Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium Founder Opens Center In North Philadelphia Aimed Health Equity
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You know her and many people trust her. Dr. Ala Stanford has been on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. She has witnessed a growing demand for expanded health care services beyond just COVID-19 vaccinations and testing. Now, Stanford is opening a new clinic to help fill that void.
The Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity, or "ASHE," is now a reality in North Philadelphia at 20th and Dr. Ala Stanford Way.
Stanford founded the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium during the height of the pandemic, and the center will allow them to continue their tireless mission of vaccinating as many Philadelphians as possible.
"People deserve the right for equitable care and that it's a privilege for us to take care of you and that's how we treated every person that we encountered," Stanford said.
Eyewitness News got a first-hand look inside the new facility. The center will continue to provide much-needed health care long after the pandemic ends.
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium will continue offering booster vaccines to people 18 years or older and for those who are immunocompromised.
The mission of the group has always been to reduce morbidity rates and reach underserved communities that need access to critical COVID-19 testing and vaccines.
The consortium has tested more than 25,000 patients and vaccinated over 53,000 Philadelphians so far.
"The sustainability of what we're doing here has got to last," Stanford said. "It must outlive me."
The center accepts all forms of insurance and offers a sliding fee scale if you are uninsured.
