Abington Hospital Doctor Named Among World's Top Leaders

ABINGTON, PA — Dr. Ala Stanford, a general pediatric surgeon on staff at Abington Hospital and the founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, was named to Fortune magazine's 2021 list of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders earlier this month.

Stanford was voted No. 23 on a list that also included the likes of: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (No. 1), political leader Stacey Abrams (No. 8) and entertainer/activist Dolly Parton (No. 11). Stanford finished one spot behind Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.

"(Stanford) is a perfect example of how a community member can stand up and lead during a time of crisis," U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said during an April event.

Stanford formed the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium early in the pandemic as she attempted to get COVID-19 tests to communities of color. With a rented van and PPE from her office, Stanford went around conducting tests in area's most affected by the virus.

"The majority of the testing sites were in affluent what neighborhoods," Stanford told Fortune. "There was not testing in communities where people were dying the most. So, we created it."

When COVID-19 vaccines became available, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania struggled to equitably distribute the supply, according to Forbes. But Stanford's organization held walk-up vaccination clinics for Philly's Black residents, restricting vaccines to people who lived in specific zip codes.

By early May, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium was able to vaccinate more than 46,000 Philadelphians, more than 80 percent of whom were people of color.