Tarrant County Commissioners Appoint New Public Health Director

Dr. Brian Byrd has been appointed as the new Tarrant County Public Health Director by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court.

Byrd, 53, is a Tarrant County native and a practicing physician who founded and served as CEO of Texas Family Medicine, a primary care physician group, for nearly a quarter of a century, and currently serves as Medical Director for Palm Primary Care. Byrd will begin his new role on July 1.

“Brian Byrd is an inspired choice for the new director of Public Health for Tarrant County,” Tarrant County Precinct 1 Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks said in a statement. “He’s got the requisite knowledge about the community and the confidence of the people of Tarrant County to lead that department to its next level of excellence. I thank Dr. Byrd for being willing to step up and make himself available for this next great task ahead of him.”

Former Fort Worth City Council member

A former Fort Worth City Council member, Byrd was instrumental in coordinating resources to the Las Vegas Trail area and the creation of the new Como Community Center for the Como neighborhood. The county said that one of the collaborative efforts Byrd helped orchestrate in the community was the involvement of local organizations, including Cook Children’s Health Care System and JPS Health Network who are currently building a new Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center.

“An experienced executive, Dr. Byrd brings with him to Tarrant County more than two decades of experience in medicine and in business,” Tarrant County Precinct 4 Commissioner Manny Ramirez said in a statement. “Dr. Byrd has the technical knowledge, the executive leadership experience, and a proven track-record that I know will add tremendous value to the Tarrant County Public Health Department. I am fully supportive of County Administrator Merritt’s appointment, and I am confident that Dr. Byrd will help create the world-class health department that our communities deserve.”

Byrd said he has a goal for the department.

“I want us to have the best public health department on all fronts—[one] that is well-integrated into the community, and leads with compassion and data while improving the health outcomes of all Tarrant County residents,” Byrd said.

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