Health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) are defined as regions with:

• A. Areas with inadequate health care facilities for residents
• B. Isolated areas of underserved populations within urban regions
• C. Regions with insufficient numbers of health care providers
• D. Rural regions of the United States with population densities of less than 10,000

Answer: (C)

Health professional shortage areas focus on the availability of health care providers relative to the population they serve. A region earns an HPSA designation when there aren’t enough primary care, dental, or mental health clinicians to meet the community’s needs, not merely when facilities are lacking or when the area is rural. This shortage frame can apply to geographic areas, specific populations, or particular facilities, and the designation helps target programs that recruit and retain clinicians to improve access. So, describing HPSAs as regions with insufficient numbers of health care providers best captures what the designation measures.