Faced with increased costs and loss of funding from the state and federal governments, Kern County Public Health is looking to cut $3.5 million from its programing and end 35 positions.
Public Health announced last week a hearing regarding health-care cuts would be held at the next Board of Supervisors meeting, scheduled for Tuesday.
kAm%96 >66E:?8’D 286?52 H2D C6=62D65 %9FCD52J 27E6C?@@?[ 2?5 :? :E[ E96 56A2CE>6?E :?4=F565 2 C6BF6DE E@ 6=:>:?2E6 bd 962=E9\42C6 A@D:E:@?D — :?4=F5:?8 af =2J@77D ?@ D@@?6C E92? pF8] `d — C6DF=E:?8 :? 2? 6DE:>2E65 Sc]g >:==:@? :? 2??F2= D2G:?8D]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 4@F?EJ’D AC@A@D65 C65F4E:@? :? D6CG:46D 4@>6D 2E 2 E:>6 H96? 56>2?5 7@C 962=E9 42C6 :D :?4C62D:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 4@F?EJ’D @H? AC@A@D2= E@ 6=:>:?2E6 E96 bd A@D:E:@?D ?@E6D E96 4@F?EJ 4@?D:DE6?E=J C2?<D 2>@?8 E96 =@H6DE :? E96 DE2E6 7@C 962=E9 42C6 @FE4@>6D 2?5 56>2?5 7@C 6>6C86?4J >65:42= D6CG:46D :D C:D:?8]k^Am
kAm“z6C? r@F?EJ :D 6IA6C:6?4:?8 2 C64@C5 9:89 :? 6>6C86?4J >65:42= D6CG:46D 42==D[” s:C64E@C @7 !F3=:4 w62=E9 $6CG:46D qCJ?? r2CC:82? HC@E6 :? 96C AC@A@D2=]k^Am
kAm“p C:D6 :? 6>6C86?4J >65:42= D6CG:46D 42==D :D 2? :?5:42E@C E92E z6C? r@F?EJ’D C6D:56?ED >2J 36 DF776C:?8 7C@> 2 9:896C ?F>36C @7 24FE6 2?5 49C@?:4 :==?6DD6D 2?5 92G6 =:>:E65 2446DD E@ AC:>2CJ 2?5 FC86?E 42C6[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmqFE 4@DED[ A2CE:4F=2C=J =23@C 4@DED[ 2C6 C:D:?8 2?5 E96 56A2CE>6?E’D 5:D4C6E:@?2CJ C6G6?F6 H2D C65F465 3J Sad >:==:@? @G6C E96 A2DE EH@ 7:D42= J62CD]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 A@D:E:@?D AC@A@D65 7@C 6=:>:?2E:@? 2C6 D6G6? G@42E:@?2= ?FCD6D[ EH@ ?FCD6 AC24E:E:@?6CD[ EH@ >65:42= 2DD:DE2?ED 2?5 7@FC 962=E9\42C6 @77:46D D6CG:46D E649?:4:2?D]k^Am
kAmp=D@ :?4=F565 @? E96 286?52 :D E96 AC@A@D65 Sb]d >:==:@? C65F4E:@? :? AC@8C2> DA6?5:?8 56E2:=65 :? 5@4F>6?ED C6=62D65 3J E96 4@F?EJ =2DE H66<]k^Am
kAmp 3C62<5@H? @7 E96 AC@A@D65 Sb]d >:==:@? C65F4E:@? D9@H65 E96 =2C86DE A@CE:@? @7 E92E 7F?5:?8[ Sa]e >:==:@?[ H@F=5 4@>6 7C@> 2 C65F4E:@? :? 2G2:=23=6 D6CG:46D 2E !F3=:4 w62=E9’D @77:46D @? |@F?E '6C?@? pG6?F6]k^Am
kAmpAA@:?E>6?ED 7@C :DDF6D :?4=F5:?8 72>:=J A=2??:?8[ D6IF2==J\EC2?D>:EE65 :?764E:@? E6DE:?8 2?5 AC6G6?E:@? 2?5 :>>F?:K2E:@?D H@F=5 36 C65F465 7C@> fg E@ ad 52:=J[ E96 56A2CE>6?E D2:5]k^Am
kAms6>2?5 7@C E9@D6 D6CG:46D :D 9:89 2?5 z6C? r@F?EJ 92D D@>6 @7 E96 9:896DE C2E6D @7 $%xD :? E96 DE2E6] qFE !F3=:4 w62=E9 :D 72465 H:E9 2 Sa >:==:@? C65F4E:@? :? DE2E6 7F?5:?8 2?5 23CFAE DE@A H@C< @C56CD 7C@> E96 &]$] r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@? 7@C 2? 2?E:4:A2E65 S`_]d >:==:@? 2??F2==J]k^Am
kAm“%96 23CFAE 6=:>:?2E:@? @7 7F?5:?8 7@C465 @3=:82E65 3FE ?@E J6E A2:5 4@DED E@ 36 2DDF>65 3J E96 56A2CE>6?E 2?5 5:DCFAE65 A=2?D E@ :56?E:7J @E96C 7F?5:?8 D@FC46D E@ DFDE2:? 24E:G:E:6D 2?5 DE277[” r2CC:82? HC@E6]k^Am
kAm%96 4FED 4@>6 @? E96 966=D @7 2 ?6H 4@?EC24E D:8?65 36EH66? E96 4@F?EJ 2?5 :ED =2C86DE F?:@?[ $6CG:46 t>A=@J66D x?E6C?2E:@?2= &?:@? {@42= da`]k^Am
kAm%96 4@F?EJ 2?5 $tx& 2??@F?465 :? |2J 2? 28C66>6?E 925 366? C624965 27E6C C@F89=J 2 J62C @7 ?68@E:2E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 2 @?6\52J AC@E6DE 3J H@C<6CD]k^Am
kAm&?:@? >6>36CD C6A62E65=J 4@>A=2:?65 5FC:?8 ?68@E:2E:@?D E96J H6C6 @G6CH@C<65 2?5 @G6C3FC56?65 H:E9 4=:6?ED[ F?23=6 E@ >66E 4@>>F?:EJ 56>2?5D H9:=6 724:?8 4@?DE2?E 2EEC:E:@? E@ 36EE6C\A2J:?8 ;FC:D5:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmx? 2 DE2E6>6?E uC:52J[ $tx& >6>36C 2?5 AF3=:4 962=E9 ?FCD6 $FK2??6 |4(9@CE6C D2:5 E96 4@F?EJ 925 C6D6CG6 7F?5D 7@C 962=E9\42C6 DA6?5:?8 E92E 4@F=5 36 FD65 E@ DFAA@CE D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAm“x’> 566A=J 4@?46C?65 E92E E96D6 4FED E@ !F3=:4 w62=E9 H:== @?=J H@CD6? @FC 2=C625J 2=2C>:?8 $%s :?764E:@? C2E6[ H9:49 :D agT[ H6== 23@G6 E96 DE2E6 2G6C286[” |4(9@CE6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm“|J 4=:?:4 :? $927E6C :D 36:?8 D9FE 5@H?[ 2?5 x’> 36:?8 C6=@42E65[ =62G:?8 >J E@H? 2?5 6?E:C6 4@>>F?:E:6D =:<6 {@DE w:==D[ (2D4@ 2?5 qFEE@?H:==@H H:E9@FE 962=E9 42C6 2?5 C6D@FC46D] ~?46 282:?[ CFC2= 2C62D 2C6 36:?8 D24C:7:465 2?5 =67E A=2J:?8 D64@?5 7:55=6 E@ q2<6CD7:6=5]”k^Am
kAm$FA6CG:D@CD H:== 5:D4FDD E96 C65F4E:@?D 2E E96:C C68F=2C >66E:?8 2E h 2]>] %F6D52J]k^Am
kAmp DA64:2= >66E:?8 @7 E96 DFA6CG:D@CD :D D4965F=65 7@C e A]>] |@?52J E@ 5:D4FDD E96 4@F?EJ’D 7:D42= J62C a_ad\a_ae 3F586E] %96 4@F?EJ H@?’E 7:?2=:K6 :ED 3F586E 7@C E96 ?6IE J62C F?E:= pF8] ae]k^Am
