[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 25, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E574-E575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING BLACK DOCTORS COVID-19 CONSORTIUM

                                 ______
                                 

                           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

[[Page E575]]

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.

                          ____________________