No state in the U.S. is immune to healthcare workforce shortages — but some are suffering more than others, according to the most recent federal data from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
The data set, last updated May 16, displays the number of healthcare professional shortage area facilities currently in each state. HPSA facilities have an insufficient number of healthcare workers: The list of eligible organizations ranges from public or nonprofit private medical facilities, to federal facilities like state mental hospitals, to CMS-certified rural health clinics. These designations are used to distribute resources like nurse corps and determine eligibility for programs like IHS loan repayment. Read more about HPSA designations here.
Here's how many health professional shortage area facilities exist in each state, ordered from highest to lowest:
1. California — 1,338 HPSA facilities
2. Alaska — 904
3. Missouri — 706
4. Michigan — 523
5. Texas — 477
6. Florida — 432
7. Washington — 422
8. Arizona — 398
9. Illinois — 388
10. Minnesota — 345
11. Wisconsin — 339
12. New York — 319
13. Oregon — 311
14 (tie). Oklahoma — 309
14 (tie). Pennsylvania — 309
16. North Carolina — 295
17. Ohio — 293
18 (tie). Louisiana — 285
18 (tie). Kansas — 285
20. Iowa — 267
21. Kentucky — 264
22. Montana — 239
23. Nebraska — 231
24. New Mexico — 206
25. Mississippi — 204
26 (tie). Georgia — 186
26 (tie). Indiana — 186
28. West Virginia — 185
29. South Carolina — 174
30. Virginia — 171
31. Colorado — 164
32. Idaho — 159
33. Massachusetts — 158
34. Maine — 154
35. Arkansas — 152
36. Tennessee — 146
37. North Dakota — 130
38. Alabama — 127
39. Nevada — 125
40. South Dakota — 118
41. New Jersey — 113
42. Utah — 96
43. Hawaii — 81
44. Connecticut — 70
45. Maryland — 61
46. New Hampshire — 57
47. Wyoming — 54
48. Vermont — 36
49. Rhode Island — 27
50. Delaware — 22