Objective:

To identify the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the US from 2023 to 2024 that have active Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations.

Approach:

• Population Growth Analysis: Examined population and workforce data to determine growth trends in metropolitan areas.
• HPSA Designation Review: Reviewed federally designated shortages of primary care, mental health, and dental professionals in these areas.

Key Findings:

• Houston-Pasadena–The Woodlands, Texas gained approximately 198,000 residents and has 15 primary care, 17 mental health, and 15 dental HPSA designations.
• Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, Texas added nearly 178,000 residents with 21 active HPSA designations.
• Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona grew by nearly 85,000 residents and has 114 active HPSA designations.
• Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach, Florida increased by around 123,000 residents with 53 active HPSA designations.
• Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida grew by around 76,000 residents with nine active HPSA designations.
• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, North Carolina-South Carolina saw an increase of over 61,000 residents with 21 active HPSA designations.
• Austin–Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas grew by over 58,000 residents with six active HPSA designations.
• Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, California added almost 40,000 residents with 47 active HPSA designations.

Interpretation:

The data indicates significant population growth in metropolitan areas that are also facing shortages in healthcare professionals.

Limitations:

• The analysis is limited to population growth data from 2023 to 2024.
• HPSA designations may not fully represent the healthcare needs of the populations.

Conclusion:

The identified metropolitan areas are experiencing rapid growth while simultaneously facing challenges in healthcare professional availability.

Sources:

• US Census Bureau
• PlainHealthAccess