What to Know
- Dr. Ala Stanford, the founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, withdrew her candidacy for Philadelphia’s next health commissioner.
- Stanford cited her focus on her new center for health equity as a major reason for why she withdrew her candidacy.
- A ribbon cutting ceremony for the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity in North Philadelphia on Wednesday, Oct. 27. The center will officially open its doors to patients on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
With her focus now largely on her new center for health equity, Dr. Ala Stanford withdrew her candidacy for Philadelphia’s next health commissioner.
Stanford, the founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, made the announcement on Friday.
“I look forward to continued work with the Philadelphia Department of Health and continuing our service to the City of Philadelphia beyond COVID-19 through the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity. We are just getting started. Thank you all for your support,” she wrote.
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Stanford 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.
To date, the Consortium has tested over 25,000 patients and vaccinated over 53,000 Philadelphians in over 120 clinics at no out-of-pocket cost.
Earlier this year, Stanford had said she wanted to become the city’s next health commissioner after Philadelphia’s previous health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley, resigned.
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Stanford lives in Montgomery County and there is a residency requirement for the position. Stanford told NBC10 in June she was ready and willing to move to Philadelphia to meet the requirement however.
A ribbon cutting ceremony for the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity took place in North Philadelphia on Wednesday, Oct. 27. The center will officially open its doors to patients on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Stanford cited her focus on the new center as a major reason for why she withdrew her candidacy for the city’s health commissioner.
“I realized at our ribbon cutting that my presence within the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity (ASHE) in its infancy is integral,” Stanford wrote. “I remain committed to health and well-being of all the residents of the City of Philadelphia, particularly our most vulnerable.”
