Kern County Health Officer’s Clinic Rapid Start Site Profile

The Kern County Public Health Services Department operates out of Bakersfield, California, providing services to people in this rural, primarily agricultural county. The Kern County Health Officer’s Clinic (HOC) provides immunizations and is a comprehensive sexual health and family planning clinic, offering testing for HIV and other STIs, Rapid Start, PrEP and PEP services. With funding and technical support from the California Department of Public Health Office of AIDS Branch, the Kern County HOC began providing their Rapid Start services in 2019.

The Kern County HOC identifies people who are newly diagnosed through onsite testing, surveillance data, and referrals from local hospital emergency departments (EDs). The Kern County HOC provides Rapid Start services and then refers clients to other community clinics for ongoing care.

Learn more about the Kern County Rapid Start Program

• Kern County Health Officer’s Clinic Rapid Start Site Profile (PDF)
• Kern County HOC At-a-Glance (PDF)
• Kern County HOC Rapid Start Process Map (PDF)