortage designation have a population-to-provider ratio that meets or exceeds certain limits stipulated by federal regulations. Areas designated as a primary care HPSA can participate in federal programs aimed at attracting more primary care providers to work with medically underserved populations. The HRSA estimates that, as of September 2020, all primary care HPSAs in the U.S. would need almost 15,000 more providers to eliminate all shortage designations.

HPSAs in the five-state Rocky Mountain region account for just over 3.6% of the U.S. population who live in primary care shortage areas.  To eliminate the shortage, the HRSA estimates that Rocky Mountain region HPSAs would need over 500 more primary care providers.  Here is a summary look at the primary care shortage in the Rocky Mountain region:

The Primary Care Shortage in the Rocky Mountain Region

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
CO	119	1,112.1	255
ID	98	482.9	70
MT	138	410.4	88
UT	64	777.7	103
WY	47	187.9	24
Region	466	2,971.0	540
U.S.	7,203	81,516.3	14,945

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

(2) Population of designated HPSAs, in thousands

(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 9/30/20 (HRSA)

The Primary Care Shortage in the Far West

September 2020 reports from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) tell us that over 81 million Americans lived in a primary care shortage area. Known by the HRSA as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), a HPSA with a primary care shortage is a geographic area, population group, or facility where access to basic healthcare services is substandard because of a lack of primary care providers. This HRSA designation is based upon the number of people living within the HPSA relative to the number of primary care providers that service the area. For its purposes, the HRSA considers "primary care" providers to include MDs and DOs (Doctors of Osteopathy) who provide services as general or family practitioners, general internal medicine physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians or gynecologists. Although the population-to-provider ratio needed to qualify for primary care shortage area designation varies by HPSA type (geographic, population or facility), all HPSAs with a primary care shortage designation have a population-to-provider ratio that meets or exceeds certain thresholds set by the federal government. HPSA's receiving a primary care shortage area designation are eligible to participate in federal programs aimed at attracting more primary care service providers to their communities. As of September 2020, the HRSA estimates that all primary care shortage areas in the U.S. would need nearly 15,000 more primary care providers to eliminate all such shortage designations.

HPSAs in the six-state Far West region account for about 16.2% of the U.S. population who live in primary care shortage areas and just under 17.8% of the national shortage of primary care providers. To eliminate these shortages, the HRSA estimates that Far West region shortage areas would need 2,654 additional primary care providers. Here is a summary look at the primary care shortage in the Far West region of the United States:

The Primary Care Shortage in the Far West

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
AK	301	231.8	59
CA	626	7,996.8	1,545
HI	31	507.3	80
NV	72	950.4	171
OR	144	911.4	143
WA	200	2,643.1	656
Region	1,374	13,240.8	2,654
U.S.	7,203	81,516.3	14,945

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

(2) Population of designated HPSAs, in thousands

(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 9/30/20 (HRSA)