Ralph B Hester III, M.D.

Primary specialty

Ophthalmology PhysicianTaxonomy code 207W00000X

License

C206920 Issued in CA

Practice address

44139 Monterey Ave Ste a
Palm Desert, CA 92260-8700

Phone

(760) 469-5195

Fax

(760) 779-0801

NPI assigned

Mar 1, 2006

Sex

Male

Sole proprietor

No

Registry information is reported by the provider to CMS and is not verified. About this source

Specialties & licenses 2

Addresses

Medicare fee-for-service enrollment

Enrolled in OK, CA2 enrollments

Eligible to order & refer

• Part B services: Yes
• Medical equipment: Yes
• Home health: Yes
• Power mobility devices: Yes
• Hospice: Yes

Green means eligible to order or refer.

Enrollment records 2

Specialty

Ophthalmology

Education

University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, 1990

Medicare assignment

Accepts the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full

Group practices

Dean McGee Eye InstituteGroup PAC ID 3779495353, 41 clinicians

Retina Institute of California Medical Group, a California Medical ParGroup PAC ID 4587760749, 76 clinicians

Practice addresses (Care Compare)

Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)

Final score

84.78 of 100Reported as group

Quality

73.92

Promoting interoperability

100

Improvement activities

40

Cost

75.36

Procedures performed for Medicare patients

Medicare enrollment (NPD)

Enrolled

Credentials

Doctor of Medicine

State licenses

Practice roles

Locations

Interoperability endpoints

• Direct secure messaging: rhester71260@ouhealth.direct-ci.net

Organizations this provider is connected to: Medicare benefit reassignments (the organization bills Medicare for this provider’s services), Care Compare group memberships and National Provider Directory roles.

• Retina Institute of California Medical Group, a California Medical Par

  • Ophthalmology Physician
  • Pasadena, CA
  • NPI 1760541569
  Medicare reassignment Care Compare group NPD
• Dean McGee Eye Institute

  • Ophthalmology Physician
  • Oklahoma City, OK
  • NPI 1245209675
  Medicare reassignment Care Compare group NPD
• Dean McGee Eye Institute

  • Optometrist
  • Lawton, OK
  • NPI 1710103395
  NPD
• Barry a. Katzman, M.D., Inc Apc

  • Optometrist
  • San Diego, CA
  • NPI 1588842488
  NPD (past)
• Ou Health Partners, Inc

  • Multi-Specialty Clinic/Center
  • Oklahoma City, OK
  • NPI 1528642642
  NPD (past)
• University of Oklahoma Heal Sci Ctr College of Medicine Ophthalmology

  • Ophthalmology Physician
  • Oklahoma City, OK
  • NPI 1477623700
  NPD (past)

The complete NPPES record for this NPI in the NPI Registry API format.

{
    "created_epoch": "1141171200000",
    "enumeration_type": "NPI-1",
    "last_updated_epoch": "1769040000000",
    "number": "1215904974",
    "addresses": [
        {
            "country_code": "US",
            "country_name": "United States",
            "address_purpose": "MAILING",
            "address_type": "DOM",
            "address_1": "44139 MONTEREY AVE STE A",
            "city": "PALM DESERT",
            "state": "CA",
            "postal_code": "922608700",
            "telephone_number": "760-469-5195",
            "fax_number": "760-779-0801"
        },
        {
            "country_code": "US",
            "country_name": "United States",
            "address_purpose": "LOCATION",
            "address_type": "DOM",
            "address_1": "44139 MONTEREY AVE STE A",
            "city": "PALM DESERT",
            "state": "CA",
            "postal_code": "922608700",
            "telephone_number": "760-469-5195",
            "fax_number": "760-779-0801"
        }
    ],
    "practiceLocations": [
        {
            "address_1": "1801 E Tahquitz Canyon Way Ste 200",
            "address_purpose": "LOCATION",
            "city": "Palm Springs",
            "state": "CA",
            "postal_code": "922627123",
            "country_code": "US",
            "telephone_number": "760-269-4291",
            "fax_number": "760-327-2799",
            "country_name": "United States",
            "address_type": "DOM"
        }
    ],
    "basic": {
        "last_name": "HESTER",
        "first_name": "RALPH",
        "middle_name": "B",
        "name_suffix": "III",
        "credential": "M.D.",
        "sole_proprietor": "NO",
        "sex": "M",
        "enumeration_date": "2006-03-01",
        "last_updated": "2026-01-22",
        "certification_date": "2026-01-22",
        "status": "A"
    },
    "taxonomies": [
        {
            "code": "207W00000X",
            "taxonomy_group": "",
            "desc": "Ophthalmology",
            "state": "OK",
            "license": "17656",
            "primary": false
        },
        {
            "code": "207W00000X",
            "taxonomy_group": "",
            "desc": "Ophthalmology",
            "state": "CA",
            "license": "C206920",
            "primary": true
        }
    ],
    "identifiers": [],
    "endpoints": [],
    "other_names": []
}

• Maricruz Hernandez
• Mayra Nayelli Hernandez
• Mia Rose Hernandez
• Diana Kay Herrington
• David Hersey
• Hestia Individual Couples and Family Counseling Professional Corporati
• Edward S Hill, RESPIRATORY CARE PRA
• Michael Elliott Hill, MD
• Jason Himber
• HLH and Associates, Inc.

• Ophthalmology Physician in Palm Desert, CA
• Providers in Palm Desert, CA by specialty
• Ophthalmology Physician in California

• NPPES NPI Registry (CMS): identity, addresses, specialties, licenses, identifiers and endpoints. Last updated by the provider on Jan 22, 2026; self-reported and not verified by CMS. Specialty names from the NUCC taxonomy.
• Medicare enrollment (CMS PECOS): enrollments, PAC IDs and benefit reassignments; Order and Referring.
• Medicare Care Compare (CMS): clinician profile, group practices, facility affiliations, MIPS scores and star ratings.
• National Provider Directory (CMS): practice roles, locations, licenses, networks and endpoints.

Verify at the official NPI Registry.