The Mental Health Care Shortage in the Great Plains Region

According to September 2020 data published by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), over 119 million Americans live in more than 5,700 areas or settings designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for mental health care services. A mental health care HPSA is a geographic area, population group, or facility where access to mental health care is substandard because it lacks a sufficient number of mental health care providers. With respect to mental health care, HRSA designation is based upon the population within the HPSA relative to the number of mental health care providers that service the area. Some areas receive a shortage designation because of the size of its population relative to the number of psychiatrists in the area, while others are designated based upon its population relative to the number of psychiatrists and core mental health providers. For HRSA purposes, core mental health providers include clinical social psychologists, clinical social workers, marriage & family therapists and psychiatric nurse specialists. Although the population-to-provider ratio necessary to qualify for designation varies by HPSA type (geographic, population or facility), all mental health care HPSAs have a population-to-provider ratio that meets or exceeds certain thresholds stipulated by federal regulations. Areas designated as a mental health care HPSA can participate in federal programs aimed at attracting more mental health care providers to work with these medically underserved communities. The HRSA estimates that, as of September 30, 2020, all mental health care HPSAs in the U.S. would need about 6,500 more mental health care providers to eliminate all shortage designations.

More than 780 HPSAs in the seven-state Great Plains region account for about 7.2% of the U.S. population who live in mental health care shortage areas, and about 6.5% of the national shortage of mental health care providers. The HRSA estimates that HPSAs in the Great Plains region would need over 400 more providers in order to eliminate the mental health care shortage in the region.  Here is a summary look at the mental health care shortage in the Great Plains region:

The Mental Health Care Shortage in the Great Plains Region

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
IA	90	1,821.3	62
KS	128	1,383.3	54
MN	116	1,784.0	76
MO	246	1,871.9	143
NE	72	1,038.0	26
ND	71	303.0	22
SD	61	448.3	36
Region	784	8,649.8	419
U.S.	5,733	119,344.0	6,464

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

(2) Population of designated HPSAs, in thousands

(3) Mental Health Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

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

The Dental Care Shortage in the Great Lakes Region

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) data from September 2020 reveals that almost 60 million Americans live in dental care shortage areas. These areas, known by the HRSA as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), are geographic areas, population groups, or facilities where access to healthcare services is substandard because of a lack of primary care, dental care, or mental health care providers. With respect to dental care, HRSA designation is based upon the number of people living within the HPSA relative to the number of dentists and dental auxiliaries (any non-dentist staff employed by the dentist to assist in the operation of the practice) that service the area. Although the population-to-provider ratio needed to qualify for dental care shortage designation varies by HPSA type (geographic, population or facility), all HPSAs so designated have a population-to-provider ratio that meets or exceeds certain thresholds set by federal regulations. HRSA designated dental care shortage areas are eligible to participate in federal programs aimed at attracting more dental care providers to work with these communities. Nearly 6,500 areas or settings qualified with the HRSA as a dental care shortage area as of September 2020. To eliminate all such shortage designations, the HRSA estimates that these HPSAs would need about 10,700 additional dental care providers.

More than 800 HPSAs in the Great Lakes region account for about 14.0% of the U.S. population who live in dental care shortage areas and approximately 14.3% of the national shortage of dental care providers. The HRSA estimates that HPSAs in the Great Lakes region would need more than 1,500 additional dental care providers in order to eliminate the dental care shortage in the region. Here is a summary look at the dental care shortage in the Great Lakes region of the United States:

The Dental Care Shortage in the Great Lakes Region

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
IL	208	2,303.6	381
IN	104	1,304.4	227
MI	243	1,732.9	420
OH	145	1,802.1	302
WI	111	1,226.4	206
Region	811	8,369.4	1,536
U.S.	6,487	59,941.1	10,716

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

(2) Population of designated HPSAs, in thousands

(3) Dental Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

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