Dr. Ed Baker is a Professor in the School of Public and Population Health and the Director of the Center for Health Policy in the College of Health Sciences at Boise State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Temple University in 1994. He has over 20 years of experience in healthcare working with hospitals, physicians, integrated delivery systems, biotech pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. Dr. Baker’s research interests include healthcare policy, rural workforce planning, healthcare financing, and health system performance improvement. In 2014, Dr. Baker was elected president of the Idaho Rural Health Association (IRHA). His research and work with Idaho rural communities on workforce issues contribute to his efforts at the IRHA, including the recruitment and retention of rural physicians.