Shortage / Underserved Areas Designations

KDHE's Office of Primary Care and Rural Health is responsible for the evaluation and submissions of health professional shortage areas and medically underserved areas/population designations.

State and federal agencies use these designations to prioritize and direct limited resources to areas with unmet health care needs, including programs for:

  • Federally Qualified Health Centers
  • Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waivers
  • Financial Assistance for Health Professionals
  • Medicare Designations for Rural Health Clinics and Community Hospitals
  • Medicare Reimbursement for Rural Providers and Telehealth Services

Health Professional Underserved Areas Report

View the Health Professional Underserved Areas Report (PDF).

  1. Health Professional Shortages
  2. Medically Underserved Areas
  3. Documents

Federal Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas

The Public Health Service Act, as amended, instructs the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to use data from national, state, and local sources and regulations based upon established criteria, to annually prepare listings of currently designated Health Professional(s) Shortage Areas (HPSA).

The DHHS may designate a HPSA for an urban or rural area that is a:

  • Rational service area (i.e., geographic area)
  • Population group
  • Public or nonprofit private medical facility

To search detailed HPSA information in your community, go to the Interactive Kansas HPSA Map.