Doug Hayward, current Kern Health Systems CEO, announced his retirement effective July 6th, 2022. Mr. Hayward has served as CEO since January 2012. During his leadership, Kern Health Systems through Kern Family Health Care, grew approximately 300% to where today Kern Family Health Care serves over 325,000 Kern residents.

Hayward said, “Serving as Kern Health Systems CEO has been a rewarding experience for the past 10 years and I want to express my appreciation to our Board of Directors for their support and trust in my leadership over the years. I also want to thank the many outstanding providers in our medical community and my dedicated team for their commitment to serving Kern Family Health Care members”.

Emily Duran will replace Hayward. She has worked for Kern Health Systems in various executive roles since 2013, and before that she was at Clinica Sierra Vista.

“Her knowledge of the organization and community will serve Mrs. Duran well as she assumes the CEO role,” said Tim McGlew, Board Chairman of Kern Health Systems. “Emily will be an excellent replacement to carry on our mission. She received unanimous support from the Board of Directors.”

“I am truly honored and humbled to be given the opportunity by the Board of Directors to lead such a critical local health plan.  As the daughter of immigrant farmworkers, raised in rural Delano, I have experienced the struggles of our hard-working families.  I have a deep-rooted commitment to the mission of improving the health status of our most vulnerable community residents and a vision to bring Kern Health Systems to the next level of quality health care,” said Duran.