BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County is bracing for impacts to its public health services after receiving a sudden stop work order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, halting roughly $10.5 million in federal funding.
- The Kern County Public Health Department received the notice on March 24 with no prior warning or opportunity to phase out the affected programs, according to a statement from the agency.
- A spokesperson for the county confirmed that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is moving to eliminate several public health funding streams. However, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the cuts for two weeks while legal challenges are reviewed.
Kern County is bracing for major impacts to its public health services after receiving a sudden stop work order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, halting roughly $10.5 million in federal funding.
The Kern County Public Health Department received the notice on March 24 with no prior warning or opportunity to phase out the affected programs, according to a statement from the agency. A spokesperson for the county confirmed that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is moving to eliminate several public health funding streams. However, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the cuts for two weeks while legal challenges are reviewed.
“This funding was clawed back without notice or time to wind down the program or identify alternative funding,” the department said in a statement.
The stop work order places a wide range of vital services at risk, including public health education campaigns, seasonal vaccination efforts, preventative clinic services and disease surveillance. The department also warned of potential increases in health care-acquired and community-acquired infections among vulnerable populations—such as patients in skilled nursing facilities, emergency rooms and the unhoused—if provider education programs are disrupted.
Health officials said the cuts come as the county faces ongoing public health crises, including some of the state’s highest mortality rates from diabetes and leading the state in reported cases of Valley fever. Kern County also experiences disproportionately high rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
“We are continuing to evaluate our services and our budget to ensure we are prioritizing the health and well-being of Kern County residents to the best of our ability,” the department said.
Kern County receives approximately $1.5 billion annually from state and federal sources. As part of federal budget reconciliation efforts, mandatory cuts are also targeting safety net programs like Medicaid, CalFresh and CalWORKs. If the state is unable to absorb those losses, local officials say the impacts on residents could be severe.
Although the restraining order has temporarily paused the cuts, the state has warned counties that any costs incurred during this period will be at their own risk, with no assurance of reimbursement if the cuts are ultimately upheld.
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