Dr. Ala Stanford rose to prominence in Philadelphia and nationally during the onset of the pandemic for her work with the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium (BDCC), an organization that she founded. The BDCC works to reduce the rate of infection and death from COVID-19 among African-Americans in Southeastern Pennsylvania. 

She has recently had to give up her position at the BDCC to accept the role of Health and Human Services Regional Director for Region 3, after it was announced on Tuesday that President Joe Biden appointed her to the role. 

Region 3 serves Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Dr. Stanford was named into the new role alongside former Director of Business Services and Policy for Atlanta’s Workforce Development Agency Antrell Tyson (Region 4) and pediatric speech and language pathologist turned advocate and state legislator Janine Boyd (Region 5).

“These regional appointees will be critical to the President’s efforts to rebuild communities most impacted by the pandemic, the economic recovery, and climate change. They bring deep expertise in their issue areas as well as critical relationships with federal, state, tribal, and local leaders,” a White House press release announced. 

It continued, “And, consistent with the President’s commitment to building an administration that looks like America, these regional appointees represent the diversity of America and the communities they serve.” 

Dr. Stanford was previously up for Philadelphia’s health commissioner position, but withdrew her name in October. She cited the opening of her new health clinic, the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity, as the reason she withdrew, as she didn’t want any potential conflict of interest to get in the way of resources or funds going to those who need them. 

In continuation of her efforts to provide testing and vaccine access to underserved communities of color in the region, the Center for Health Equity serves to address other health disparities faced by those communities. 

She has won many local and national awards for her work including the PABJ Community Services Award, the 2021 George H. W. Bush Points of Light Award, and was a 2021 Top 10 CNN Hero. 

Dr. Stanford thanked people on Twitter who congratulated her on her new position.