BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Over the last few months, Kern County Public Health has been through significant upheaval, losing more than $12 million in state and federal funding and being forced to eliminate 35 positions, 27 of which were filled. The financial crisis has now drawn scrutiny from a grand jury, which released a report examining the impact of these cuts on public health services.
Earlier this year, as county public health officials realised they would be losing millions of dollars in funding, the county announced it would reduce services, affecting approximately 6,000 patients. After a public hearing, officials announced the layoffs of 27 people.
Following that public hearing, Kern County Public Health Director Brynn Carrigan said the department was working to maintain essential services.
"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," Carrigan said.
However, the grand jury report indicates the current state of public health services falls short of community needs. One of the report's key findings states that "the 25% budget cut to the DPH services and programs has caused a health care risk to the Kern community." The report cites the closure of Public Health's Shafter Clinic and notes that while public health continues offering services, it has limited appointments available, and overflow patients are being redirected to Kern Medical.
The grand jury made several recommendations with specific deadlines:
- Issue a public service announcement on where residents can access services and restore a grant writer position to secure funding by December 1, 2025
- The County Board of Supervisors should restore the budget and provide funding for additional testing and treatment for various diseases by May 1, 2026
- The Board should investigate merging clinical services into Kern Medical by the end of June 2025
- The Shafter clinic and mobile units should be restored by February 1, 2027
I reached out to both Kern County Public Health and the County of Kern's spokespersons for comment. Both confirmed they received the grand jury report and are reviewing it, stating they would respond promptly.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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