Kern County moves to shrink public health clinic hours and cut staff after sudden state, federal funding losses

Kern County public health officials told the Board of Supervisors on July 29 that sudden state and federal funding changes have produced an immediate budget shortfall and a staff reduction plan that would reduce clinic appointments, end routine mobile clinic operations and close the Shafter office.

The announcement came during a Belinson hearing required under Health and Safety Code Section 1442.5 after Brynn Kerrigan, director of Kern County Public Health, said the department had lost roughly $12.5 million annually in discretionary state and federal support, including about $2 million from California's Future of Public Health initiative and about $10.5 million after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stop-work order. Kerrigan said the department faces an estimated $5.5 million budget gap for fiscal year 2025–26.

Kerrigan said the department had already taken several steps to reduce costs: rescinding pending job offers, deleting 27 vacant positions to save about $3.4 million annually, instituting a hiring freeze, halting nonessential overtime and travel, early termination of contracts and sunsetting some programs. She said those measures were not sufficient and presented a proposal that would preserve a reduced Bakersfield clinic but cut daily appointment capacity, end the routine mobile clinic schedule and fully close the Shafter public health office.

Why it matters: Kern County ranks near the bottom of California on several health measures, officials said. Supervisors and dozens of public commenters warned that service reductions could worsen outcomes for people who rely on the county clinic for immunizations, sexually transmitted infection testing and HIV care, and for rural residents who depend on mobile services.

Key details and proposed changes - Bakersfield clinic: Maintain services but reduce daily appointment slots from 78 to 25. - Mobile health clinic: Eliminate the routine schedule; maintain the vehicle for occasional, targeted deployments if resources allow. - Shafter office: Full closure of routine weekly clinic operations (33 patient visits in 2024). - Estimated net annual savings from the clinic-related reductions: approximately $3.6 million. - Overall department budget gap (after earlier reductions): about $5.5 million. - The department said a full clinic closure would forfeit eligibility for certain emergency medical supplies from the national strategic stockpile and would reduce the county's ability to rapidly deliver vaccines or therapeutics in an emergency.

Public comments and staff testimony Public testimony included clinicians and county employees who described the services the county clinic provides and the risks of reductions. Iliana Rivera, a nurse practitioner at the Health Officer's Clinic, said, “Layoffs would devastate the public's ability to stay safe, healthy, and productive. We are one of the only clinics in Kern County offering rapid antiretroviral therapy.”

A teenage speaker, Camila Rivera, testified that the clinic is one of the few places teens can get confidential family-planning care, saying, “If it's taken away, we'll be left with nowhere to go.” Several county clinic staff and licensed vocational nurses said they and their patients would be directly harmed by layoffs; Diana Ortega, an LVN who works at the Health Officer's Clinic, said rising syphilis and congenital syphilis rates mean the clinics are a critical public health safety net.

County staff and supervisors' responses Budget staff and the county administrative office explained that much of the county's reported restricted fund balances are tied to specific programs and are not available for general-purpose use. CAO staff told supervisors that approximately $77 million in restricted health-related balances includes only about $687,000 that could be spent to replace the clinic shortfall; the remainder is restricted by statute, contract or funding purpose.

Supervisors asked for detail on service levels in outlying areas: the mobile clinic recorded 529 patient visits in 2024 overall, with 41 visits at Ridgecrest and 25 at California City; Delano had 517 visits in 2024 and Shafter 33. Kerrigan and staff said they had discussed coordination with other local providers; Kern Health Systems and Kern Medical indicated they could take on some displaced patients and that their mobile networks overlap county clinic service areas.

Board action The board first received and filed the county budget update earlier in the meeting. On the Belinson hearing items related to public health reductions, the board voted to approve the recommended staffing and service reductions after the hearing: - Item 41 (Belinson hearing/clinic reductions): motion by Supervisor Jeff Flores; second by Supervisor David Couch; outcome: approved, recorded as “All ayes.” - Item 42 (position deletions and related personnel actions): motion by Supervisor Jeff Peters; second by Supervisor Jeff Flores; outcome: approved, recorded as “All ayes.”

Next steps and context Kerrigan urged the board and public that the department would preserve core clinic capabilities in Bakersfield and would seek opportunities to re-expand services if revenue is restored. County HR staff said they would attempt to minimize layoffs by offering reassignment where possible, reviewing “golden handshake” retirement options, and working with other county departments for potential placements. The board scheduled final budget adoption on Aug. 26.

For now, county staff and advocates said the decisions reflect an urgent effort to balance public health obligations against a sudden loss of designated funding.