Meet Our Team

Christopher Owens, PharmD, MPH

Idaho AHEC Program Office Director

Office: Gravely Hall Room 136

(208) 282-4899

chrisowens@isu.edu

Dr. Christopher T. Owens, PharmD, MPH, is the Program Director of Idaho AHEC as of August
2024. He also serves as Associate Vice President for Health Sciences at Idaho State University
and is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences at the
L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy and as Adjunct Faculty and holds a joint appointment in the ISU
School of Nursing.

Dr. Owens earned his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from ISU in 2002, his Master’s in Public
Health (MPH) in 2013, and a Certificate in Biomedical Ethics in 2017. He served as the Drug
Utilization Review (DUR) program coordinator with Idaho Medicaid from 2003-2009 and was a
clinical pharmacist at the Health West Pocatello Clinic during the same timeframe. His career
spans over 20 years of teaching and publishing on professionalism, ethics, evidence-based
integrative health, and population health topics. He has been instrumental in advancing
interprofessional education and collaborating on curriculum development and delivery with the
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine.

With a focus on pharmacotherapy, public health, ethics, and geriatric care, Dr. Owens is
committed to enhancing healthcare workforce training in rural and underserved areas. His work
with the Southeastern Idaho Medical Reserve Corps and various community initiatives
demonstrates his dedication to improving healthcare access and quality and as Idaho AHEC
Program Director, Dr. Owens aims to leverage his experience and expertise to further AHEC's
mission of addressing healthcare disparities in underserved communities across Idaho.

Rylee O'Neill, MPA

Idaho AHEC Program Office Associate Director

Office: Nursing Building Room 311

208-282-3722

oneiryl2@isu.edu

Rylee O'Neill, a sixth-generation Idahoan, embodies a deep-rooted passion for her state and its pioneering spirit. With a health profession career spanning over two decades, she has dedicated herself to serving Idaho's healthcare landscape. In 2020, she assumed the role of Associate Director at the Idaho AHEC Program Office after previously serving as the Southeast Idaho Director. Ms. O'Neill is a proud Bengal, having earned both her Bachelor of Social Work and Master's in Public Administration from Idaho State University. Her journey into healthcare began as a Medical Social Worker, where she gained invaluable experience in hospice, long-term care, oncology, and hospital settings before transitioning to her pivotal role within AHEC. Throughout her career, she has championed interprofessional practice and rural healthcare, driven by a profound commitment to improving access to quality healthcare services across Idaho's diverse communities.

Gina Clarkson, PhD, APRN, NNP-BC

Idaho AHEC Program Evaluator

Office: Nursing Building Room 313

(208) 282-3829

clargina@isu.edu

Dr. Gina Clarkson is the newly appointed AHEC Program Evaluator. In addition, Dr. Clarkson is also the Interim Associate Dean and Direct of the School of Nursing at Idaho State University. Dr. Clarkson is an Associate Professor with tenure in the School of Nursing, teaching in the PhD program. Her main research area of interest is parenting of infants (and challenges of parenting, such as parental substance abuse and infant health issues). She is particularly interested in helping parents of infants who were sick as newborns, such as those who were in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. In addition to being faculty in the School of Nursing, Dr. Clarkson is a practicing Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and a veteran of the U.S Air Force, having separated as a Captain in the Nurse Corps.