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 |
Ala Stanford is an American doctor who specializes in surgery for children. She is known for starting R.E.A.L. Concierge Medicine and the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. Dr. Stanford is also special because she was the first African-American female pediatric surgeon to complete all her training in the United States. In 2024, she began working at the University of Pennsylvania. There, she helps with teaching and connecting the university's research to the community.
Early Life and Education
Ala Stanford was born in Germantown, Philadelphia. When she was young, her father went to college, and her mother worked. This meant Ala often helped take care of her younger brother.
After high school, Dr. Stanford went to Pennsylvania State University. She earned both her first college degree and her medical degree there. After 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. Because of her training, she became the first African-American female pediatric surgeon to be fully trained in the United States.
Career
After finishing her advanced training at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Dr. Stanford started working at Temple University in 2006. A year later, she became the director of a center that worked to improve health for minority groups. In this role, she helped improve life for people in the Allegheny West area. For her efforts, she received the Shirley Chisholm Award.
Later, Dr. Stanford became the director of pediatric surgery at Abington Memorial Hospital. While there, she performed a life-saving surgery on a baby from Haiti. She also started her own medical practices, including Stanford Pediatric Surgery, LLC, It Takes Philly. Inc, and R.E.A.L Concierge Medicine.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dr. Stanford noticed that some communities, especially Black communities, were not getting fair access to vaccines. She left her job as a pediatric surgeon to focus on this problem full-time. She created the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium (BDCC). This group brought together about 200 healthcare workers.
By February 2021, Dr. Stanford and the BDCC had vaccinated nearly 4,000 people in areas that were often overlooked. Sports teams like the Philadelphia Flyers even asked her to help encourage fans to get vaccinated. Because of her important work, Forbes magazine recognized her as a woman over 50 who was changing the world. Fortune Magazine also named her one of its 50 Greatest Leaders. CNN recognized her as a Top 10 hero.
In October 2021, Dr. Stanford opened the Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity. This center offers basic medical care and mental health services to children and adults in North Philadelphia. In 2024, she joined the University of Pennsylvania. She now teaches and directs community outreach for research there. She also received an honorary degree from Haverford College.
Awards and Honors
- 2024: Honorary Degree from Haverford College
- 2021: The Philadelphia Award
- 2021: Harris Wofford Active Citizenship Award
- 2021: Dare to Understand Award
- 2021: Top 10 CNN Heroes
- 2022: USA Today's Women of the Year
- 2018: The Shirley Chisholm Award from the Philadelphia Congress of the National Congress of Black Women
Personal Life
Ala Stanford married Byron Drayton on March 30, 2020.
