I-Team update: Valley surgeon surrenders medical license
Years after an I-Team investigation spotlighted concerns about a local doctor, that Coachella Valley surgeon has now surrendered his license.
It was in 2019 when I-Team investigator Karen Devine shared the story of one former patient, who said procedures by Dr. Craig Ball left her scarred and dealing with post-operative complications.
That woman's complaint is one of several patient cases outlined in a disciplinary document we obtained from the California Medical Board.
In all of them, Dr. Ball is accused of committing "repeated negligent acts." Amid these and other accusations investigated by the board, Dr. Ball has now lost "all rights and privileges as a physician and surgeon in California."
This is the second time Ball has surrendered his medical license. According to documents found by the I-Team, he surrendered his certificate in December of 2007. At the time of our earlier report, Ball was cleared to practice medicine with restrictions. He was halfway through a 5 year probation period after his license was surrendered for ten years and reinstated in March of 2017.
In 2003, the Medical Board placed Dr. Ball on probation, records stating: Dr. Ball "demonstrated a lack of medical knowledge, judgment and ability in the care and treatment of a patient."
In 2006, another complaint was presented to the Medical Board of California. This one outlined thirteen causes for discipline including “gross negligence,” “repeated negligent acts,” “incompetence,” “violation of professional confidence,” and “dishonesty or corruption.”
MORE: Scarred: Coachella Valley woman’s warning after surgery
Watch the I-Team investigation from 2019 in the player below.
In a recent post on an Instagram page for Simply You Cosmetic Surgery in Palm Desert, a letter from Dr. Ball reads that he is announcing his "retirement from the practice of medicine."
The website for Simply You states that the practice closed on April 27, 2023. The California Medical Board's decision to discipline Dr. Ball was effective April 30, 2023.
We reached out to Ball for comment and he reiterated that he retired for personal reasons.
According to social posts on the page for Simply You, the cosmetic surgeon opened the practice in 2021.
Resources for researching a medical provider
To research a provider in the State of California, you can call or search their website by clicking here.
You can type in a provider's info and find any reportable actions, including malpractice judgments, convictions, or disciplinary actions. Complaints made to the Medical Board of California and investigations conducted by the Medical Board of California are not public information.
If you are considering Cosmetic Surgery, here are some resources from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons that may be helpful to you:
