Health Professional Shortage Areas

Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) are determined by calculating the population to provider ratio in a service area that can be as small as a census tract or as big as a multi-county region. If the population to provider ratio meets federal requirements, the area can be officially designated a HPSA.  A HPSA designation is important because it is used as a qualifier for many federal programs. Some of these programs provide increased Medicaid and/or Medicare re-reimbursement and others assist with provider recruitment.   Staff within the Wyoming Office of Rural Health are available to assist under-served communities obtain a HPSA designation if they meet federal requirements.