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. Ruiling Guo earned her Doctor of Health Administration degree from Central Michigan University. She brings extensive professional and academic experience in healthcare systems and management both in the United States and abroad. Dr. Guo is a Professor of Healthcare Administration, where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in the field. She is dedicated to her students and takes pride in helping them learn and grow. 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 healthcare administration and health information science. She has also mentored Master of Healthcare Administration students in publishing scholarly work in the field. Dr. Guo currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), the Editorial Board of ACHE’s Healthcare Executive, and holds reviewer roles for several academic journals and professional organizations. Her research focuses on evidence-based management, leadership styles, the U.S. healthcare system and policy, population health, comparative health systems, and health information science.
Sonali S. Salunkhe, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H
Undergraduate Healthcare Administration Program Director & 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 has a medical background and holds a doctoral degree in Health Management and
Policy. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses including but not limited to global
health systems, health insurance and reimbursement, and health services management. Her
research interests include health services research with a focus on access to healthcare and health policies.
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, 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