The Washington State Department of Health, on behalf of the Shortage Designation Branch of the federal Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW), is conducting a survey to determine if the community meets the minimum eligibility requirements for designation as a federal health professional shortage area (HPSA). HPSA designations are used to allocate funding for scholarships and student loan repayment for primary care providers in medical, dental, and behavioral health fields. In addition to population to provider ratios, HPSA also evaluates access to community water fluoridation, percentage of the population before the federal poverty level, and travel times to health care.

If you practice as a general dental practitioner or pediatric dentist, your response is imperative to assess the area’s overall need. We ask that you please take the survey as soon as possible.

To complete the survey, visit: www.doh.wa.gov/HPSASurvey

Take the Survey

We thank you for your participation and support of your community. HPSA designations help our state place dental safety net resources. 

If you have any survey-related concerns or questions regarding HPSA designations and their uses, please search for the Primary Care Office webpage at www.doh.wa.gov. You can also contact Randall.Saylor@doh.wa.gov or call (360) 236-2856.