Health Care Need Designations
Health care designations are a way of analyzing health care access (or the lack of access) for all of the people in a geographic area (e.g., Morrow County), a specific population in an area (e.g., homeless individuals in Jackson County), and a certain type of facility (e.g., Federally Qualified Health Centers). These designations provide eligibility for some federal (e.g., National Health Service Corps) and state (e.g., Oregon loan repayment) resources to help Oregon’s underserved areas.
Oregon Recognized Designations
Each year ORH assesses the unmet health care needs for rural and frontier Oregon communities. The AUHCN designation uses nine variables to focus on physical, mental and oral primary care access needs. Total scores as well as details and maps for each Unmet Need Variable are available in the report.
The Oregon Governor’s Health Care Shortage Area Designation was created in 2006 to expand eligibility of Rural Health Clinic certification.
Federally Recognized Designations
HPSAs are requested by the state through the Oregon Health Authority Primary Care Office and approved by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), that indicate health care provider shortages in primary care; dental health; or mental health. These shortages may be geographic, population, or facility-based. Use this tool to determine if your address is located in a HPSA.
Oregon HPSA Maps
Requested through the Oregon Health Authority Primary Care Office and approved by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), MUAs are areas in which residents have a shortage of personal health services. MUPs may include groups of persons who face economic, cultural or linguistic barriers to health care. Unlike HPSAs, which expire after three years unless re-approved, these do not expire. Use this tool to determine if your address is located in an MUA.
Contact
Emerson Ong | 503-494-5226