[11] He spent 25 years in the department,[1] gaining renown for his design of and contributions to California's anti-tobacco campaign that was replicated in many states in the U.S. and several countries around the world.
While in Hawaii, he was responsible for bringing in federal funds to design and operate several public health efforts, focused especially on obesity control, physical activity and socio-economic disparity.
[19][20][21][22][23] The program has benefited many Kauai residents, especially in the provision of much-needed dental care (which is often not covered by health insurance), and provided about 3,500 pairs of free prescription eyeglasses in just the first year.
In July 2016, Bal retired as Kauai District Health Officer after more than 11 years at the position,[1][26] but the programs like Tropic Care continue.
"[12] On February 23, 2016, he was presented with the American Medical Association's Dr. Nathan Davis Award for outstanding public service at the local level.
[31][32] In bestowing the honor, the American Medical Association's chairman Stephen R. Permut stated:[13] Bal has been a dedicated community servant in California and Hawaii for nearly half a century.
He is known by many as a key player in the development of innovative and effective initiatives, from California's ban on cigarette vending machines to low-income medical care and obesity prevention efforts in Kauai.
In addition to serving as a past president for the American Cancer Society, Dr. Bal has published and reviewed for medical journals in areas of cancer prevention and control.In 2016, Bal was awarded the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Award of Merit for "[pioneering] the strategy of countering the tobacco industry's deceptive marketing with an aggressive campaign of advertising.
The California model has been replicated worldwide, and Bal's work with the World Health Organization facilitated the adoption of strong tobacco-control policies in developing countries.