Healthcare Administration
Iris Buder, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, MHA Program Director, Associate Professor of Economics
Office: BA 537
Ph.D., University of Utah
MS, Auburn University
BA, Auburn University
Dr. Buder teaches undergraduate courses in the economics of health care, labor economics, microeconomics, econometrics, mathematics for economics, and economic issues. Her research interests in the area of health economics include analyzing the economic costs of diseases, conducting cost-effectiveness analyses for public health interventions, and researching health disparities. Her research interests in the area of labor economics include labor market disparities, occupational prestige, and wage disparities. She currently serves as a board member for Health West Community Center and enjoys spending time biking or hiking in her free time.
Ruiling Guo, DHA, MPH, MLIS, AHIP
Professor of Healthcare Administration
Office: BA 530
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1880-0690
DHA, Central Michigan University
MPH, Idaho State University
MLIS, McGill University
BA, Peking University
Dr. Ruiling Guo earned her Doctor of Health Administration degree from Central Michigan University and brings extensive professional and academic experience in healthcare systems and management, both in the United States and abroad. Dr. Guo teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in healthcare administration and is dedicated to her students and to excellence in the quality of her teaching. Dr. Guo has received multiple research grants and awards, including a Fulbright Specialist Award, and has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters in the fields of healthcare administration and health information science.
Research Interests: Evidence-based management in healthcare, leadership styles, health policy, population health, comparative health systems, and health information science.
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:
- Guo, R., Ginnetti, R.M., Austill, L., & Yan, L. (2026). Assessment results of teaching evidence-based management to graduate students. Journal of Health Administration Education, 42(1), 29–59.
- Guo, R., Thompson, C., & Reyes, M. (2025). Telehealth revolution: Bridging the digital divide. Healthcare Informatics Innovation Post COVID-19 Pandemic, 24-40.
- Guo, R., Berkshire, S. D., Fulton, L.V., Hermanson, P. M. (2017). Predicting intention to use evidence-based management among U.S. healthcare administrators: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior and structural equation modeling. International Journal of Healthcare Management. doi:10.1080/20479700.2017.1336856
Sonali S. Salunkhe, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H
Assistant Professor and Program Director of Healthcare Administration
Office: BA 528
Ph.D., University of Louisville
M.P.H, University of Louisville
M.D., Saratov State Medical University
Dr. Salunkhe has a medical background and holds a doctoral degree in Health Management and Policy. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses including global health systems, health law and bioethics, introduction to data analytics, health insurance and reimbursement, and health services management. She is also the Portneuf Medical Center Endowed Professor of Healthcare Administration.
Research Interests: Health services research with a focus on access to healthcare, health policies, healthcare workforce, and health outcomes research
Selected Publications:
- Salunkhe, S. S., Alzahrani, S., & Ugiliweneza, B. (2023). Disparities in mortality between Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions of Kentucky. Journal of Appalachian Health, 5(3), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.13023/jah.0503.04
- Karimi, S. M., Salunkhe, S. S., White, K. B.+, Little, B. B., McKinney, W. P., Mitra, R., Chen, Y., Adkins, E. R., Barclay, J. A., Ezekekwu, E., He, C. X., Hurst, D. M., Popescu, M. M., Swinney, D. N., Johnson, D. A., Hollenbach, R., Moyer, S. S., & DuPré, N. C. (2021). Prevalence of unmasked and improperly masked behavior in indoor public areas during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of a stratified random sample from Louisville, Kentucky. PloS one, 16(7), e0248324. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248324
- Ezekekwu, E., Salunkhe, S. S., Jennings, J., & Kelly Pryor, B. N. (2021). Community-based and system-level interventions for improving food security and nutritious food consumption: A systematic review. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, 1-21. doi: 10.1080/19320248.2021.2021120
Joshua Thompson
Clinical Associate Professor
Office: BA 524
Joshua Thompson is a Graduate of Idaho State University, where he received an MPA emphasizing in Health Care Administration. He is also a graduate of the Villanova Six Sigma Green Belt Healthcare Program. He has worked as a CEO and Administrator of an acute care psychiatric hospital, VP of multiple outpatient clinics and as a Licensed Administrator of multiple Nursing Homes. He is currently in his 1st term as a Board Member for the Idaho State University Alumni Board. He served on the Idaho Board of Examines of Nursing Home Administrators for 9 years and as Chairman for 7 of those years. He began teaching at ISU in 2014 as an Adjunct Professor and was hired on full-time as a Professor in August of 2017.
Executive in Residence
Doug Crabtree, MPA
Executive in Residence, Clinical Assistant Professor
Doug Crabtree is the Healthcare Administration program's first Executive in Residence (EIR). Crabtree worked in healthcare administration for 30 years. He retired from the Idaho Falls hospital, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) where he worked as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for 18 years. He was also the Idaho Hospital Association Chair twice. In 2023, Crabtree was appointed by the Governor to the Idaho Health Facilities Authority Board.
Our Executive in Residence is available to help you with the following:
- Career development counseling
- Resume, interviewing and job search consultation
- Networking and professional contact development
- Internship/fellowship development and advisement