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
Professor of Healthcare Administration
Office: BA 530
DHA, Central Michigan University
MPH, Idaho State University
MLIS, McGill University
BA, Peking University
Dr. Guo received her doctorate in Health Administration (DHA) from Central Michigan University. Her research interests include evidence-based management in healthcare decision-making, healthcare policy, population health, comparative health systems, and health IT. She has received numerous research grants and awards. Her research articles have appeared in the American Journal of Management, Journal of Health Administration Education, International Journal of Healthcare Management, Leadership in Health Services, Journal of Community Health, Hospital Topics, and Journal of Medical Informatics. Dr. Guo has extensive working and teaching experience in international health care systems and academia. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of the University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), a fellow of the Center for Evidence-based Management, a distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals, a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a reviewer for the AUPHA certification committees and peer-reviewed journals in healthcare administration and medical/health sciences.
Sonali S. Salunkhe, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H
Assistant Professor 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’s primary interest is health service research.
Joshua Thompson
Undergraduate Program Director & 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, Visiting Clinical Professor
Doug Crabtree is the Healthcare Administration program's first Executive in Residence (EIR). Crabtree retired from the Idaho Falls hospital, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) where he worked as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for 19 years. As the program’s EIR, Crabtree takes on the role of instructor in both graduate and undergraduate level HCA and Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) programs. Crabtree also uses his extensive background in the healthcare administration field to supervise the residency requirement of the MHA program and advise academic program directors and the College of Business dean on MHA matters.
Throughout his career, Crabtree served over 30 years in numerous high level positions in the healthcare industry. He was also the Idaho Hospital Association Chair twice. In 2023, Crabtree was appointed by the Governor to the Idaho Health Facilities Authority Board (IHFA). The IHFA's mission is to assist eligible nonprofit health care providers to obtain and maintain access to low cost, tax-exempt private or public capital market financing.
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