Oklahoma ranks #5 out of 50 states for the severity of HPSAs. OK has 196 primary care HPSAs, most of which are in rural areas (the population of Oklahomans living in HPSAs exceeds 1.2 million). Vermont meets the needs of 84.15% of their HPSAs, while Delaware meets the needs of only 11.17%.
As of 2025, the percentage of the residents in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) whose primary care needs are met is based on provider count.
Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation
Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) are regions where there is a shortage of healthcare providers, making it challenging for residents to access essential medical services. These areas are identified based on factors such as population size and healthcare provider availability, highlighting the need for increased medical resources to address local health needs.
Access to medical providers is key to maintaining one’s health. For Oklahomans in rural areas, the barriers to seeing a provider grow year over year.
Although not the singular reason, low access to care is a contributing factor to higher rates of death from heart disease, cancer, stroke, and lower respiratory disease in rural areas.
In 2023, the ratio of primary care physicians to people was one doctor for every 1,650 individuals living in Oklahoma. This ratio varied significantly across different counties within the state, with some having one physician for as many as 25,440 people, while others had a more favorable ratio of one doctor for every 950. This discrepancy plays a large role in poorer health outcomes for rural communities.
It’s not uncommon for the nearest hospital to be 30 minutes away or more in parts of the state. While this has a more dramatic effect on the availability of acute services like urgent and emergency care, primary care providers are in equally short supply.
Regular access to a primary care provider is a positive indicator of health (See Consistent Primary Care). Obstetric services are also limited – over half of Oklahoma’s counties are maternal healthcare deserts, which means they lack hospitals, birth centers, or providers offering obstetric care (See Adequate Prenatal Care). This has a significant impact on maternal and infant health outcomes.
This issue has seen little improvement in recent years. Rural Oklahoma is suffering the rapid attrition of healthcare access, a trend mirrored in many other sparsely-populated areas across the nation. Currently, 47 rural hospitals are considered at risk for closing, another 23 rural hospitals are at immediate risk, and six hospitals have closed since 2015.
The primary factor used to determine a HPSA designation is the number of health professionals relative to the population with consideration given to the health care needs of the population.
State rankings for this section were based on the percentage of residents whose needs are met, as opposed to ranking based on solely the number of HPSA designations. By using this value, we are able to more clearly see the impact of HPSAs on the quality of care patients receive. If rankings were based solely on the number of HSPA designations in 2025, Oklahoma would rank #16 (196 HPSAs). California would rank #1 (661 HPSAs), and Delaware would rank last (12 HPSAs)
State and federal funding for rural hospitals and clinics increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is fairly illustrative of the challenges rural Oklahomans face when they need healthcare: though they make up 34% of the population, Oklahomans living in rural areas died at a rate of 9.6% compared to 8.8% in urban areas. Lack of and distance to advanced equipment like ventilators heavily hindered care capacity.
Medicaid funding cuts included in the federal 2025 budget reconciliation bill have increased the risk of rural hospital closures across Oklahoma, though the full impact may not be felt for another few years (2026-2029).
The addition of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is expected to help soften the blow of Medicaid cuts by providing financial support for rural hospitals in the state. Projects listed within the state’s RHTP plan include efforts to expand maternal health services, strengthen rural hospitals, and facilitate collaboration between state healthcare entities, among other initiatives.
This issue brief was written by Metriarch staff as part of our Data Lookbook.
Suggested citation
Metriarch. “Access to Quality Care,” Data Lookbook (2025). URL: metriarchok.org/access-to-care-in-rural-areas.
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