Ross University School of Medicine
Innovation in Healthcare Award

Alex Carrasco 
Vice President, Operations, Adtalem Global Education and Interim Dean,
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

Alex Carrasco was appointed vice president of operations for Adtalem Global Education’s medical schools, Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) and American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), in August 2018. In this role, he is responsible for the overall program operations including strategic initiatives, managing relationships with AUC and RUSM’s affiliated teaching hospitals and other external partners, registrar functions, clinical student advising, career services, data and analytics, project management and optimizing the student experience. In November 2023, Alex was also named interim university dean of AUC where he provides leadership overseeing academic and administrative functions to advance the institution’s mission and goals.

Since joining Adtalem in 2015, Alex has continually demonstrated a high-level ability to execute and focus on student outcomes and experience. He has a perceptive strategic mindset that he has applied to some of AUC and RUSM’s most complex challenges and initiatives. He has been a member of the Senior Executive Leadership Team since 2016.

In 2017, Alex played a central role in successfully executing AUC’s temporary relocation, which was due to Hurricane Irma, to the campus of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston, United Kingdom. He has fostered AUC’s continued relationship with UCLan and was the lead in securing a new partnership with UCLan to launch AUC’s first branch campus in Preston.

Since that time, he has integrated various departments in AUC and RUSM, delivering value and efficiency from the joint operations of the two medical schools. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and natural sciences from Thomas Edison State College, a master’s degree in mathematics and education from Nova Southeastern University, and a Juris Doctorate from Florida International University College of Law. Alex also served for six years as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Navy. 

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Innovation in Healthcare Award

Heidi Chumley, MD, MBA
Dean, Ross University School of Medicine

Dr. Heidi Chumley was named dean of Ross University School of Medicine in 2021, where she is responsible for advancing the university’s mission and vision to create equitable opportunities through an experiential medical education program within an inclusive environment.

Dr. Chumley most recently served as provost of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine where she led the strategic vision for academic quality and student outcomes since 2013. Prior to that, she served for eight years at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. As vice chancellor for educational resources and interprofessional education, she was responsible for fostering a vibrant learning environment supported by technology and other academic resources, as well as developing a center for interprofessional education and simulation. She also served for nearly four years as senior associate dean for medical education, responsible for admissions, curriculum and student affairs. Dr. Chumley also led initiatives in rural health, and cultural enhancement and diversity. 

She has been recognized with national awards for teaching, leadership and scholarship, including the President’s Award from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine for leading the taskforce that created the national Family Medicine Clerkship Curriculum. She is an editor of the textbooks Color Atlas in Family Medicine, Color Atlas in Internal Medicine and Color Atlas for Pediatrics. She currently serves on the editorial board of Medical Teacher, the corporate board of Annals of Family Medicine and the Supervisory Council of the Sint Maarten Medical Center. 

Dr. Chumley earned her doctorate degree in medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where she also completed her residency in family medicine and a fellowship in academic leadership. She completed an executive MBA at the University of Miami, with an emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean. She received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Abilene Christian University.