"DOC" Ballard Award

“Doc” Ballard, a registered professional engineer for the Texas Department of Health and mentor to NET Health, was a leader in protecting the health of the public. His expertise and administrative skills ensured the environmental controls crucial to the quality and safety of public drinking water and public food service, proper disposal of waste, and the monitoring of radiation. NET Health recognizes Dr. Margaret “Meg” Reitmeyer as the recipient of the 2024 W. T. “Doc” Ballard Award. After making Tyler her home in 2000, Dr. Reitmeyer founded the Trinity Mother Frances Endocrinology Clinic, bringing much needed pediatric and adolescent services, along with new technology to the Tyler area such as insulin pumps, for all diabetic patients. As the first chairperson of the Trinity Clinic Quality Committee and chair of the Trinity Clinic Department of Medicine, Dr. Reitmeyer promoted philanthropy by spearheading a campaign that raised $40,000 by her 40th birthday for a Diabetes fund that financed services for patients and for community education programs. During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Reitmeyer personally contacted nearly every patient within the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic who tested positive (nearly 700 people) and was the primary point of contact for reporting daily positive cases to appropriate health departments. Dr. Reitmeyer joins previous recipients such as U.S. House of Representative Nathaniel Moran, Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents Kevin Eltife, Smith County Health Authority Dr. Valerie Smith, Smith County Commissioner Reverend Ralph Caraway, Tyler Fire Chief David Coble, Dr. John English, Barbara Bass, and Mark Scirto.