Bakersfield Memorial Hospital is dedicated to providing the best healthcare to all of Kern County. That's why we work with Mercy Hospitals to dedicate a department to programs that make sure every part of the community has access to the services we provide, even beyond the medical sphere. We have a variety of programs that touch the lives of everyone from children to senior citizens.
Operating out of two centers in southeast Bakersfield, the Mercy and Memorial Hospitals Department of Special Needs and Community Outreach help unemployed adults find jobs, and make sure seniors get proper tests and nutrition to stay healthy.
Five days a week, the outreach centers feed the homeless, make sure dozens of kids in the first through sixth grades get their homework done, and also provide free adult dental services. The community outreach youth center also signs up teens ages 12 to 18 who may come from violent or otherwise troubled situations. Employees and volunteers teach them how to make health choices through the Healthy Decisions, Healthy Living Program. As part of the Value Enhancement Program, a group of 30 teens chooses a low-income senior resident every month to help with yard work or painting.
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For everyone in the community, especially seniors, Mercy and Memorial Hospitals outreach team provides free blood pressure checks, cholesterol and diabetes screenings, and in-home visits from health educators who conduct classes on nutrition and exercise, diabetes and breast cancer detection. Other classes focus on getting out-of-work adults back in the workforce with a combination of training, resume skills and interview skills.
Call 1-866-863-0640 to see if you are eligible for The Children's Health Initiative of Kern County -- free or reduced rate health insurance, including vision and dental, for children from low income families.
Call 661-325-3632 to see if you or a member of your family qualifies for free dental care through community outreach.
For information on other programs, call 661-632-5467
