2026 NPPES data Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician NPI 1154522407 M.D.
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CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.

Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician in LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.

Federal data — no proprietary rating. PlainDoctor publishes the actual CMS NPPES and Medicare records — NPI registration, specialty, practice location, and prescribing data — without a composite score or editorial opinion on top. Every field traces to a federal source.
Prescribing volume
2K
Medicare Part D claims · 575 beneficiaries · Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician avg: 1K
Generic prescribing
52%
generic claims · 48% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
100/100
▲ 17 pts above national avg 83.1 · [object Object]
Industry payments
$1.8K
21 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
What the federal data reveals: CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. is a Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician ([object Object]) practicing in LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 2K claims across 575 beneficiaries — 48% brand-name prescribing . Their CMS MIPS Final Score of 100/100 (national average: 83.1) reflects performance across Quality, Cost, Interoperability, and Improvement Activities . Industry payments of $1.8K across 21 transactions are disclosed under CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act).

What stands out: CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. reported a CMS MIPS final score of 100 out of 100, above the 83.1 national average, and filed 1,928 Medicare Part D claims in 2023. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

Board certification likely (heuristic — not verified)

CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + MIPS quality reporting + 1 hospital affiliation — signals consistent with board-certified status. For verified board certification, see CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).

CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. at a glance

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 05/31/2007

NPI 1154522407

Primary specialty

Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician

Rare

294 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

1,928 56% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 1,232

MIPS final score

100/100 16.900000000000006% pts

Exceptional band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Arkansas

How Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician compares to other specialties among Arkansas providers

Arkansas providers

Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician share within Arkansas

1. Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician share within Arkansas

Medicare quality performance — MIPS

CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician national average

High performer (top quartile)
MIPS Final Score
100/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician) — 100/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%99%
MIPS final score (Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician) — 100/100 vs national avg 83.1

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores providers 0–100 across four performance categories: Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities, weighted under 42 CFR §414.1380. Reporting is voluntary for many small practices, so absence of a MIPS score is not a quality signal.

Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus continuous Maintenance of Certification cycles. Verify any individual provider's status through certificationmatters.org (ABMS) or osteopathic.org (AOA).

CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. is a Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician provider practicing in LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: M.D.. NPI: 1154522407. This profile includes practice location, specialty classification, and organizational affiliations from the CMS provider registry. Provider information is self-reported to CMS and updated monthly.

CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician provider holding M.D. credentials at 201 EXECUTIVE CT, LITTLE ROCK, AR, 72205, with a listed phone of (501) 224-5658. NPI 1154522407 was issued on 05/31/2007. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what HESTER most recently submitted to CMS rather than a vetted directory listing, which is why patients should always confirm the practice is still at this location before scheduling.

Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 1,928 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 575 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $456K in drug spend, split 48% brand-name and 52% generic by claim count. These figures capture only Medicare Part D — commercial insurance, Medicaid, and cash-pay prescriptions are not included, and any drug-beneficiary cell under 11 is suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. On the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, this provider earned a Final Score of 100/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 100), compared with the national average of 83.1.

Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician is a narrow specialty nationwide, with 294 enrolled providers across 43 states and an average of 1,232 Part D claims per prescriber, so the context for interpreting these metrics differs meaningfully from a primary-care baseline. Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available government data, not medical advice, a malpractice database, or a quality rating. Inclusion here does not imply a recommendation, and absence of complaints or sanctions on this page does not mean none exist — always verify credentials through the NPPES NPI Registry, your state medical board, and the ABMS or AOA before making healthcare decisions.

Practice Address

201 EXECUTIVE CT
LITTLE ROCK, AR 72205

Provider Details

NPI 1154522407
Specialty Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician
Credentials M.D.
Gender Male
NPI Issued 05/31/2007

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores from CMS, 2023 performance year.

100
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
100
Quality

Reporting: Group practice

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. bills Medicare from. Star ratings (1-5) are CMS Hospital Compare's "Hospital overall rating" — a composite of mortality, readmission, patient experience, safety, timely care, and efficient use of medical imaging measures. Source: CMS Care Compare.

LITTLE ROCK EYE CLINIC LLP
LITTLE ROCK, AR

Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).

Industry payments received (2024) — CMS Open Payments transparency data

The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (part of the Affordable Care Act) requires drug and medical-device manufacturers + group purchasing organizations to publicly report payments and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals. The data below covers 2024 for CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$1.8K

Largest payer

Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.

Most common payment type

Food and Beverage

Industry payments are not necessarily indicators of bias — they include research funding, consulting fees for evidence-based work, royalties for inventions, food at conferences, and similar items. The disclosure exists for transparency. Read our methodology for how we interpret this data.

Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Above average

CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. — brand share 48.0%
Specialty average (est.)

48% brand-name claims vs 52% generic, on 1,928 2023 Medicare Part D claims.

The federal Medicare Part D Generic Dispensing Rate national benchmark sits near 90% generic / 10% brand for primary-care prescribers, per CMS Office of the Actuary 2024 estimates. Higher brand share is common in specialty prescribing where generic equivalents are not available.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

1,928
Total Claims
$456K
Total Drug Cost
575
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
2,595
Total Day Supply
69,569
Brand vs Generic
48% brand / 52% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$427K
Generic Drug Cost
$28K
Antibiotic Claims
19

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
73.4 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.08
Gender Split
61% female / 39% male
Age Distribution
<65: 39, 65-74: 275, 75-84: 225, 85+: 36

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.

Drug Claims
Prednisolone Acetate
669
Ketorolac Tromethamine
318
Ofloxacin
314
Fluorometholone
161
Erythromycin
Erythromycin Base
61
Moxifloxacin
Moxifloxacin Hcl
59
Timolol Maleate
45
Valacyclovir
Valacyclovir Hcl
42
Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate
24
Latanoprost
23

* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.

Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician Overview

How CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. fits within the Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician landscape nationally.

294
Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician Providers in US
43
States with Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician
1,232
Avg Claims per Provider

CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s 1,928 claims are above the specialty average of 1,232.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s specialty?
CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. specializes in Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician and practices in LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas. Credentials: M.D..
How much does CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. wrote 1,928 Medicare Part D claims totaling $456K in drug costs for 575 beneficiaries.
What is CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s Medicare quality score?
CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 100/100 (Quality: 100). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. located?
CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. is located at 201 EXECUTIVE CT, LITTLE ROCK, AR, 72205. Phone: (501) 224-5658.
What is CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s NPI number?
CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1154522407, issued on 05/31/2007.
Does CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s prescribing is 48% brand-name and 52% generic drugs by claim count, with $427K in brand drug costs.
How many Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 294 Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician providers across 43 states in the US. The average Cornea and External Diseases Specialist Physician provider writes 1,232 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Prednisolone Acetate, Ketorolac Tromethamine, Ofloxacin. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. accept Medicare?
CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 1,928 Part D claims and 575 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s credentials?
CHRISTIAN HESTER, M.D.'s NPI is 1154522407 with credentials M.D.. You can verify this through the NPPES NPI Registry, check state medical board records, and confirm board certification through the ABMS or AOA.

Data Sources

Provider Directory
CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), download.cms.gov/nppes, updated monthly. Contains NPI, specialty, credentials, and practice location.
Specialty Classification
NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (nucc.org), the industry standard for classifying provider specialties in Medicare and Medicaid billing.
Prescribing Data
CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File (2023). Includes claims, drug costs, beneficiaries, and opioid prescribing rates.
Quality Performance
CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) — 2023 performance year.
Limitations
Provider data is self-reported to CMS. Prescribing data reflects Medicare Part D only and does not include commercial insurance, Medicaid, or cash prescriptions. Claims below 11 beneficiaries are suppressed by CMS for privacy.

See our complete data methodology for details on how we collect and process government data.

Data as of April 2026 (NPPES) / 2023 (Medicare Part D). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Disclaimer: Data from CMS NPPES and Medicare Part D. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Provider information is self-reported and may not be current. Always verify information directly with the provider. About · Methodology