Alumni Establish Scholarship to Benefit PharmD and MBA Students

Idaho State University alumni Joshua and Sandee Gehrke have established their third scholarship endowment at Idaho State University. The new Josh and Sandee Gehrke PharmD/MBA Scholarship Endowment will benefit students pursuing the joint Doctorate of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration degree offered through the College of Business and College of Pharmacy.

Both Sandee and Josh have remained involved at Idaho State since graduating and have been very successful in their careers. Sandee, a 2003 healthcare administration graduate of Idaho State was recently made the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of St. Luke’s Health System in Boise after working as the Vice President of System Operations for over seven years.

Prior to joining St. Luke’s, Sandee was able to jump into a successful career through the connections she made working on a summer internship, participating in an administrative residency, and joining the Healthcare Corporation of America. After pursuing her MBA in Denver, Colorado, Sandee went to work as the Assistant to the Operating Officer at a hospital in Las Vegas, later moving back to Idaho where she worked as the Chief Operating Officer of Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

Josh graduated from the Idaho State University College of Pharmacy in 2009 and is now a co-owner and operator of a compounding pharmacy in Boise.

Josh began his love of pharmacy at 15 when he worked as a pharmacy technician. While at Idaho State University, Josh worked in a variety of healthcare roles, including the Medical Manager for the Pocatello Free Clinic. Throughout his career, Josh has worked in pharmacy roles in Colorado, Nevada, and Idaho as a clinical hospital pharmacist, overnight pharmacist, and pharmacy manager.  

As natives of the Boise area, Sandee and Josh have enjoyed their return to Idaho and the opportunity to remain involved at the University. Sandee is currently serving on the College of Business’s Healthcare Administration Advocacy Board and the ISU Foundation Board while Josh serves on the College of Pharmacy Advocacy Board. The couple has two previous scholarships, one in support of pharmacy students, and the other in support of healthcare administration students.