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HONORING BLACK DOCTORS COVID-19 CONSORTIUM
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HON. DWIGHT EVANS
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium who leveraged their medical expertise and connections to facilitate testing and provide vaccines where measures are most needed in the Philadelphia region. They stepped up to level the playing field by testing and vaccinating thousands of people in at-
risk communities.
Surgeon Ala Stanford along with a dedicated team of volunteers have sought to eliminate health disparities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium was founded by Dr. Stanford in the spring of 2020, to address the lack of Covid-19 testing in low-
income and communities of color in Philadelphia, who also happened to have the highest positivity rates. Their efforts undoubtedly saved countless lives.
Dr. Stanford left her role as a pediatric surgeon to dedicate her time to aggressively confront the growing health disparities in Black communities during the pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control--Black patients represent 22 percent of Covid cases and are 2.8 times more likely to be hospitalized and 1.9 times more likely to die due to Covid-19 as compared to White Americans. These starks figures are what drove Dr. Stanford to create the formation of BDCC. She declared, ``There was no testing in communities where people were dying the most. So, we created it.'' Her work has been invaluable to the city of Philadelphia, particularly for low-income and vulnerable residents.
The consortium has tested more than 25,000 people and vaccinated more than 50,000 Philadelphians at 50 clinics. It also offers home vaccinations for people who can't access clinics. These services have been provided free to the public. They have recently partnered with Uber to provide 10,000 free rides aimed at helping people get to and from BDCC sites. Their work has drawn praise from the Biden's administration top health officials. ``She is the perfect example of how a community member can stand up and lead during a time of crisis,'' Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium held a ``vaxathon'' a 24-hour, walk-up vaccine site, which saw a massive turnout. The group vaccinated nearly 4,000 people, 75 percent of whom were people of color. It was a wildly successful event designed to increase the number of vaccinations given to Black Philadelphians and to reduce the vaccination disparity between White and Black Philadelphians.
Dr. Ala Stanford is the recipient of several awards including the Health Equality Advocate award, and she is a decorated and revered physician who is considered a champion for health equity and access. She is a native of North Philadelphia who pours her all into creating wellness outcomes for her communities. Her accolades are lengthy, and she's the first Black woman pediatric surgeon trained entirely in the United States. She's board certified by the American Board of Surgery in both pediatric and adult surgery.
With all her accomplishments and community work, Dr. Stanford has received a great deal of national media attention for her phenomenal work with the BDCC in providing care during the pandemic. Her work is regarded as a model for sound community health engagement. Assistant U.S. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levin stated: ``The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium is such a fantastic example of how we're going to reach individuals in their communities with messages from people that they know and people that they trust--trusted messengers like Dr. Stanford.''
The Third Congressional District of Pennsylvania extends gratitude to the Black Doctors COVID-19 and Dr. Ala Stanford for their dedicated support and extraordinary service to the people of Philadelphia in their effort to provide testing and expand access and equitable distribution of the coronavirus vaccine.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 91
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