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Staff
Families in the Andalusia/Covington County area will have the chance next week to preview — and be among the first applicants for — the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences (ASHS), the state’s newest free residential specialty public high school.
A team of leaders from the school will hold one of its statewide informational meetings, “A Future of Healthcare,” from 6-6:45 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Dixon Conference Center at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, 1000 Dannelly Blvd., Andalusia.
These events offer parents, students, and community members an inside look at ASHS, which opens in Fall 2026. Each meeting includes presentations from school administrators about the vision of the school, its innovative curriculum, and the unique opportunities students will experience through living on campus. Attendees will also learn about the admissions process and have time to ask questions directly to the leadership team.
“This school is a golden opportunity for Alabama,” said Dr. Jimmy Martin, President of ASHS. “We’re looking for students who want to be pioneers — young people ready to challenge themselves academically, grow in character, and prepare for careers that will change healthcare in Alabama and beyond.”
ASHS will be the fourth state-funded specialty high school in Alabama and the first dedicated exclusively to healthcare sciences. Students will complete the state-required core curriculum while engaging in rigorous academic courses alongside specialized healthcare classes, gain hands-on experience with clinical and community partners, and earn both college credit and industry-recognized certifications before graduation. Graduates will be prepared to step directly into the healthcare workforce or begin college or advanced training with meaningful credits already earned—giving them a clear head start on their future.
To register for the meeting, visit https://tinyurl.com/ASHS-Info-Registration.
About ASHS
The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is a public, residential high school serving grades 9–12. With a mission to empower students through compassion, innovation, integrity, and service, ASHS prepares the next generation of healthcare professionals to improve the health of communities across Alabama.
Staff
Families in the Tuscaloosa area will have the chance next week to preview — and be among the first applicants for — the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences (ASHS), the state’s newest free residential specialty public high school.
A team of leaders from the school will hold one of its statewide informational meetings, “A Future of Healthcare,” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, in the Board Meeting Room Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, 2222 9th St. (the former Regions Bank Building).
These events offer parents, students, and community members an inside look at ASHS, which opens in Fall 2026. Each meeting includes presentations from school administrators about the vision of the school, its innovative curriculum, and the unique opportunities students will experience through living on campus. Attendees will also learn about the admissions process and have time to ask questions directly to the leadership team.
“This school is a golden opportunity for Alabama,” said Dr. Jimmy Martin, President of ASHS. “We’re looking for students who want to be pioneers — young people ready to challenge themselves academically, grow in character, and prepare for careers that will change healthcare in Alabama and beyond.”
ASHS will be the fourth state-funded specialty high school in Alabama and the first dedicated exclusively to healthcare sciences. Students will complete the state-required core curriculum while engaging in rigorous academic courses alongside specialized healthcare classes, gain hands-on experience with clinical and community partners, and earn both college credit and industry-recognized certifications before graduation. Graduates will be prepared to step directly into the healthcare workforce or begin college or advanced training with meaningful credits already earned—giving them a clear head start on their future.
To register for the meeting, visit https://tinyurl.com/ASHS-Info-Registration.
About ASHS
The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is a public, residential high school serving grades 9–12. With a mission to empower students through compassion, innovation, integrity, and service, ASHS prepares the next generation of healthcare professionals to improve the health of communities across Alabama.
Staff
Families in the Huntsville area will have the chance next week to preview — and be among the first applicants for — the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences (ASHS), the state’s newest specialty public high school.
A team of leaders from the school will hold one of its statewide informational meetings, “A Future of Healthcare,” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in the Dowdle Center Auditorium of Huntsville Hospital, 109 Governors Dr., Huntsville.
These events offer parents, students, and community members an inside look at ASHS, which opens in Fall 2026. Each meeting includes presentations from school administrators about the vision of the school, its innovative curriculum, and the unique opportunities students will experience through living on campus. Attendees will also learn about the admissions process and have time to ask questions directly to the leadership team.
“This school is a golden opportunity for Alabama,” said Dr. Jimmy Martin, President of ASHS. “We’re looking for students who want to be pioneers – young people ready to challenge themselves academically, grow in character, and prepare for careers that will change healthcare in Alabama and beyond.”
ASHS will be the fourth state-funded specialty high school in Alabama and the first dedicated exclusively to healthcare sciences. Students will complete the state-required core curriculum while engaging in rigorous academic courses alongside specialized healthcare classes, gain hands-on experience with clinical and community partners, and earn both college credit and industry-recognized certifications before graduation. Graduates will be prepared to step directly into the healthcare workforce or begin college or advanced training with meaningful credits already earned—giving them a clear head start on their future.
To register for the meeting, visit https://tinyurl.com/ASHS-Info-Registration.
About ASHS
The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is a public, residential high school serving grades 9–12. With a mission to empower students through compassion, innovation, integrity, and service, ASHS prepares the next generation of healthcare professionals to improve the health of communities across Alabama.
Staff
Families in the Sylacauga-Talladega County area will have the chance next week to preview — and be among the first applicants for — the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences (ASHS), the state’s newest specialty public high school.
A team of leaders from the school will hold one of its statewide informational meetings, “A Future of Healthcare,” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, in the private dining room at the Hickory Street Café inside the Coosa Valley Medical Center, 315 W. Hickory St.
These events offer parents, students, and community members an inside look at ASHS, which opens in Fall 2026. Each meeting includes presentations from school administrators about the vision of the school, its innovative curriculum, and the unique opportunities students will experience through living on campus. Attendees will also learn about the admissions process and have time to ask questions directly to the leadership team.
“This school is a golden opportunity for Alabama,” said Dr. Jimmy Martin, President of ASHS. “We’re looking for students who want to be pioneers – young people ready to challenge themselves academically, grow in character, and prepare for careers that will change healthcare in Alabama and beyond.”
ASHS will be the fourth state-funded specialty high school in Alabama and the first dedicated exclusively to healthcare sciences. Students will complete the state-required core curriculum while engaging in rigorous academic courses alongside specialized healthcare classes, gain hands-on experience with clinical and community partners, and earn both college credit and industry-recognized certifications before graduation. Graduates will be prepared to step directly into the healthcare workforce or begin college or advanced training with meaningful credits already earned—giving them a clear head start on their future.
It’s a busy week for the team, with meetings set in Demopolis Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Huntsville on Thursday, Oct. 23.
To register for these meetings, visit https://tinyurl.com/ASHS-Info-Registration.
About ASHS
The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is a public, residential high school serving grades 9–12. With a mission to empower students through compassion, innovation, integrity, and service, ASHS prepares the next generation of healthcare professionals to improve the health of communities across Alabama.
Jonathan McElvy
A towering figure in American medicine with Demopolis roots is lending his stature and expertise to the groundbreaking Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences (ASHS).
Dr. Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., FACS, has agreed to serve as Special Advisor to ASHS and its supporting Foundation as the residential specialty high school starts its one-year countdown to opening. The school’s mission is to help meet the demand for medical professionals in Alabama with uniquely prepared students.
Since 2022, Vickers has served as president and CEO of the prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York, recognized as one of the world’s leading cancer centers.
“This landmark relationship brings one of the world’s most accomplished medical leaders back to his roots and marks a new chapter in ASHS’s mission to inspire and train the next generation of healthcare professionals,” said Governor Kay Ivey, who has championed creation of ASHS as the fourth in a network of free, public state-supported residential specialty high schools.
Born in Demopolis and raised in Tuscaloosa and Huntsville, Vickers becomes a guiding force for ASHS after decades at the forefront of medicine. As a physician, Vickers’ career has been distinguished by the pursuit of cures for cancer and a commitment to improving health outcomes for all. Vickers earned international recognition for pioneering new treatments for pancreatic cancer and for his research into cancer health disparities.
He made his mark at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as senior vice president for medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, as well as CEO of the UAB Health System and the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance. Under his leadership, UAB bolstered its reputation for clinical excellence, groundbreaking research and equity in delivery of patient care.
“Working with ASHS brings together my lifelong connection to Alabama with my passion for elevating healthcare education and mentoring the future generations of providers and researchers,” said Vickers. “Nothing is more important to quality of life than access to skilled, compassionate healthcare, and I’m excited about helping ASHS change lives in Alabama, both of its students and those they will serve.”
Vickers’ undergraduate and medical education, as well as his initial surgical training, took place at Johns Hopkins University, and he completed postgraduate fellowships with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and at Oxford University in the U.K., where he did his international surgical training.
He and his wife, Janice, also an Alabama native, married in 1988 and have four children.
“We’re excited that Dr. Vickers will be partnering with us,” said Kirk Stephens, chairman of the board of the ASHS Foundation. “Having him on board promises to enrich our school, uplift our campus community, and extend our impact across Alabama and beyond.”
This fall shapes up to be an eventful one for ASHS, with announcements of career pathway options that will launch recruitment of students and faculty, and formal groundbreaking for construction of its 10-acre residential campus in Demopolis.
The school is scheduled for a soft launch next August with a freshman class of up to 100 students studying and living at their own separate mini-campus on the grounds of the University of West Alabama in Livingston while the first phase of the Demopolis campus is being constructed.
Major initial funding for the school comes from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the state of Alabama.