Dr. Ala Stanford is a national leader in health equity and a health care policy advisor. She is a trusted messenger and an advocate for vulnerable populations in the United States and globally. Dr. Stanford is the Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of the Mid-Atlantic, appointed by President Joseph Biden overseeing the health and well being of all Americans. 

A practicing physician for over 20 years, Dr. Stanford is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in both pediatric and adult general surgery. She serves as a medical and health correspondent for national media outlets. Dr. Stanford gained international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic using the infrastructure of her pediatric surgery practice to create a grassroots organization focused on education, testing, contact tracing and vaccination in communities devoid of access to care and resources. Her focus on those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 saved lives. 

The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium directly served over 100,000 and countless others through the reach of their work. Dr. Stanford subsequently opened a Center for Health Equity in a Philadelphia zip code community with the lowest life expectancy; providing expert health care and improving health outcomes. 

She has received many accolades, a few notable include 2021 Top 10 CNNHero, 2021 Fortune Magazine: World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, 2021 George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award, the City of Philadelphia Commissioned a street in her name and listed in 2021 & 2022 by Forbes Magazine Most Influential Women. 

Simon & Schuster published her memoir Take Care of Them Like My Own: Faith, Fortitude, and a Surgeon's Fight for Health Justice in 2024.