Community Programs

Our hospitals share a commitment to excellent care that spans decades. Through an investment in community benefit, the hospitals extend this same commitment to neighborhoods throughout Kern County.

Each year, Mercy and Memorial Hospitals impact the lives of individuals through wellness programs and health screenings, community events, educational programs and other community outreach services.

Since 1991, The Department of Special Needs & Community Outreach operates more than 40 programs in Kern County including Arvin, Shafter, McFarland, Bakersfield, Delano, Lake Isabella, Ridgecrest, Taft, and other outlying communities where there is limited access to health care and related services.

Our programs target low-income, uninsured, or underinsured individuals, as well as Kern County citizens with unmet health needs, including migrant farm workers and other disenfranchised populations. The department frequently collaborates with more than 100 public, private, and nonprofit organizations.