Ala Stanford, MD, FAAP, FACS
To say Dr. Ala Stanford took matters into her own hands during the COVID-19 pandemic would be an understatement. As she saw the disparate impact the pandemic was having on Black, Brown, and poor communities, she fully committed herself to reducing health care disparities by providing testing, treatment, and vaccinations to these underserved populations. As Dr. Stanford puts it, “The pandemic created the opportunity to bring clear focus and direction to start chipping away at the barriers to healthcare one neighbor, one test, one vaccination at time." Her efforts led to the creation of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which has tested and vaccinated over 75,000 residents in Philadelphia’s minority neighborhoods.