Ala Stanford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ala Stanford
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Stanford in 2021
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Pennsylvania State University (MD) |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Pediatric surgery |
Dr. Ala Stanford is an American doctor who specializes in surgery for children. She is famous for starting R.E.A.L. Concierge Medicine and the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. Dr. Stanford was also the first African-American woman to become a children's surgeon after completing all her training in the United States. In 2024, she began working at the University of Pennsylvania. There, she became a professor in the Department of Biology. She also directs community outreach for research at the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation.
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Early Life and Education
Dr. Stanford was born in Germantown, Philadelphia. Her mother was a teenager at the time. A few years later, her father went to college. Her mother worked, and young Ala helped take care of her younger brother.
After high school, Dr. Stanford went to Pennsylvania State University. She earned her first degree and then her medical degree there. After finishing medical school, she completed her special training, called a residency. She did this at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. This training helped her become the first African-American female pediatric surgeon fully trained in the U.S.
Her Career as a Doctor
After more special training at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Dr. Stanford joined Temple University in September 2006. A year later, she became the director of a center that worked to improve health for minority groups. In this role, she worked with a group called Allegheny West Foundation. They aimed to make life better for people in the area.
Because of her hard work, Dr. Stanford received the Shirley Chisholm Award. She later left Temple University to lead pediatric surgery at Abington Memorial Hospital. While there, she performed a life-saving surgery on a baby from Haiti. She also used her hospital connections to start her own groups. These included Stanford Pediatric Surgery, LLC, It Takes Philly. Inc, and R.E.A.L Concierge Medicine.
Helping During the COVID-19 Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dr. Stanford noticed that some communities were not getting fair access to vaccines. She decided to leave her job as a children's surgeon. She wanted to focus full-time on helping Black communities get better healthcare during the pandemic.
This led her to create the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium (BDCC). This group brought together about 200 healthcare workers. By February 2021, Dr. Stanford and the BDCC had given vaccines to almost 4,000 people in areas that needed help the most. Sports teams like the Philadelphia Flyers also asked her to encourage fans to get vaccinated.
Her efforts were recognized by many. Forbes magazine named her a woman over 50 who was changing the world. Fortune Magazine also listed her as one of the 50 Greatest Leaders. CNN honored her as a Top 10 Hero.
Later Work and Health Equity
In October 2021, Dr. Stanford opened the Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity. This center offers basic medical care and mental health services. It helps both adults and children in North Philadelphia. Later that month, she decided not to be considered for Philadelphia's next health commissioner.
In 2024, Dr. Stanford joined the University of Pennsylvania. She became a professor in the Department of Biology. She also took on a role as director of Community Outreach for research at the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation. She also received an honorary degree from Haverford College.
Awards and Honors
- 2024: Honorary Degree from Haverford College
- 2022: USA Today's Women of the Year
- 2021: The Philadelphia Award
- 2021: The Harris Wofford Active Citizenship Award (for her work fighting COVID-19)
- 2021: The Dare to Understand award
- 2021: Top 10 CNN Heroes
- 2018: The Shirley Chisholm Award from the Philadelphia Congress of the National Congress of Black Women
Personal Life
Dr. Ala Stanford married Byron Drayton on March 30, 2020.
