May 8, 2025
By Annie Zhang, WHEP Scholar, DUCOM Class of 2027, Drexel University College of Medicine
In a world where systemic barriers in health care persist and public trust continues to fray, few voices cut through the noise with the clarity and conviction of Dr. Ala Stanford. At this year’s United Nation World Immunization Shot@Life event at Drexel on April 30, 2025, students and attendees had the profound privilege of hearing from the renowned pediatric surgeon, advocate and national leader in health equity during her keynote address — a talk that was as deeply personal as it was professionally inspiring.
Dr. Stanford, founder of the Black Doctors Consortium and former Health and Human Services regional director for the mid-Atlantic, wove together the story of her career with a bold call to action: Health care cannot just be about outcomes — it must be about equity, access and human dignity.
She didn’t just recount her achievements — she brought the audience into the room during the moments that defined her: turning her private practice into a lifeline for thousands, stepping into neighborhoods during COVID where others had turned their backs and, ultimately, being appointed by the White House to help steer regional health policy during one of the nation’s darkest hours.
When COVID-19 swept through Philadelphia, and hospitals turned people away due to bureaucratic limitations or insurance gaps, Dr. Stanford, armed with her own malpractice insurance, LabCorp account and surgical gowns, took testing to the people. “We went from going door to door testing 12 people in one day, to churches testing hundreds,” she recounted. It wasn’t just the volume that changed — it was the trust she built in underserved communities. Dr. Stanford emphasized that her success wasn’t born from a carefully orchestrated strategy, but rather from relentless service. “When you’re doing the right thing for the right reasons, things will happen in your favor.”
She also lifted the veil on public service, sharing both its power and its challenges. As a federal appointee, she helped expand postpartum care coverage from 60 days to one year and championed the national rollout of the 988 mental health crisis line. But she was candid about her disillusionment with bureaucratic inertia: “So many things that are passed have less to do with what’s right, and everything to do with who is in power.”
Still, she’s not slowing down. Today, Dr. Stanford runs a full-spectrum clinic in North Philly, continues to teach at the University of Pennsylvania, and leads global vaccine equity efforts with Nobel laureate Dr. Drew Weissman. Her mission? To help communities create their own vaccine supply chains and train their own scientists because, as she put it, “None of it matters if people don’t trust you to take what you create.”
Dr. Stanford left us with more than a keynote — she gave us a blueprint. A blueprint for how to lead with conviction, how to use your credentials to create change, and how to honor both your patients and your family. She urged us to stay humble in our conversations with those hesitant about vaccines, to ask why before judging and to stay present, because being persistent and permanent, not just performative, is what builds trust.
I was also very fortunate to leave the event feeling more inspired — and with a copy of Dr. Stanford’s book in hand. Holding her words in print felt like taking a piece of her mission home, a tangible reminder that advocacy and healing are not mutually exclusive but beautifully intertwined.
In the words of Maya Angelou, which Dr. Stanford paraphrased: “People may not remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” For those of us lucky enough to witness her talk, we’ll remember feeling empowered, challenged and deeply inspired.