Episode 36 — Founder Of Black Doctors Consortium, Center For Health Equity, And R.E.A.L. Concierge Medicine, Dr. Ala Stanford

Start your weekend off with another episode of The People of Penn State! Today, we welcome alumna Dr. Ala Stanford to the program for an insightful conversation about medicine and health equity. Dr. Stanford discussed her time at Penn State, (including her days as a Lion Ambassador), her career path, transforming her private practice into a Covid-19 testing center during the height of the pandemic, what it's like to become a public figure, working with Will Smith, and disparities in healthcare. More background on Dr. Stanford:She gained national recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic using the infrastructure of her pediatric surgery practice to create a grassroots organization to focus on testing, contact tracing and vaccination in communities devoid of access to care and resources. Dr. Stanford has been a practicing physician for over 25 years. She is former director of the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities of Temple University School of Medicine, a member of the Philadelphia Board of Health, Philadelphia Department of Health COVID19 advisory board and a trusted national leader and public health advocate. In addition to opening a Center for Health Equity to improve health outcomes in communities with the lowest life expectancy, her organization was responsible for providing over 100,000 COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. She earned two degrees from Penn State — a Bachelor of Science degree from the Eberly College of Science and a doctor of medicine degree from the College of Medicine — and went on to become the first African American female pediatric surgeon trained entirely in the United States. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow Dr.  Stanford on social media: TwitterFacebookInstagramLearn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu. Follow the Penn State Alumni Association on:FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedIn-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Timestamps: 0:00 — Intro2:30 — Becoming a Penn Stater3:17 — Attending Penn State Behrend4:30 — Involvement as a student6:25 — Early beginnings of pursuing a career in medicine 9:40 — Ad Read #1 - LionLink10:57 — Career path up until the Covid-19 pandemic13:00 — Transforming her private practice into a Covid-19 testing unit16:30 — Becoming a public figure19:55 — Meeting and working with Will Smith22:53 — Disparities in healthcare and reaching health equity26:33 —Advice to young women pursuing a career in healthcare28:40 — Lighting Round Q&A, including a story meeting Keegan-Michael Key 35:00 — Outro 37:00 — Alma MaterFor more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com