Where are Massachusetts' doctor shortages?
11 Massachusetts counties have at least one federal shortage designation for primary care, mental health or dental care. Look up a hospital to see whether its area has a shortage.
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Primary care shortage
11 counties
79% of Massachusetts' 14 counties, against 88% nationally. 2 are designated as a whole county. 89 Massachusetts hospitals are in these counties.
Mental health shortage
8 counties
57% of Massachusetts' counties, against 93% nationally. 4 counties have a dental shortage designation.
Massachusetts' highest-need counties for primary care
Counties with the highest primary care shortage score (0 to 25; higher means greater need).
Essex
Part of county · 4 designations
Score 17
Mental health score 18
Middlesex
Part of county · 2 designations
Score 17
Mental health score 18
Suffolk
Part of county · 2 designations
Score 17
Mental health score 18
Bristol
Part of county · 1 designation
Score 17
Mental health score 10
Worcester
Part of county · 4 designations
Score 15
Mental health score 14
Berkshire
Part of county · 3 designations
Score 15
Mental health score 17
Every Massachusetts county with a shortage designation
Click a column to sort, or filter by county name. "Whole county" means the entire county is designated; "Part" means one or more areas within it (such as census tracts) or a population group (such as low-income residents) is designated. The number is the highest shortage score in the county.
No Massachusetts county with a shortage designation matches that name.
Only counties with at least one active area-based designation (geographic or population) are listed; Massachusetts has 14 counties in all. Scores run from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health and 0 to 26 for dental care; higher means greater need. Bars show each score against the maximum. Source: Health Resources and Services Administration (data.hrsa.gov).
Questions about shortage areas in Massachusetts
Which Massachusetts counties are primary care shortage areas?
11 Massachusetts counties have all or part of the county designated as short of primary care providers (79% of 14). 2 are designated as a whole county: Dukes, Nantucket. In the other 9, part of the county or a population group (such as low-income residents) is designated.
Which Massachusetts county has the greatest need for primary care?
Essex has the highest primary care shortage score in Massachusetts: 17 on a scale of 0 to 25, where higher means greater need. Next highest: Middlesex (17), Suffolk (17), Bristol (17), Worcester (15).
Is there a mental health care shortage in Massachusetts?
8 Massachusetts counties have a mental health shortage designation (57% of counties, against 93% nationally), 1 of them for the whole county. The highest mental health score is in Hampden (19 of 25). 4 counties have a dental shortage designation.
How does Massachusetts compare with the rest of the U.S.?
79% of Massachusetts' counties have a primary care shortage designation, lower than the national figure of 88% (2,759 of 3,143 counties). Many designations cover only part of a county or a population group, so a county being listed doesn't mean every resident lacks care.
What do the shortage scores mean?
HRSA scores each shortage area on how severe the need is, using things like the ratio of people to providers, poverty and travel time to care. Scores run from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health, and from 0 to 26 for dental care. Higher scores mean greater need, and the highest-scoring areas get priority for National Health Service Corps clinicians.
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Shortage areas in every state
HRSA designates Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) where there are too few providers for the population: for primary care, generally fewer than one doctor for every 3,500 people (or 3,000 in high-need areas). Designations unlock federal programs such as National Health Service Corps clinicians and Medicare bonus payments. About the data.
Shortage areas in other states
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