Black doctors consortium takes COVID-19 testing into their own hands

Pediatric surgeon Ala Stanford says as the number of coronavirus cases have risen in Philadelphia in the past several weeks, she has been getting more and more worried about the city’s Black residents.

“In Philadelphia, African Americans represent 44 percent of the population, but at last check, 52 percent of the deaths,” she said. “For me, that was unacceptable.”

Stanford grew up in North Philly, and now runs a medical consulting firm and has a private practice in Jenkintown. She is also on staff at Abington-Jefferson Health.

She said as the weeks went by and more cases and deaths were recorded in the city, she began feeling increasingly frustrated.