The Kern County Department of Public Health shall be nationally recognized as a model for local health departments.
Our Mission is to prevent disease, promote healthy lifestyles,
and protect the health of all Kern County residents.
We achieve our mission by:
Improving the overall health status of the community by applying the core public health functions of assessment, assurance, and policy development.
Anticipating community health needs and developing strategies to meet those needs.
Preventing epidemics and the spread of infectious diseases.
Preventing injuries, chronic diseases, and disabilities.
Facilitating access to high quality universal health care.
Educating and helping individuals, families and communities to understand and practice the basic principles of healthy living, i.e., NEWSTART© (Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, Trust).
Promote and encourage healthy behaviors.
Responding to disasters and assisting communities in recovery.
Collaborating with others in the community to maximize resources and achieve the best possible solutions and outcomes to public health problems.
Providing leadership and advocacy for all individuals, groups, and communities at risk for health disparities.
Continuous quality improvement of all programs and services in a cost-effective manner.
Enforcing laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
"Our Mission is guided by our Values"
We are Customer Centered and strive to consistently meet our customers expectations of quality service.
We encourage and support employee innovation.
We reward and celebrate excellence in our work.
We provide leadership by example with Respect, Communication, Integrity, Compassion/Empathy, and Diversity.
We are tenacious in achieving our mission.
We promote participation, collaboration, and team work in all endeavors.
We advocate for disenfranchised individuals and groups (even the affluent, i.e., clean air, sanitation, etc.).
We take responsibility for our jobs and we take pride in our work.
We value opinions of all team members.
We are committed to the development of our staff members.
We promote self sufficiency, cultural competence, and strong families.
We seek and use best practices in public health.
We strive for cost effectiveness.
