The Ear Institute is dedicated to providing adult and pediatric patients with treatment for any and all ear-related health problems. Our areas of service expertise include: medical and surgical treatment for ear disease, hearing evaluation, physician-driven recommendations on hearing amplification, balance testing, medical and surgical treatment of dizziness, balance rehabilitation and falls prevention management.
Mission Statement
Our focus is to bring people to good heath, through improved health of their ears, hearing and balance. We strive to cure our patients’ ear maladies, solve their communication difficulties, and right their balance challenges. In doing so, we help our patients to confidently enjoy richer, more fulfilling lives by participating with their families and the world around them.
Why The Ear Institute?
The Ear Institute is the only comprehensive ear care clinic in the Desert. We specialize in the treatment of ear-related problems, and care for pediatric and adult patients. By having an ear physician, audiologist, and vestibular therapist all under one roof, patients can have all of their needs taken care of with a single visit. We have gathered together a team of seasoned experts who, between them, have over 50 years of experience in ear-related disorders. The Ear Institute is proud to be under the directorship of Dr. B. Maya Kato, the only ear physician (otologist) in the Coachella Valley. Dr. Kato only works with expert audiologists and vestibular therapists, who have been selected for their strong track record of success and demonstration of compassionate patient care.
B. Maya Kato, MD
Dr. B. Maya Kato, MD is board certified in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She is a fellowship-trained Otologist/Neurotologist, and focuses her practice on disorders of the ear and hearing.
In Dr. Kato’s clinical practice, she draws upon knowledge gained from her distinguished academic career, award-winning research experience, and extensive sub-specialty training. She provides care to pediatric and adult patients.
A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Kato graduated with honors in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1989. In 1994, she received her MD degree from the University of California, San Francisco. She completed her residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Washington in 2000. Dr. Kato then completed a two-year fellowship in Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery at the Michigan Ear Institute.
She has published numerous research articles in the fields of otology, otolaryngology, and neurosceiences, and presented nation-wide at clinical and scientific meetings. She has been active in residency training, and for several years directed the temporal bone dissection course for Northern California Kaiser Otolaryngology residents, and was a member of the teaching faculty at UC San Francisco and UC Davis.
Dr. Kato is the medical director and founder of the The Ear Institute in Palm Desert, California. It is her vision that The Ear Institute will serve as the regional center of excellence for her patients with ear and hearing disorders. She lives in Rancho Mirage, California with her husband and son.
