Kern County, CA
Home Public Health MenuThrive Like a Poppy is a year-long public health initiative that mirrors the growth of a poppy flower to celebrate and support the community across every stage of life. Rooted in the belief that health is a journey, not a moment, this initiative aligns seasonal health tips with age-specific services from infant immunizations to combatting communicable diseases and healthy aging support. Each quarter highlights a different phase of life using the visual metaphor of the poppy’s life cycle: Seed (Infants), Sprout (Teens), Bloom (Adults), and Golden Petals (Seniors). Through outreach, education, and highlighting key community partners, our aim is to increase awareness and access to essential public health services and remind every resident that thriving is possible at every stage.
Thrive Like a Poppy PSA
2025 Highlights
178,510
Disease incident reports processed.
32,604
Laboratory specimens resulted
10,850
Birth certificates issued
30,411
Death certificates issued
8,456
Burial permits issued
1,280,116
Pounds of food rescued by the Waster Hunger Not Food program
140,805
911 medical calls
92,498
Ambulance transports
33,479
Calls received through call center and reception
582
Unpermitted food vendor cease and desists issued
1,382
Unpermitted food vendor investigations conducted
459
Unpermitted food vendor citations issued
1,661
New facilities permitted
12,303
Inspections conducted by the Environmental Health Program
7,690
Patient clinic visits
2,319
Emergency response and foster care medical referrals
73
Citations issued for underage tobacco sales
165
People trained in hands-only CPR
1,678
Mothers and children served by our MCAH programs
30,758
Service Authorization Requests reviewed and processed for CCS patients
20,124
Occupational and Physical Therapy hours provided at the Medical Therapy Units
290
Families provided car seat education