Public health services in Kern County are at risk of budget cuts. County leaders held a hearing to discuss the potential impact it will have on the community and county workers. The hearing served as a continuation of discussions regarding the budget proposal, specifically aimed at reducing the medical services offered by Kern County Public Health.
Community members voiced their concerns, highlighting that these cuts will not only affect county employees but will also lead to diminished access to services for the entire community and a decreasing public health workforce.
Iliana Rivera is a nurse practitioner, and she says, “Public health should be a service that is offered to all community residents and every community in the United States. And the fact that we are trying to cut it significantly in an area that's already underserved — we already don’t have enough providers — it’s just going to further impact our health.”
County officials noted they are grappling with a combination of budget cuts from both state and federal levels — amounting to just over 12 million dollars.
They stressed their ongoing commitment to their mission but mentioned that some changes will be needed. Officials added that Public Health operates with a 38 million dollar budget and a workforce of over 200 employees.
Jeff Flores the District 3 Supervisor says, “The department is making adjustments — less travel, hiring freeze, no overtime, deleting vacant funded positions — and seeing how we can best absorb them into other parts of the county where we do have jobs available.”
Public Health says there could be an elimination of 35 positions — and currently, 27 of those positions slated for deletion are filled.
Brynn Carrigan is the Director, for Kern County Public Health and she says, “I think what's important to understand is that we are still maintaining services in our clinic in our Bakersfield location. We are still here as an agency to serve our community, and we are still putting their health and safety at the forefront.”
The County Board of Supervisors will be holding one more public meeting, set for August 26th, before they decide whether to follow through with the cuts.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
