Dr. Ala Stanford, the founder of Philadelphia’s Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, was named a regional director in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Biden Administration announced on Tuesday.
Biden appointed Stanford as the HHS Regional Director of Region 3 as part of his administration’s continued efforts to rebuild communities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Regional Directors ensure the Department maintains close contact with state, local, and tribal partners and addresses the needs of communities and individuals served through HHS programs and policies,” a White House spokesperson wrote.
As the Region 3 director, Stanford will serve Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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Antrell Tyson was named the HHS director of Region 4 and Janine Boyd was named director of Region 5.
Dr. Stanford has been a practicing physician for more than 20 years and is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in pediatric and adult general surgery. She received national recognition in April 2020 when she founded the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which focuses on testing and vaccinating Philadelphia residents against the coronavirus, especially those in the African American community who had been hit the hardest during the pandemic.
Stanford is also a medical correspondent for local and national news outlets. She is also the former director of the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities of Temple University School of Medicine, and serves on the CDC Philadelphia Department of Public Health COVID19 Vaccine Advisory Committee.
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Stanford was also named a 2021 Top 10 CNN Hero and is a 2021 George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award recipient.
Stanford was in the running for Philadelphia's health commissioner last year but withdrew her candidacy, deciding instead to focus on a center for health equity that she opened in the city that would provide medical care to all, even those without health insurance.
