Vince Fong

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate 30 years of outstanding service by Kern Family Health Care.

Established on July 1, 1996, Kern Family Health Care was created to provide Medi-Cal coverage to Kern County residents. Within two years, it began enrolling Healthy Families Program members, and by 2006, its total enrollment exceeded 100,000. Today, it is the largest managed care health plan in Kern County providing Medi-Cal and Medicare coverage to thousands of local residents.

Guided by a mission to improve member health through an integrated managed healthcare delivery system, Kern Family Health Care's service is built on four pillars: its members, its employees, its providers, and above all, the community.

It benefits from the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Emily Duran, whose more than 25 years of experience in healthcare and social support services have strengthened the organization's impact, earning NCQA Health Plan and Health Equity Accreditations, and a place on Fortune's 2025 Best Workplaces in Health Care list.

Kern Family Health Care became a central figure in our community through its advocacy and its work strengthening local health care systems. It serves seniors and people with disabilities; it launched a Health Homes program for members with multiple chronic conditions; and it began providing Medicare Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) coverage to those eligible for both Medi-Cal and Medicare. Today, Kern Family Health Care serves approximately 85 percent of all Medi-Cal enrollees in Kern and continues working to improve the health and well- being of all members in its care.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Kern Family Health Care team for the past 30 years of care, advocacy, and excellence in serving the people of Kern County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Dick Taylor, whose lifelong residency in Bakersfield has made him an unofficial ambassador of Kern County and a bastion of the Local community.

Born September 5, 1955, to Harris and Suzanne Taylor, Dick spent the entirety of his adolescence in the Central Valley, graduating from East High School in 1973. Shortly thereafter, he proudly joined the United States Marine Corps in 1975, attaining the rank of Sergeant before being honorably discharged in

1979. Following his years of service in the military, Dick returned to Bakersfield where he dedicated 27 years to Taylor Tire & Brake, his family's local business. During this time, he was named Director of the California State Tire Dealers Association, as well as both President and General Manager of Taylor Tire & Brake.

After his time with Taylor Tire & Brake, he continued his service to Kern County, working six years as a field representative for Kern County District Supervisor Mike Maggard and, in 2012, becoming director of the Kern County Veterans Service Department. In the years following, he served in several leadership positions with the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers, served briefly as an Honorary Commander at Edwards Air Force Base, and retried in 2018 as the county veterans' services officer.

Dick's lifelong commitment to Kern County is also visible through his work with local groups, serving as a liaison representative for the Devil Pups Youth Program, a board member for the Bakersfield National Cemetery Support Committee, and a tour leader for Tejon Ranch Conservancy along with numerous other volunteer and community service efforts. Notably, he and his wife Cheryl volunteered their time escorting World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam veterans to Washington, DC on seven `Honor Flight Kern County' flights, and helped establish the ``Kern County Line, Where We Honor Veterans'' signs installed in 14 locations along federal and state highways.

Though much of their time is dedicated to others, Dick and Cheryl have built a life in the Central Valley centered on family, raising their children Maxwell and Shellie, and celebrating four grandchildren Jared, Kamryn, Brody, and Kellan.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing and honoring Dick Taylor on his 71st birthday, in appreciation for his lifelong service, leadership, and dedication to the people of Kern County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ajay Anand of Kern County, California for his numerous contributions to Kern County, healthcare in the Central Valley, and the local communities of which he is a part.

Decades spent exploring every corner of both the Central Valley and our healthcare systems have given Mr. Anand a wealth of experience which he uses to his advantage. His contributions include building healthcare infrastructure across the region, such as bringing `DaVinci' robots into the operating room for precision surgery, as well as leading philanthropic programs for underprivileged, at-risk youth.

One of his most recognizable contributions to the Central Valley was the work he did for the Bakersfield Heart Hospital; which, in 2016, was incredibly close to closing after their `corporate parent company' went bankrupt. Mr. Anand put almost the entirety of his savings and resources into salvaging the hospital and even acquired corporate ownership to keep the hospital open and functional, helping save over 400 jobs in the process.

Mr. Anand led both the development and creation of Centric Health, founded in 2013, a clinically integrated delivery platform in Kern County specializing in patient-centered healthcare and delivering care to over 120,000 patients a year; as well as QualCare, a network of independent physicians with over 600 providers, extending care to Medicare beneficiaries in Bakersfield and Kern counties. More recently, he and his family contributed to the Thomas M. Hardt Tower expansion at Mercy Southwest Hospital, in recognition of which the hospital's maternity and obstetrics center was named the Anand Family Birth Center.

Mr. Anand's impact on Kern County and the Central Valley extends much further than the healthcare field, however. He is a co-founder and managing partner of the H2H Asset Group, a real estate and hospitality company contributing to the local economy, and has helped create jobs, services, and housing for his community.

He is also committed to philanthropy and public works, creating the Anand Legacy Foundation to support at-risk youth, and supporting Garden Pathways, an organization committed to providing mentorship and education in the Central Valley. He also helped found the Centric Community Care Foundation, a nonprofit initiative promoting community health and well-being through education, outreach, and disease prevention. The Anand Legacy Foundation also provides support for the `emPOWERment Dess Perkins Foundation', a local organization dedicated to assisting survivors of human trafficking. His work and support in this field reflects a deep commitment to protecting vulnerable youths in our communities and strengthening our district. His commitment to helping the next generation doesn't extend only to the less fortunate and at-risk, however. Mr. Anand and the Anand Legacy Foundation also consistently support educational initiatives in the district, making annual contributions towards the Kern High School District Educational Foundation's Superintendent's First In Class Award program. Most recently, Mr. Anand has pledged $500,000 in support of the ``Trump Accounts'' initiative, to establish investment accounts for newborn children, with the contribution specifically directed toward supporting vulnerable and at-risk newborns in Kern County, including children born to mothers in rehabilitation and recovery programs. As with his charitable works, the focus he places on the protection and well-being of future generations show his great contributions to our community.

Over the last 20 years, Mr. Anand has played a pivotal role in improving the quality of healthcare in the Central Valley in addition to his numerous charitable works. His dedication and work earned him a 2026 Hometown Hero Honoree selection by the Bakersfield Police Activities League, as well as the 2019 Bakersfield Mayor's Medal and Community Ambassador Award, and a Certificate of Recognition from the Kern County Board of Supervisors.

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in recognizing the incredible work that Mr. Anand has done for the Central Valley. Few individuals have made such a broad and lasting impact on our district, from strengthened healthcare access and support for vulnerable populations to investments in a stranger future for our district and Nation. We wish him nothing but continued success in his endeavors and thank him for all that he has done.