Meet Ana Palacio
Meet Ana Palacio
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Ana Palacio has spent her career serving Kern County and saving lives. As a Registered Nurse and patient advocate at Kern Medical in Bakersfield, Ana leads tough fights, prepares for when disaster strikes, and responds to crises.
In the Emergency Room, Ana sees the real impact of failed political leadership: children in crisis because schools and families lack support systems, patients struggling because the state hasn’t invested in affordable housing or mental health care, and families needing urgent care but worried that seeking treatment will lead them to bankruptcy.
Tired of watching career politicians ignore the challenges her patients and neighbors face every day, Ana is running for the State Assembly because Central Valley families need leaders who know how to stop the bleeding. She will work every day to respond to Kern County’s needs and bring home the resources that provide every resident with access to job opportunities, quality health care, affordable housing, and strong public schools.
Ana’s own upbringing is rooted in perseverance. Growing up in a rural community, her family struggled just to keep the lights on. Their home didn’t have a phone or a TV, and she watched siblings and relatives battle alcoholism and drug addiction. Those experiences inspired her to pursue a career in nursing so she could help others in their most vulnerable moments.
“ER nurses don’t wait for problems to escalate. We step in when lives are on the line. We need leaders who will run towards the crises Central Valley families are facing. That’s what I’ll do for Kern County in the State Assembly.”
– Ana Palacio
To make that dream possible, Ana juggled working multiple jobs—waiting tables and bartending—to pay her way through college, even taking a year off to save enough for housing and tuition. She earned her degrees from the College of the Sequoias and then Fresno Pacific University while gaining vital training by volunteering at health fairs and with the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
In the Kern Medical Center’s Emergency Room, Ana focuses on delivering high-quality care to every patient and responds with the urgency that makes the difference between life and death. When public resources and safety net services fall short, she sees the consequences of these gaps come through the ER doors—from patients with preventative care needs to psychiatric emergencies.
When Kern Medical Center was at risk of closure due to Kern County’s financial mismanagement, Ana stepped up in her union, SEIU 521, and helped lead the fight to keep our only trauma hospital open.
Ana’s commitment to service extends to her volunteerism in the Central Valley. She is a steering committee member of SEIU’s Nurse Alliance and an active member of the Emergency Nurses Association. She has served as a court-appointed special advocate for children in foster care, a member of the American Red Cross, and is an active volunteer with the Kern County Medical Reserve Corps and Cal-MAT disaster response teams. Ana is also passionate about supporting immigrants and farmworker communities through her work with Celebration Nation. A proud Bakersfield resident, Ana finds balance and connection through spending weekends with friends or on the trails at Wind Wolves Preserve.
Having spent her career on the frontlines of emergency care, Ana Palacio is ready to take her experience to Sacramento — to fight for Kern County and ensure our families get the resources they need.