Fox to chair Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences board

Natalie Fox, DNP, chief executive officer of USA Health, the academic health system for the University of South Alabama, has been elected chair of the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences Board of Trustees, succeeding Mike Warren as the statewide residential high school enters its next phase of growth.

Fox brings experience in nursing, healthcare administration, and medical education to the role. She holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing from USA. Her career at USA Health has included leadership of physician practices, nursing operations and initiatives to improve access to care along the Gulf Coast.

“Our responsibility is to build on the extraordinary work that brought this school to life and sustain that momentum for the students who will follow,” Fox said. “I am committed to supporting our faculty and staff, strengthening our partnerships, and ensuring that ASHS delivers on its promise to prepare young people for healthcare careers, particularly in the rural communities that need them most.”

Warren, of Birmingham, is the retired chairman and CEO of Children’s of Alabama and has served as inaugural ASHS chair since September 2024, after his board appointment by Gov. Kay Ivey.

“Seeing our first students arrive and this school begin fulfilling its mission has been deeply rewarding,” Warren said. “What began as an ambitious idea is now an opportunity for young people across Alabama, with even greater promise ahead. Natalie understands both the demands of healthcare and the importance of preparing its next generation. She is exceptionally well suited to lead the board forward.”

Other officers elected Thursday were:

• Vice chair: Jill Stork, vice president of Alabama Power’s Western Division, based in Tuscaloosa.
• Secretary: Kirk Stephens, a Livingston and Demopolis businessman in the packaging and paper industries and chair of the ASHS Foundation board.
• Treasurer: Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for medicine and dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Heersink School of Medicine.
• Assistant secretary: Katrina Keefer, president and CEO of DCH Health System in Tuscaloosa.

The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences opened in August at a temporary campus at the University of West Alabama in Livingston. Its permanent campus in Demopolis, adjacent to Whitfield Regional Hospital, is scheduled to welcome students in August 2027. The tuition-free public school prepares Alabama students for healthcare careers through college preparatory academics, specialized instruction and hands-on learning.