Radiologic Sciences Department graduates Scott Christensen, class of 1986, and Drew Taylor, class of 1992, are among dozens of Boise State College of Health Sciences graduates who have carved successful careers staying close to their alma mater.
Health Sciences grads from across programs are in high demand, and Idaho residents are well-served when they take positions with area hospitals, clinics and organizations. There’s a ripple effect when those same grads start families, buy houses and contribute to civic life and the economy. And there’s the incalculable impact on individuals’ health.
All of which is why the particular successes Christensen and Taylor have chalked up are reason to cheer. Christensen is vice president of operations for Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise and Taylor is chief operations officer for St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center. Here’s a look at the leaders:
Building Connections and Community: Scott Christensen’s Journey
Scott Christensen has been in his current position since 2021 and previously served as Saint Alphonsus’ regional director of medical imaging for the health system. He has been with Saint Alphonsus since before he graduated from Boise State, first working as a night radiologic technologist; following that, earlier in his career, he was an interventional radiology supervisor and manager of medical imaging.
A Burley native, he almost didn’t make it back to Idaho from the state of Washington. He’d attended Wenatchee Valley College for an associate degree in radiologic technology and had been offered multiple positions in Seattle when the Boise State radiologic program caught his eye — it was less tempting to his wife, however. She was not intrigued by the thought of moving to Idaho, and there was the couple’s then-3-year-old daughter and soon-to-be son to think about as well.
“She was kind of a city girl and thought everyone in Idaho wore cowboy boots and drove pickup trucks, but we decided to make the trek,” he said, adding that four decades later, “She has six pairs of cowboy boots and would rather drive my pickup truck any day. So we converted her.”
Saint Alphonsus employed him as he worked toward his bachelor’s degree and provided specialized training that jump-started his lengthy career. He has given back on multiple levels; he has been active with community and school coaching and administrative duties surrounding sports, his church, various community services and youth counseling and mentoring.
The Idaho way of life and the ways of its residents continue to be a source of deep satisfaction for him.
“I’ve just sensed that this is where I wanted to live and thrive,” he said. “I think it’s the people, the down-home roots, the way people treat each other and act in service to each other.”
That feeling spans settings, he believes.
“This world is large, but when you start talking about careers, it becomes very small, very fast,” Christensen said. “As with any profession, once you get embedded and engaged and you put your heart and soul into it, the way of success is that of building your resources, and that comes from building people connections. They help you be successful. It’s those connections that have helped me become a better leader in the health care profession … That’s where the strong opportunities come.”
He has found hiring COHS graduates very fulfilling.
“Seeing class after class after class, and many in leadership positions across the country and the valley, and seeing them grow, and to mentor them, has been very satisfying to me,” he said, adding, “I can tell you that Boise State puts out an exceptional product.
“If you go through Boise State and you do some clinical rotations, you can get a job anywhere, and you’ll feel comfortable and successful.”
The spirit of service remains strong for him as he gets closer to the end of his career.
“If I had it to start all over again, I would not change a thing,” he said, noting that in Idaho, “There are still people who will stop by the side of the road and ask, ‘Can I help you?’”
Returning to his roots: Drew Taylor
Drew Taylor is chief operating officer for St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center — the hospital where he was born.
He has worked for St. Luke’s twice, first in the early 1990s as a new Boise State graduate. For the past 17 years, he has served as director of patient care services with St. Luke’s in Meridian, where he had responsibility for medical and outpatient imaging and operations at the hospital and at the Eagle location, before taking his current position in Boise in July. Last year, he earned a master’s degree in business administration in 2023 from Boise State.
In between St. Luke’s roles, he worked in California with a company that built imaging centers, founded his own company that built imaging centers and served as a consultant in the building of another imaging center.
He has stayed in touch with colleagues and co-workers along with West Coast — but returning to Idaho and St. Luke’s was an easy decision, particularly when stacked against more time spent sitting in freeway congestion.
“I remember saying to my wife, ‘I don’t want our life to be scheduled around traffic,’” he said. “I never felt like I was in the rat race until I was there.”
“I really wanted to make it in a different state, and I did it. I enjoyed it,” Taylor said. “But it was really hard to do business in the state of California. I wanted a different experience for patients.”
Having seen a broad sampling of health care in the West, Taylor knows Idaho patients get great services; Saint Alphonsus, St. Luke’s and other providers serve the population well, he believes.
“We’re pretty spoiled, and I want to keep it that way,” he said, going on to say that he regularly reminds his parents, also Idaho natives, “‘Mom and Dad, it’s so different in other places.’”
Taylor brings to his job an entrepreneurial spirit, a feeling for those who seek out care and a soft spot for his current employer.
“Every patient who walks through our door is such a gift, because they could go someplace else,” he said, adding that “St. Luke’s has always been near and dear. The mission speaks to me.”
He speaks highly of the Boise State program and the graduates-turned-employees that St. Luke’s hires. He stays close to the college and the department, and has been pleased with the flexibility and responsiveness to student and employer needs.
“Boise State’s really done a nice job with bringing students in over the weekends and in the evening,” he said. “Students are well equipped. They are traditionally pretty bright individuals, with a pretty high GPA to get into the program. The caliber of people that I see coming through Boise State, they’re committed, they’re dedicated, they have patient skills.
“I think Boise State has a lot to do with that. And they listen to their students and adjust accordingly, to the good.”
His advice for students contemplating the many possible paths to careers?
“Don’t be afraid of being uncomfortable, because being uncomfortable will take you so many places where you can learn about yourself and do different things,” he said, adding that “Medical imaging has been an awesome ride.
“It’s been awesome.”