Community Benefit

Adventist Health’s mission statement of Living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope is coupled with a vision to transform the health experience of our communities through collaborative programs, community investments and community outreach. We are inspired by the healing ministry as represented by the life of Jesus Christ and believe we are called to live out our mission intentionally in the communities we serve. In the small towns, suburbs and inner cities we serve, we continue our journey to provide quality healthcare until every person made in God’s image has experienced the best health today, hope for tomorrow, and God’s love that endures forever.

VIPink In 2017, the Children's Mobile Immunization Program vaccinated more than 1,550 children during 171 clinics held throughout Kern County. As part of our commitment to community health, Adventist Health Bakersfield has partnered with First 5 Kern since 1996 to provide free immunizations to Kern County children who are medically uninsured, insured through Medi-Cal or are Native American. In 2016, 95.3 percent of Kern County's kindergartners received all of the required vaccinations—that's 2.5 percentage points above the state average. Immunizations are among the most successful and cost-effective preventive health care interventions, helping millions of children in the U.S. and internationally avoid contracting numerous serious and potentially fatal infectious diseases.

Cancer is among the leading causes of death in Kern County. As part of its commitment to raise awareness about prevention and early detection, the AIS Cancer Center at Adventist Health Bakersfield hosted four screening events in 2017, targeting some of the most prevalent cancer types: skin, colon, prostate and breast. In total, more than 175 members of the community were screened. Of those screened, 34 people were found to have abnormal results that were flagged for additional testing.

The AIS Cancer Center also participated in numerous health fairs and wellness seminars throughout 2017. The center was able to reach more than 2,000 people throughout the year and educate the public on the importance of prevention and early detection. A predominant amount of this outreach was conducted in the underserved populations of Kern County through events at the Mercado Latino, Arvin Health Fair, Shafter Parent Center, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and the Greenfield Family Resource Center.

In October 2017, the AIS Cancer Center hosted the VIPink breast cancer awareness event, which attracted more than 500 attendees. Extended hours were provided at Quest Imaging for mammograms, and Adventist Health Bakersfield partnered with the Kern High School District to encourage teachers and school staff to get screened at a convenient time. Women were empowered to perform breast self-examinations and taught the proper technique for performing those exams.